Onion
“From a root meaning to peel”
Summary
The onion was one of the foods of Egypt that the Israelites longed for during their wilderness wanderings, prized in ancient times for its mild and sweet flavor.
☩Biblical Reference
Onions are mentioned only once in Scripture, in Numbers 11:5, where the Israelites at Taberah wept for the food of Egypt, saying, "We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic." The Hebrew word 'betsel' refers to the common onion (Allium cepa), as confirmed by the Arabic name 'basal.' This lament reveals how deeply the Israelites missed the varied diet they had enjoyed in Egypt, despite their bondage there.
☩Egyptian Onions
Egyptian onions were renowned in the ancient world for their exceptional quality. Unlike the pungent onions of northern climates, those of Egypt were remarkably sweet, soft, and mild, making them a nutritious and pleasant article of diet. Hasselquist, an eighteenth-century traveler, reported that Egyptian onions were the best in the world: "Here they are sweet; in other countries they are nauseous and strong." The Egyptians ate them roasted with meat, made them into soup, and considered them a staple food. Some ancient writers satirized what they claimed was Egyptian religious veneration of the onion, though this likely applied only to certain priests who abstained from them.
Related Verses1 mention
Numbers· 1 verse
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Onion," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Onions," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Onion," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Richard Watson, "Onion," in A Biblical and Theological Dictionary (John Mason, 1831).