Lexical Summary
shuwm: To put, place, set, appoint
Original Word: שׁוּם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shuwm
Pronunciation: shoom
Phonetic Spelling: (shoom)
KJV: garlic
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to exhale]
1. garlic (from its rank odor)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
garlic
From an unused root meaning to exhale; garlic (from its rank odor) -- garlic.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] ; — plural
Numbers 11:5 (J) (
allium sativum, Linn, Thes Löw
No. 336 Post
Hast. DB ii. 110 Tristr
NHB 448 (or
allium Ascalonicum, compare Buhl, after Tristr
FFP 430; see this and Post
Flora 789 for many kinds of
allium); Arabic
👁 Image, Aramaic ,
👁 Image, Assyrian
šûmu).
see infra.
Topical Lexicon
Occurrence and Context The noun שׁוּם (garlic) appears once, in Numbers 11:5, where the Israelites recall: “We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic” (Berean Standard Bible). The single mention comes amid the people’s complaint over the manna that God was faithfully providing in the wilderness.
Agricultural and Culinary Background
Garlic was a common staple in Egypt and the broader Ancient Near Eastern diet. Inscriptions and medical papyri attest to its use both as food and as a medicinal agent prized for vigor and healing properties. Its pungent flavor made it a desirable seasoning—especially in contrast to the simple fare of the desert. The Israelites, having lived in Goshen for generations, naturally came to appreciate Egypt’s agricultural abundance, of which garlic was emblematic.
Historical Significance for Israel
Garlic heads the final item in a lush list of foods that typified Egyptian plenty. The single occurrence therefore serves as a historical flashpoint:
• It highlights the material comforts left behind in Egypt.
• It underscores the tension between slavery’s produce and the freedom that demanded reliance on God.
• It exposes the selective memory of a people who remembered garlic but forgot their harsh bondage (Exodus 1:14).
Theological and Spiritual Insights
1. Discontent with God’s Provision. Manna was heaven-sent (Exodus 16:4), yet Israel craved the strong flavors of Egypt. Garlic thus stands for any earthly desire that competes with satisfaction in God (cf. 1 John 2:16).
2. The Power of Remembrance. Remembering is morally charged in Scripture. Israel was commanded to remember Yahweh’s mighty acts (Deuteronomy 8:2), yet here they remember garlic. The incident invites believers to curate their memories so that gratitude, not nostalgia for sin’s pleasures, governs the heart.
3. Bondage versus Freedom. Garlic reminds readers that tangible delights can mask spiritual slavery. The Lord’s call is always from bondage to liberty (Galatians 5:1), even when freedom initially looks lean.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Counseling Contentment. Pastors and teachers can use Numbers 11:5 to address murmuring and ingratitude, urging believers to recount God’s mercies rather than Egypt’s spices.
• Spiritual Formation. In fasting or spiritual disciplines, garlic’s absence can serve as a concrete reminder that “man does not live on bread alone” (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).
• Missionary Contexts. New converts sometimes idealize former lifestyles. The “garlic of Egypt” becomes an apt metaphor for old habits that tempt return.
Christological Reflections
Jesus, the Bread of Life (John 6:35), supersedes every earthly staple. Unlike garlic, whose flavor quickly fades, Christ satisfies eternally (John 4:14). Where Israel failed, Christ in the wilderness refused to trade trust in His Father for immediate gratification (Matthew 4:1-11), securing righteousness for all who believe.
Eschatological Hope
Prophetic visions describe a renewed creation where hunger and scarcity vanish (Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 7:16-17). The fleeting allure of Egypt’s garlic is eclipsed by the marriage supper of the Lamb. Present contentment foreshadows future abundance.
Cross References for Study
Exodus 16:2-3; Deuteronomy 8:2-10; Psalm 78:17-22; 1 Corinthians 10:6-11; Philippians 4:11-13; Hebrews 3:7-19.
Forms and Transliterations
הַשּׁוּמִֽים׃ השומים׃ haš·šū·mîm hashshuMim haššūmîm
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
