ἄρτος

ἄρτος, ου, ὁ (Hom.+)

① a baked product produced fr. a cereal grain, bread also loaf of bread

ⓐ gener. (Did., Gen. 190, 25) Mt 4:4 (Dt 8:3); 14:17, 19; 15:26, 33f; 16:8ff; Mk 6:38, 44, 52 (QQuesnell, The Mind of Mark, ’69); 7:27; 8:4ff, 14 (JManek, NovT 7, ’64, 10–14), 16f; Lk 4:4 (Dt 8:3); 9:13; 11:5; J 6:5, 23, 26; 21:9; 2 Cor 9:10 (Is 55:10). Opp. λίθος Mt 4:3 and Lk 4:3 (Ps.-Clem., Hom. 2, 32 Simon Mag. ἐκ λίθων ἄρτους ποιεῖ); Mt 7:9; Lk 11:11 v.l. W. water (Dt 9:9, 18; Sir 29:21; Hos 2:7) Hs 5, 3, 7. The father of the household opened a meal (s. Billerb. IV 620ff) by taking a loaf of bread, giving thanks, breaking it, and distributing it: λαμβάνειν τὸν ἄ., (κατα)κλάσαι τὸν ἄ. (Jer 16:7) Mt 14:19; 15:36; Mk 6:41; 8:19; Lk 9:16; 24:30; J 6:11; 21:13; Ac 20:11; 27:35. Cp. Lk 24:35; Ac 2:42, 46; 20:7. Usu. taken along on journeys Mk 6:8; Lk 9:3; cp. Mt 16:5, 7; Mk 8:14. W. gen. of price διακοσίων δηναρίων ἄρτοι J 6:7; Mk 6:37. ἄρτοι κρίθινοι (Judg 7:13; 4 Km 4:42) loaves of barley bread J 6:9, 13. The martyr’s body in the fire is compared to baking bread MPol 15:2.—Dalman, Arbeit IV: Brot, Öl u. Wein ’35.

ⓑ of a bread-offering ἄρτοι τῆς προθέσεως (Ex 40:23; 1 Km 21:7; 1 Ch 9:32; 23:29; 2 Ch 4:19; cp. 2 Ch 13:11; 2 Macc 10:3; Dssm. B 155f [BS 157]. Cp. OGI 56, 73; UPZ 149, 21 [III B.C.] πρόθεσις τ. ἄρτων in a temple ln. 31) consecrated bread (Billerb. III 719–33) Mt 12:4; Mk 2:26; Lk 6:4; Hb 9:2.—S. πρόθεσις.

ⓒ of the bread of the eucharist, which likew. was broken after giving thanks, and then eaten (Orig., C. Cels. 8, 33, 25) Mt 26:26; Mk 14:22; Lk 22:19; perh. Ac 2:42, 46; 20:7; 1 Cor 10:16f (the acc. τὸν ἄρτον vs. 16 is by attraction to the rel. ὅν; cp. Gen 31:16); 11:23, 26ff; D 14:1; IEph 20:2; AcPl Ha 4, 4 (s. κλάω, κατακλάω, εὐχαριστέω 2, εὐχαριστία 3 and Aberciusins. 16.—Diog. L. 8, 35: acc. to Pythagoras the εἷς ἄρτος [1 Cor 10:17] has served as a symbol of the union of the φίλοι from time immemorial to the present. Partaking of the same bread and wine [τ. αὐτὸν ἄρτον, οἶνον] as proof of the most intimate communion: Theodor. Prodr. 8, 400ff H.; Herodas 4, 93f: in the temple of Asclepius those who offer a sacrifice—in this case women—receive consecrated bread called ὑγιίη [ὑγίεια] to eat; Athen. 3, 115a ὑγίεια καλεῖται ἡ διδομένη ἐν ταῖς θυσίαις μᾶζα ἵνα ἀπογεύσωνται=the barley-cake that is given everyone to taste at the sacrifices is called Health; Anecd. Gr. 313, 13).—PdeBoer, Divine Bread, Studies in the Rel. of Anc. Israel, ’72, 27–36. S. καλάσις 2.

② any kind of food or nourishment, food gener. (since bread is the most important food; cp. לֶחֶם e.g. Is 65:25; Am 8:11; 4 [6] Esdr [POxy 1010]) περισσεύεσθαι ἄρτων have more than enough bread, i.e. plenty to eat Lk 15:17 (cp. Pr 20:13). διαθρύπτειν πεινῶσι τὸν ἄ. break bread for the hungry, i.e. give them someth. to eat B 3:3, cp. 5 (Is 58:7, 10). Hence ἄ. ἐσθίειν eat, dine, eat a meal (Gen 37:25; 2 Km 12:20; Eccl 9:7; Orig., C. Cels 7, 28, 43; cp. Did., Gen. 190, 12) Mt 15:2; Mk 3:20; 7:2, 5; Lk 14:1. δωρεὰν ἄ. φαγεῖν παρά τινος eat someone’s bread without paying 2 Th 3:8. Opp. τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἄρτον ἐσθίειν vs. 12. Of an ascetic way of life μὴ ἐσθίων ἄρτον μήτε πίνων οἶνον neither eating bread nor drinking wine, i.e. fasting Lk 7:33 (cp. 1 Esdr 9:2). On ἄ. ἐπιούσιος Mt 6:11; Lk 11:3; D 8:2 s. ἐπιούσιος.—τρώγειν τινὸς τὸν ἄ. be the guest of someone J 13:18 (cp. Ps 40:10). Since according to a concept widespread among Israelites and gentiles, eternal bliss was to be enjoyed in the form of a banquet, φαγεῖν ἄ. ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ=share eternal bliss, or salvation Lk 14:15.—In J ἄ. ἐκ τ. οὐρανοῦ (after Ps 77:24; cp. Ex 16:4; 2 Esdr 19:15; Ps 104:40; Wsd 16:20; SibOr Fgm. 3, 49) is Christ and his body in the Eucharist J 6:31ff, 41, 50, 58 or simply Christ himself. For this ἄ. τῆς ζωῆς (JosAs 8:5; 15:4) vs. 35, 48; ὁ ἄ. ὁ ζῶν vs. 51. Sim. ἄ. τ. θεοῦ IEph 5:2; IRo 7:3; ἄ. τ. Χριστοῦ 4:1.—BGärtner, J 6 and the Jewish Passover: ConNeot 17, ’59; GVermes, MBlack Festschr., ’69, 256–63.

③ means of support, support, livelihood τὸν ἄ. λαμβάνειν take his bread (i.e. support) D 11:6 (difft. Orig., C. Cels. 2, 68, 20: ‘take bread [from someone’s hand]’).

④ reward for labor, reward, proceeds λαμβάνειν τὸν ἄ. τοῦ ἔργου receive the reward of (one’s) labor 1 Cl 34:1.—EBattaglia, ‘Artos’, il lessico della panificazione nei paperi greci ’89.—B. 357. DELG. EDNT. M-M. TW.