ground corn, wheat

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

This well-known cereal was cultivated in the East from the earliest times

(Gen. 30:14¹⁴And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. (Genesis 30:14)), and grew luxuriantly and of many varieties in Egypt (Gen. 41:22²²And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: (Genesis 41:22)). Syria and Palestine were both fine wheat-growing countries (Psa. 81:16; 147:14¹⁶He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. (Psalm 81:16)
¹⁴He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. (Psalm 147:14); Matt. 13:8⁸But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. (Matthew 13:8)). Wheat-harvest denoted a well-known season (Gen. 30:14¹⁴And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. (Genesis 30:14)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

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Wheat Growing in Israel

This cereal was extensively grown in Palestine; the harvest was in May and June. In the parable it is used by the Lord as representing the children of the kingdom, the fruit of the good seed that He was sowing on the earth, in contrast to the tares, or darnel, which Satan secretly sowed among the good seed.

The Lord Himself, being the second Man “out of heaven,” is compared to the grain of wheat that must have remained alone unless it had died, but which in dying would bring forth much fruit. This clearly shows that there was no union of Christ and natural man by His incarnation alone, and that through the death of Christ the fruit produced by His resurrection is of the same order as Christ Himself (Matt. 13:25-30²⁵But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. ²⁶But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. ²⁷So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? ²⁸He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? ²⁹But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:25‑30); John 12:24²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24); 1 Cor. 15:48-49⁴⁸As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:48‑49)).

There are three or four varieties of Triticum grown in Palestine.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:

7383 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Transliteration:

riyphah

Phonic:

ree-faw’

Meaning:

or riphah {ree-faw'}; from 7322; (only plural), grits (as pounded)

KJV Usage:

ground corn, wheat