Biblical Hebrew words for farming and the land
Threshing floors, gleanings, measuring cords and shepherds. The Bible was written by and for people who worked the land.
malmadמַלְמָד
oxgoad
וַיַּךְ אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּים שֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת אִישׁ בְּמַלְמַד הַבָּקָר
“Judges 3:31 — 'and he struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad'”
noqed(noked)נֹקֵד
sheep-breeder, sheep-master
דִּבְרֵי עָמוֹס אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה בַנֹּקְדִים מִתְּקוֹעַ
“Amos 1:1 — The words of Amos, who was among the sheep-breeders of Tekoa.”
chevel(chebel)חֶבֶל
a rope; the measuring cord, and so the plot of land it measured out
חֲבָלִים נָפְלוּ־לִי בַּנְּעִמִים אַף־נַחֲלָת שָׁפְרָה עָלָי
“The lines fell to me in pleasant places; indeed, my inheritance is lovely to me." — Psalms 16:6”
yorehיוֹרֶה
the first rain of the season (early autumn rain)
וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר־אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ
“And I will give the rain of your land in its season, the yoreh and the malqosh, and you shall gather in your grain and your wine and your oil." — Deuteronomy 11:14”
gorenגֹּרֶן
threshing floor
הִנֵּה הוּא זֹרֶה אֶת גֹּרֶן הַשְּׂעֹרִים הַלַּיְלָה
“Behold, he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor tonight. (Ruth 3:2)”
olelotעֹלֵלוֹת
the small grape clusters left on the vine after the main harvest, for the poor
הֲלֹא־טוֹב עֹלְלוֹת אֶפְרַיִם מִבְצִיר אֲבִיעֶזֶר׃
“Judges 8:2 — 'Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?'”
Yaacov, native Jerusalemite
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