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Bible Dictionaries
Barn
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or BARN.—The same word (ἀποθήκη) is rendered ‘barn’ in Matthew 6:26; Matthew 13:30, Luke 12:18; Luke 12:24, and ‘garner’ in Matthew 3:12, Luke 3:17. In Graeco-Roman times, buildings above ground were probably in use. καθαιρέω, ‘to pull down’ (Luke 12:18) could apply only to such. But from ancient times until now Palestinian farmers have stored their grain in cistern-like pits. These are dug in dry places, often out of the solid rock, carefully cemented to keep out damp, with a circular opening at the top, through which a man may pass. When the mouth is plastered over and made air-tight, the corn will keep sound for several years. For security in a lawless country, the ‘barn’ is sometimes under the floor of the inmost part of the house, that of the women (cf. 2 Samuel 4:6). To escape the tax-gatherer, again, it is frequently made in a secluded spot, and so skilfully turfed over that discovery is almost impossible (cf. Jeremiah 41:8). Pits found near ruined sites, in districts that have lain desolate for ages, prove the antiquity of this method. Natural caves in the limestone rock, improved by art, with heavy stone doors blocking the entrance, have also served as ‘barns,’ and may be seen in use at Gadara to-day.
W. Ewing.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Barn'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/b/barn.html. 1906-1918.
