Sop
In eastern lands where our table utensils are unknown, the meat, with the broth, is brought upon the table in a large dish, and is eaten usually by means of pieces of bread clipped into the common dish. The bread so dipped is called. “It was such a piece of bread a sop dipped in broth that Jesus gave to Judas, (John 13:26) and again, in Matt 26:23 It is said “he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish,” i.e. to make a sop by dipping a piece of bread into the central dish.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Sop
Sop sop (psomion): A thin, wafer-like piece of bread dipped into the common dish as a sort of improvised spoon, is thus designated in Joh 13:26 ff. ⇒See the definition of sop in the KJV Dictionary See MORSEL. ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Sop
A sop (Anglo-Sax. [s"/'/""], from .iiipan, to sup) is a morsel of food soaUed in liquid. Cf. Chaucer, Marc/umtes Tale, 599 — ' Anc then he taketh a sop in fj-n clarrce.' The word was used by Tindale to translate ypufilov {from vf-uM-ifu, to feed) in Jn l ,■?-'"''»■"■ -", the only occurrences of the Gr. word. (Wydif had already used it in 13'^- ", givin<; ' bread ' and ' morsel ' in the other places. The Vulg. has burcella in 13"- '", but simply panis in ssfcij^ anj tije Kheinis follows with ' bread ' in » "", and ' morsel ' in '"■ «'). The mod. meaning, ' something given to keep quiet,' is also found in early writers, as Howard, Committee, iv. 1, 'Why, you unconscionable Kascal, are }'ou angry that I am unlucky, or do you want some fees ? I'll perish in a Dungeon before I'll consume with throwing Sops to such Curs.' J. Hastings.
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