Bible Dictionary
Flour
Grain ground into meal and used in bread, cakes, and other foods. Fine flour was also presented with certain sacrifices, including offerings made under the Mosaic law.
Definition
Flour is grain reduced to meal and used in bread, cakes, and other foods. It was ground, mixed with water, kneaded, and sometimes leavened before baking. Fine flour was also used in offerings.
Biblical Usage
Fine flour was offered by the poor as a sin offering and accompanied other sacrifices. Biblical accounts describe both leavened and unleavened dough made from flour.
Historical Background
Grain was ground daily because baking was a daily necessity. Dough was formed into thin cakes and baked in an oven.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Grain reduced to the form of meal is spoken of in the time of Abraham (Gen. 18:6). As baking was a daily necessity, grain was also ground daily at the mills (Jer. 25:10). The flour mingled with water was kneaded in kneading-troughs, and sometimes leaven (Ex. 12:34) was added and sometimes omitted (Gen. 19:3). The dough was then formed into thin cakes nine or ten inches in diameter and baked in the oven. Fine flour was offered by the poor as a sin-offering (Lev. 5:11-13), and also in connection with other sacrifices (Num. 15:3-12; 28:7-29).
Smith's Bible Dictionary
[Bread]
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>flour.</p><p>See BREAD; FOOD.</p>