sop Summary and Overview

a morsel of bread (John 13:26; compare Ruth 2:14). Our Lord took a piece of unleavened bread, and dipping it into the broth of bitter herbs at the Paschal meal, gave it to Judas. (Compare Ruth 2:14.)

In eastern lands where our table utensils are unknown, the meat, with the broth, is brought upon the table in a large dish, and is eaten usually by means of pieces of bread clipped into the common dish. The bread so dipped is called. "It was such a piece of bread a sop dipped in broth that Jesus gave to Judas, #Joh 13:26| and again, in Matt 26:23 it is said "he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish," i.e. to make a sop by dipping a piece of bread into the central dish.

SOP . John 13:26. Our ordinary table-utensils were unknown among the Hebrews. Hence, in eating broth or milk, it was either taken with the hollow of the hand or the bread was dipped into it. This is at present the usage in all the Oriental countries - even at the table of the Persian king. Thus the reapers of Boaz dipped their "morsel in the vinegar," Ruth 2:14, and thus our Saviour "dipped the sop," or morsel, and gave it to the traitor Judas.