Bible Dictionary: Sheaf

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) A sheave.

2. (n.) A quantity of the stalks and ears of wheat, rye, or other grain, bound together; a bundle of grain or straw.

3. (n.) Any collection of things bound together; a bundle; specifically, a bundle of arrows sufficient to fill a quiver, or the allowance of each archer, -- usually twenty-four.

4. (v. t.) To gather and bind into a sheaf; to make into sheaves; as, to sheaf wheat.

5. (v. i.) To collect and bind cut grain, or the like; to make sheaves.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

SHEAF; SHEAVES

shef, shevz ('alummah, `omer, `amir): When the grain is reaped, it is laid in handfuls back of the reaper to be gathered by children or those who cannot stand the harder work of reaping (Psalm 129:7). The handfuls are bound into large sheaves, two of which are laden at a time on a donkey (compare Nehemiah 13:15). In some districts carts are used (compare Amos 2:13). The sheaves are piled about the threshing-floors until threshing time, which may be several weeks after harvest. It is an impressive sight to see the huge stacks of sheaves piled about the threshing-floors, the piles often covering an area greater than the nearby villages (see AGRICULTURE). The ancient Egyptians bound their grain into small sheaves, forming the bundles with care so that the heads were equally distributed between the two ends (see Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians, 1878, II, 424; compare Joseph's dream, Genesis 37:5-8). The sheaves mentioned in Genesis 37:10-12, 15 must have been handfuls. It is a custom in parts of Syria for the gatherers of the sheaves to run toward a passing horseman and wave a handful of grain, shouting kemshi, kemshi (literally, "handful"). They want the horseman to feed the grain to his horse. In Old Testament times forgotten sheaves had to be left for the sojourner (Deuteronomy 24:19); compare the kindness shown to Ruth by the reapers of Boaz (Ruth 2:7, 15).

Figurative: "Being hungry they carry the sheaves" is a picture of torment similar to that of the hungry horse urged to go by the bundle of hay tied before him (Job 24:10). The joyful sight of the sheaves of an abundant harvest was used by the Psalmist to typify the joy of the returning captives (Psalm 126:6).

James A. Patch

Strong's Hebrew

485. alummah -- a sheaf
... 484, 485. alummah. 486 . a sheaf. Transliteration: alummah Phonetic Spelling:
(al-oom-maw') Short Definition: sheaves. Word ... 3). sheaf. ...
/hebrew/485.htm - 6k

6016. omer -- a sheaf
... 6015, 6016. omer. 6016a . a sheaf. Transliteration: omer Phonetic Spelling:
(o'-mer) Short Definition: omer. omer, sheaf From amar ...
/hebrew/6016.htm - 5k

6016a. omer -- a sheaf
... omer. 6016b . a sheaf. Transliteration: omer Short Definition: sheaf. Word Origin
from an unused word Definition a sheaf NASB Word Usage sheaf (5), sheaves (3 ...
/hebrew/6016a.htm - 5k

5995. amir -- a swath, row of fallen grain
... Word Origin from the same as omer Definition a swath, row of fallen grain
NASB Word Usage sheaf (1), sheaves (3). handful, sheaf. ...
/hebrew/5995.htm - 6k

6194. aremah -- a heap
... heap of corn, sheaf. (Jer. 50:26) or (feminine) aremah {ar-ay-maw'}; from aram;
a heap; specifically, a sheaf -- heap (of corn), sheaf. see HEBREW aram. ...
/hebrew/6194.htm - 6k

Library

A Sheaf of Prayer Arrows
... VOLUME II: PSALMS LI to CXLV A SHEAF OF PRAYER ARROWS. ... We have here a sheaf
of arrows out of a good man's quiver, shot into heaven. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/a sheaf of prayer arrows.htm

I am Told that He Also Carps at Me for the Translation I have ...
... Barabbas. It also means Wheat, and A sheaf of corn, and Elect and Pure. ... Barabbas.
It also means Wheat, and A sheaf of corn, and Elect and Pure. ...
/.../19 i am told that.htm

The Trials and visions of Devout Youth
... And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold,
we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the trials and visions of.htm

"The Lord is Risen"
... He was the antitype of the wave sheaf, and His resurrection took place on the very
day when the wave sheaf was to be presented before the Lord. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 81 the lord is.htm

