κρίθινος

made of barley

Definition

The adjective κρίθινος specifically means 'made of barley' or 'consisting of barley.' It is used exclusively in the New Testament to describe the type of bread involved in the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. In John 6:9, it identifies the 'five barley loaves' offered by the boy, and in John 6:13, it refers to the leftover fragments of that same 'barley bread' collected after the miracle. The word does not carry any secondary or metaphorical meanings in its biblical usage; its sense is consistently literal and material.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only twice in the New Testament, both occurrences in the Gospel of John (John 6:9, 13). It appears solely within the narrative of the feeding of the five thousand, functioning descriptively to specify the kind of bread (barley loaves) that was miraculously multiplied by Jesus. There is no pattern of usage outside this single, significant event.

Etymology

Derived directly from the Greek noun κριθή (krithē), meaning 'barley.' The suffix -ινος (-inos) is a common adjectival ending used to indicate 'made of' or 'pertaining to' a material. Thus, κρίθινος literally means 'of barley' or 'barley-ish.'

Semantic Range

While the word itself is descriptive, its theological significance emerges from its context. Barley bread was considered a common, inexpensive food for the poor. Its use in John 6 highlights Jesus's compassion for the hungry multitude and his power to provide abundantly from meager, humble resources. Understanding that the loaves were specifically barley underscores the humility of the offering and the grandeur of the resulting miracle, pointing to Jesus as the true 'bread of life' (John 6:35) who satisfies spiritual hunger.

In the ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish world, barley was a staple grain, but it was generally considered inferior to wheat. Barley bread was cheaper, coarser, and associated with the poor, livestock feed, or times of scarcity. This cultural understanding adds depth to the miracle in John 6: the crowd was fed not with luxurious fare, but with the most basic sustenance, which Jesus transformed into more than enough.

ἄρτος (artos, G740) — The general word for 'bread' or 'loaf'; κρίθινος specifies the barley type of ἄρτος. σῖτος (sitos, G4621) — A general term for 'grain' or 'wheat'; κρίθινος specifies the barley variety of grain.

Word Details

Scripture References