Eating

Concise Bible Dictionary:

Besides the common use of this word, it is employed symbolically for to “consume, destroy:” they “eat up my people as they eat bread” (Psa. 14:44Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord. (Psalm 14:4); compare Prov. 30:1414There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. (Proverbs 30:14); Hab. 3:1414Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly. (Habakkuk 3:14); 2 Tim. 2:1717And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus; (2 Timothy 2:17)). Also for receiving, digesting, and delighting in God’s words: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jer. 15:1616Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15:16)). To eat together of the same bread or food is a token of friendship (Josh. 11:1414And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe. (Joshua 11:14); Psa. 41:99Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. (Psalm 41:9); Song of Sol. 5:11I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. (Song of Solomon 5:1); John 13:1818I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. (John 13:18)): and such an expression of intimacy is forbidden towards those walking disorderly (1 Cor. 5:1111But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. (1 Corinthians 5:11)). It is used to express the satisfaction of doing the work that is before the soul: the Lord said, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of” (John 4:3232But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. (John 4:32)). Also to express appropriation to the eater of the death of Christ: “except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you” (John 6:5353Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (John 6:53)). (In John 6:51,5351I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. (John 6:51)
53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (John 6:53) there is eating for reception, φάγω; and in John 6:54,56-5754Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:54)
56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (John 6:56‑57), eating as a present thing for the maintenance of life, τρώγω.) In the Lord’s Supper the Christian eats that which is a symbol of the body of Christ (Matt. 26:2626And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. (Matthew 26:26)), and in eating he has communion with Christ’s death (1 Cor. 10:1616The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16)).

“419. Eating Alone” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Job 31:1717Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; (Job 31:17). Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof.
It is a part of Oriental etiquette to invite others to partake of food. See note on Genesis 18:2-32And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: (Genesis 18:2‑3) (#9). Dr. Shaw says, referring to his travels in Arabia: “No sooner was our food prepared, whether it was potted flesh boiled with rice, a lentil soup, or unleavened cakes served up with oil or honey, than one of the Arabs, (not to eat his morsel alone,) after having placed himself on the highest spot of ground in the neighborhood, calls out thrice, with a loud voice, to all his brethren, The sons of the faithful, to come and partake of it; though none of them were in view, or perhaps within a hundred miles of us. This custom, however, they maintain to be a token at least of their great benevolence, as indeed it would have been of their hospitality, provided they could have had an opportunity to show it” (Travels, Preface, p. 12).

“746. Mode of Eating” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

The Orientals at their meals make no use of knives, forks, or spoons. The animal food is so thoroughly cooked as to be easily separated by the fingers, and with the fingers the food of all kinds is mainly taken from the dish. When, however, the food is in a semi-fluid state, or so soft that the fingers cannot conveniently hold it, a piece of bread is dipped into the dish and made the vehicle by which soft food is conveyed to the mouth. This bread formed the “sop” mentioned in John 13:2626Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. (John 13:26), where see the note (#815).

“825. Time for Eating” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Acts 2:1515For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. (Acts 2:15). For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
It was not usual to eat or drink on any day before the third hour, at which time the mowing sacrifice was performed. Lightfoot, on authority of Baronius, says: “And on these solemn festival-days they used not to eat or drink anything till high-noon” (Horae Hebraicae). This custom furnished a ready answer from Peter to the charge of drunkenness.

Related Books and Articles:

419. Eating Alone
825. Time for Eating
746. Mode of Eating