Bible Dictionaries
Bitter Herbs

Holman Bible Dictionary

Herbs eaten with the Passover meal (Exodus 12:8; Numbers 9:11 ). They were interpreted as symbolizing the bitter experiences of the Israelites' slavery in Egypt. Some have suggested that the bitter herbs comprised a salad including lettuce, endive, chicory, and dandelion. The word translated “bitterness” in Lamentations 3:15 is the same word translated “bitter herbs.”