Blessed be that First Day of Thine, Lord, Wherewith this Day of ...
... upon our blindness! Yea, it also brought a sheaf unto us; and it came,
that from it might flow plenty upon our hunger. This day ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn iii blessed be that.htm

The Story of Joseph
... "We were binding sheaves in a field, and lo! my sheaf arose and also stood upright,
and, behold, your sheaves stood round about and bowed to my sheaf!". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/steedman/joseph the dreamer/the story of joseph.htm

Joseph and his Brethren
... And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: for, behold,
we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/i joseph and his brethren.htm

Here Beginneth the History of Joseph and his Brethren
... Joseph said to his brethren: Hear ye my dream that I had; methought that we bound
sheaves in the field, and my sheaf stood up and yours standing round about ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here beginneth the history of 2.htm

The Passover visit
... bread. On the second day of the feast, the first fruits of the year's harvest,
a sheaf of barley, was presented before the Lord. ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 8 the passover visit.htm

The Certainty and Joy of the Resurrection
... Part of the ceremonial of the Passover was the presentation in the Temple of a barley
sheaf, the first of the harvest, waved before the Lord in dedication to ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/the certainty and joy of.htm

Thesaurus

Sheaf (11 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To gather and bind into a sheaf; to make into sheaves; as, to sheaf
wheat. ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SHEAF; SHEAVES. ...
/s/sheaf.htm - 12k

Sheaves (13 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Plural of Sheaf. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
SHEAF; SHEAVES. shef, shevz ('alummah, `omer, `amir ...
/s/sheaves.htm - 12k

Obeisance (45 Occurrences)
... In Joseph's dream his brother's sheaves made obeisance to his sheaf (Genesis
43:28; compare also 2 Samuel 15:5 2 Chronicles 24:17). ...
/o/obeisance.htm - 22k

Wave (65 Occurrences)
... The first-fruits, a sheaf of barley, offered at the feast of Pentecost (Leviticus
23:17-20), and wheat-bread, the first-fruits of the second harvest, offered ...
/w/wave.htm - 30k

Firstfruits (37 Occurrences)
... (1.) That on the morrow after the Passover Sabbath a sheaf of new corn should be
waved by the priest before the altar (Leviticus 23:5, 6, 10, 12; 2:12). ...
/f/firstfruits.htm - 24k

First-fruits (45 Occurrences)
... (1.) That on the morrow after the Passover Sabbath a sheaf of new corn should be
waved by the priest before the altar (Leviticus 23:5, 6, 10, 12; 2:12). ...
/f/first-fruits.htm - 27k

Erect (17 Occurrences)
... Genesis 37:7 for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf
arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about ...
/e/erect.htm - 12k

Binding (23 Occurrences)
... Genesis 37:7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf
arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and ...
/b/binding.htm - 13k

Passover (81 Occurrences)
... The time of the putting-in of the sickle to the standing grain (Deuteronomy 16:9)
and of bringing the sheaf of the peace offering is spoken of as the morrow ...
/p/passover.htm - 58k

Suddenly (87 Occurrences)
... Genesis 37:7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf
arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and ...
/s/suddenly.htm - 32k

Bible Concordance

Sheaf (11 Occurrences)

Genesis 37:7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 23:10 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them,'When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its the harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 23:11 and he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 23:12 On the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb without blemish a year old for a burnt offering to Yahweh.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 23:15 "'You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be completed:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Deuteronomy 24:19 When you reap your harvest in your field, and have forgot a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to get it: it shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Job 24:10 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
(KJV DBY WBS YLT)

Jeremiah 9:22 Speak, Thus says Yahweh, The dead bodies of men shall fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester; and none shall gather them.
(See NAS)

Amos 2:13 Lo, I am pressing you under, As the full cart doth press for itself a sheaf.
(YLT)

Micah 4:12 They have not known the thoughts of Jehovah, Nor have they understood His counsel, For He hath gathered them as a sheaf 'into' a threshing-floor.
(YLT)

Zechariah 12:6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
(KJV DBY WBS YLT)

Subtopics

Sheaf

Related Terms

Sheaves (13 Occurrences)

Obeisance (45 Occurrences)

Wave (65 Occurrences)

Firstfruits (37 Occurrences)

First-fruits (45 Occurrences)

Erect (17 Occurrences)

Binding (23 Occurrences)

Passover (81 Occurrences)

Suddenly (87 Occurrences)