ἄρτος

ἄρτος — ártos

ἄρτος, ἄρτου, ὁ (from ἈΡΩ to fit, put together (cf. Etym. Magn. 150, 36 — but doubtful)), bread; Hebrew לֶחֶם;

1. food composed of flour mixed with water and baked; the Israelites made it in the form of an oblong or round cake, as thick as one's thumb, and as large as a plate or platter (cf. Winers RWB under the word Backen; (BB. DD.)); hence, it was not cut, but broken (see κλάσις and κλάω) Mat 4:3; Mat 7:9; Mat 14:17; Mat 14:19; Mar 6:36 (T Tr WH omit; L brackets), Mar 6:37; Luk 4:3; Luk 24:30; Joh 6:5 ff; Act 27:35, and often; ἄρτοι τῆς προθέσεως, loaves consecrated to Jehovah, see πρόθεσις; on the bread used at the love-feasts and the sacred supper (Winer's Grammar, 35), cf. Mat 26:26; Mar 14:22; Luk 22:19; Act 2:42; Act 2:46; Act 20:7; 1Co 10:16; 1Co 11:26-28.

2. As in Greek writings, and like the Hebrew לֶחֶם, food of any kind: Mat 6:11; Mar 6:8; Luk 11:3; 2Co 9:10; ὁ ἄρτος τῶν τέκνων the food served to the children, Mar 7:27; ἄρτον φαγεῖν or ἐσθίειν to take food, to eat (לֶחֶם אֲכֹל) (Winer's Grammar, 33 (32)): Mar 3:20; Luk 14:1; Luk 14:15; Mat 15:2; ἄρτον φαγεῖν παρά τίνος to take food supplied by one, 2Th 3:8; τόν ἑαυτόν ἄρτον ἐσθίειν, to eat the food which one has procured for himself by his own labor, 2Th 3:12; μήτε ἄρτον ἐσθίον, μήτε οἶνον πίνων, abstaining from the usual sustenance, or using it sparingly, Luk 7:33; τρώγειν τόν ἄρτον μετά τίνος to be one's table-companion, his familiar friend, Joh 13:18 (Psa 40:10 ). In Joh 6:32-35 Jesus calls himself, τόν ἄρτον τοῦ Θεοῦ, τόν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς, as the Divine λόγος, come from heaven, who containing in himself the source of heavenly life supplies celestial nutriment to souls that they may attain to life eternal.