Onions (Hastings' Dictionary)
This word occurs only once in the Bible (Nu 11°) in connexion with fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, and garlic. The latter two are species of the same genus, Allium. The onion is A. Cepa, L. It is universally cultivated in the East, and enters into many cooked dishes and salads. The onions of Syria and Palestine have a very sweet taste, and, when cooked, do not impart to the breath the strong odour which so often forbids the use of the onion as an article of diet elsewhere.
Working men often make their midday meal from a loaf or two of bread and a couple of raw onions. It is customary to skewer bits of meat alternating with segments of onion and tomato, and broil them over glowing coals. With fresh native bread they make a most savoury and appetizing meal to persons accustomed to them. G. E. Post.
This topic also has an entry in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Both articles offer independent scholarly perspectives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Onions
Onions un'-yunz (betsalim; krommuon): One of the delicacies of Egypt for which the children of Israel pined in the wilderness (Nu 11:5). The onion, alllium cepa (Natural Order Liliaceae), is known in Arabic as bucal and is cultivated all over Syria and Egypt; it appears to be as much a favorite in the Orient today as ever. ⇒See a list of verses on ONION in the Bible. ⇒See the definition of onion in the KJV Dictionary ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Onions
Hasselquist (Travels, 290) says "they are in Egypt sweet, not nauseous and strong as in other countries .... They eat them roasted, cut into four pieces, with roasted bits of meat (the Turkish kekab); and with this dish they are so delighted that they wish they may enjoy it in paradise." This gives point to Israel's regrets (Num 11:5). They were the staple food of the labourers on the pyramids (Herodotus, ii. 125). They contain nitrogen largely, and are considered equivalent in nutriment to four times their weight of any other vegetable. In warm countries they grow to the size of a large orange.
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