Dagan refers to grain in general — wheat, barley, and other cereal crops — as the primary staple food of the ancient Near East. It appears 40 times, most often in contexts of covenant blessing and famine. Full grain storehouses were the blessing of God; empty ones were His curse or discipline.
In the covenantal framework, dagan is the first and most fundamental sign of divine favor. God promises dagan, tirosh (new wine), and yitshar (oil) as the triple gift of covenant faithfulness (Hosea 2:8). The grain is tied directly to the Firstfruits offerings and Pentecost — Israel brought the first sheaf to the LORD before eating the harvest. When Jesus feeds 5,000 with bread, or declares Himself the Bread of Life, or institutes the Supper with bread representing His broken body — the grain theology of the OT reaches its fullest expression.