Fitches
Hebrew qetsach, Septuagint melanthion, Isa 28:25; Isa 28:27; of the order Ranunculaceos, and suborder Helleboreos, in southern Europe and northern Africa; the black poppy. Nigella sativa, "fennel," with black seed like cummin, easily "beaten out with a staff"; used in sauces as condiment like pepper; aromatic and carminative.
In Eze 4:9 kussemeth, KJV "fitches," is rather "spelt" or dhourra, less suitably rendered "rye" Exo 9:32; Isa 28:25, where the illustration from the husbandman shows that God also adapts His measures to the varying exigencies of the several cases and places, now mercy, now judgment, here punishing sooner there later (an answer to the scoff that His judgments were so slow that they would never come at all, Isa 5:19); His aim not being to destroy His people any more than the husbandman's aim in threshing is to destroy his crop.
He will not use the threshing instrument where, as in the case of the "fennel," the "staff" will suffice. From the readiness with which the ripe capsules yield their tiny black seeds (the poor man's pepper, poivrette), nothing could be so absurd as to use a threshing instrument. Even in the case of the "bread grain" which needs to be "bruised" or threshed with the grain drag or trodden out by cattle, "He will not always be threshing it"; for "because" translated "but" (compare Isa 27:7-8).
Spelt has a smooth slender ear (as it were shorn, kussemeth being from kaasam "to shear"), the grains of which are so firm in the husk that they need special devices to disengage them.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Fitches
Fitches fich'-iz (the English word "fitch" is the same as "vetch"): ⇒See a list of verses on FITCH in the Bible. (1) qetsach (Isa 28:25,27; the Revised Version, margin has "black cummin" (Nigella sativa)). This is the "nutmeg flower," an annual herb (Natural Order, Ranunculaceae), the black seeds of which are sprinkled over some kinds of bread in Palestin. They were used as a condiment by the ancient Greeks and Romans. These seeds have a warm aromatic flavor and are carminative in their properties, assisting digestion. They, like all such plants which readily yield their seed, are still beaten out with rods. The contrast between the stouter staff for the "fitches" and the lighter rod for the cummin is all the more noticeable when the great similarity of the two seeds is noticed. (2) kuccemim (pl.) (Eze 4:9) the Revised Version (British and American) "spelt" (which see). ⇒See the definition of fitch in the KJV Dictionary E. W. G. Masterman ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Fitches
AV gives fitches in the text in two places. 1. Ezk 4'. Here the Heb. is njED kussemeth, tt^ in AVm and RV spelt. We believe the plant intended is the kirsene/i or kirsenneh of the Arabs, Vicia Ervilia, L. The same Heb. word is used in two other places (Ex 9^, Is 28^), where AV has rye and RV spelt (see Rye). 2. Is 28^-2'. Here tlie Heb. is nsg kezah. This is the nutmeg flower, Nigella sativa, L., a Ranunculaceous plant, cultivated everywhere in the East for its olack seeds, which are used as a condiment and a medicine. It is called in Arab, shuniz, or shihniz, and habhat el-barakah, i.e. the seed of blessing, or el-habbat es-sanda, i.e. the black seed. An Arab, proverb says, 'in the black seed is the medicine for every disease.' Avieenna recommends it in dyspepsia, and for bronchial and other affections. Orientals often put a pinch of the seeds on the middle of the upper surface of the flat loaves of bread before baking. In baking they adhere. Pliny alludes to their use by bakers (Nat. Hist. six. 52). They are believed to assist digestion. They have a warm aromatic flavour and carmin…
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Fitches
(i.e. VETCHES), without doubt the Nigella sativa, an herbaceous annual plant belonging to the natural order Ranunculaceoe (the buttercup family), which grows in the south of Europe and in the north of Africa. Its black seeds are used like pepper, and have almost as pungent a taste. The Syrians sprinkle these seeds over their flat cakes before they are baked. [SEE Rye]
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia