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This is the one and only appearance of the word "cockle" in Scripture. After checking no less than five different references, I find most of them concur with the definition of a smelly, bad weed or fruit. Easton's Dictionary uses the word "noisome" to describe the cockle and further says it may be describing "tares" or darnel of Matthew 13:30. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 5: 2, 4 the plural form is translated "wild grapes".
The variety pictured here is a very attractive plant. The flower is bright pink with black, veined markings. A cockle is covered with a gray colored down.
There is a brown seed capsule in it. It is bitter and poisonous if ground into the flour. The cockle weed would often show up in wheat fields or in barley fields.
Walker writes that the flower was used as adornment at Roman feasts, noting that the guests were handed these flowers to wear on their heads.
Job 31:38-40 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, ...Let thistles grows instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley...
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