Millet
Summary
A grain used for making bread, mentioned among ingredients for a symbolic bread in Ezekiel's prophecy.
☩Biblical Reference
God commanded Ezekiel: 'Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof' (Ezekiel 4:9). This coarse mixture of grains and legumes represented the scarcity of pure grain during siege conditions.
☩The Grain
Millet (Hebrew: dochan) is a small-seeded grain that grows well in poor soil with little water. Several varieties exist in the Middle East. Though considered inferior to wheat and barley, millet provided inexpensive sustenance for the poor and was used when better grains were unavailable.
☩Prophetic Symbolism
Ezekiel's bread of mixed grains prophesied Jerusalem's desperate conditions during Nebuchadnezzar's siege. Pure wheat bread was a luxury; combining every available grain showed extreme shortage. The prophet was to bake it over dung (representing ritual defilement) and eat measured portions, symbolizing strict rationing.
