Bitter Herbs

Bitter herbs are some kind of bitter-tasting vegetables, perhaps a certain variety of lettuce. The people of Israel were commanded to eat bitter herbs along with roasted lamb and unleavened bread on the night when God caused the plague of death on all the Egyptian firstborn (Exodus 12:8–11).

The "bitter herbs" mentioned in Exodus 12:8 and Numbers 9:11 likely refer to plants such as endive (Cichorium endivia), the common chicory (Cichorium intybus), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), or the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). All of these are weedy plants commonly found in modern Egypt and western Asia. People living in these regions still eat these plants today.

The leaves of ordinary garden lettuce become very bitter when bleached (when they turn white after being covered to prevent sunlight from reaching them). This is also true of the common dandelion. Some scholars suggest that the bitter herbs might have come from thorns and thistles.

The book of Exodus does not explain why the Israelites were told to eat bitter herbs. Traditionally, Christians and Jews have understood the bitter herbs to symbolize the suffering of the Hebrews during their slavery in Egypt.

The Bible mentions bitter herbs in only two other places (Numbers 9:11; Lamentations 3:15). These passages do not explain what kind of plant the herbs were or why they were used. In Numbers, the bitter herbs are included in instructions for people who could not celebrate the Passover at the usual time (Numbers 9:6–12). In Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah describes his own suffering. He says that the Lord has filled him with bitterness. Because bitter herbs can represent Jeremiah’s suffering, they may also represent Israel’s suffering during slavery in Egypt.

After the night when God delivered the Hebrews from slavery, bitter herbs became part of the yearly Passover celebration to remember that event.

Today, Samaritans use the leaves of the wild lettuce plant as the bitter herbs in their Passover celebration. Jews of European background traditionally use red horseradish.

See also Passover.