Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "heap" often refers to a pile or mound of materials, such as stones, grain, or other substances. Heaps are mentioned in various contexts throughout the Bible, symbolizing both physical and metaphorical concepts.
Old Testament References1.
Heap of Stones: In the Old Testament, heaps of stones were frequently used as memorials or markers. For instance, in
Joshua 7:26 , after the sin of Achan was dealt with, "they raised over him a large heap of stones that remains to this day." This heap served as a lasting reminder of the consequences of disobedience to God.
2.
Heap of Grain: Heaps of grain often symbolize abundance and blessing. In
Proverbs 3:9-10 , it is written, "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine." The imagery of overflowing barns suggests heaps of grain, indicating prosperity as a result of faithfulness to God.
3.
Heap as Judgment: Heaps can also represent judgment or destruction. In
Jeremiah 9:11 , God declares, "I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant." Here, the heap signifies the complete devastation that comes as a result of the people's unfaithfulness.
New Testament ReferencesWhile the New Testament does not frequently use the term "heap" in the same literal sense as the Old Testament, the concept can be seen metaphorically. For example, in
Romans 12:20 , Paul writes, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head." This metaphorical use of "heap" suggests a moral or spiritual impact, where acts of kindness lead to conviction and potential repentance.
Symbolic and Theological ImplicationsIn a broader theological context, heaps can symbolize the accumulation of actions, whether good or bad, and their resulting consequences. The Bible often uses physical imagery to convey spiritual truths, and heaps serve as a vivid representation of both God's blessings and His judgments.
Cultural and Historical ContextIn ancient Near Eastern cultures, heaps of stones or other materials were common as boundary markers, memorials, or altars. The biblical use of heaps reflects these cultural practices, providing a tangible connection between the physical world and spiritual realities.
Overall, the concept of a heap in the Bible serves as a multifaceted symbol, illustrating themes of memory, abundance, judgment, and moral consequence.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
When Joshua took the city of Ai (
Joshua 8), he burned it and "made it an heap [Hebrews tel] for ever" (
8:28). The ruins of this city were for a long time sought for in vain. It has been at length, however, identified with the mound which simply bears the name of "Tel." "There are many Tels in modern Palestine, that land of Tels, each Tel with some other name attached to it to Mark the former site. But the site of Ai has no other name 'unto this day.' It is simply et-Tel, `the heap' par excellence."
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of persons.
2. (n.) A great number or large quantity of things not placed in a pile.
3. (n.) A pile or mass; a collection of things laid in a body, or thrown together so as to form an elevation; as, a heap of earth or stones.
4. (v. t.) To collect in great quantity; to amass; to lay up; to accumulate; -- usually with up; as, to heap up treasures.
5. (v. t.) To throw or lay in a heap; to make a heap of; to pile; as, to heap stones; -- often with up; as, to heap up earth; or with on; as, to heap on wood or coal.
6. (v. t.) To form or round into a heap, as in measuring; to fill (a measure) more than even full.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
HEAPhep (`aremah, gal, nedh, tel): "Heap" appears
(1) in the simple sense of a gathering or pile, as the translation of `aremah, a "heap," in Ruth 3:7 of grain; Nehemiah 4:2 of stones; in 2 Chronicles 31:6, etc., of the tithes, etc.; of chomer (boiling up), a "heap"; in Exodus 8:14 of frogs; of gal, a "heap"; in Job 8:17 of stones.
(2) As indicating "ruin," "waste," gal (2 Kings 19:25 Job 15:28 Isaiah 25:2; Isaiah 37:26 Jeremiah 9:11; Jeremiah 51:37); me`i (Isaiah 17:1); `i (Psalm 79:1 Jeremiah 26:18 Micah 1:6; Micah 3:12); tel, "mound," "hillock," "heap" (Deuteronomy 13:16 Joshua 8:28 Jeremiah 30:18 the King James Version; Jeremiah 49:2).
(3) Of waters, nedh, "heap," "pile" (Exodus 15:8 Joshua 3:13, 16 Psalm 33:7; Psalm 78:13); chomer (Habakkuk 3:15, "the heap of mighty waters," the Revised Version margin "surge").
(4) A cairn, or heap of stones (a) over the dead body of a dishonored person, gal (Joshua 7:26; Joshua 8:29 2 Samuel 18:17); (b) as a witness or boundary-heap (Genesis 31:46, Gal`edh (Galeed) in Hebrew, also mitspah, "watch tower," Yeghar-Sahadhutha' (Jegar-sahadutha) in Aramaic, both words meaning "the heap of witness"; see Genesis 31:47, 49 the Revised Version (British and American)).
(5) As a way mark, tamrurim, from tamar, "to stand erect" (Jeremiah 31:21 the King James Version, "Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps," the Revised Version (British and American) "guide-posts," a more likely translation).
"To heap" represents various single words: chathah, "to take," "to take hold of," with one exception, applied to fire or burning coals (Proverbs 25:22, "Thou writ heap coals of fire upon his head," "Thou wilt take coals of fire (and heap them) on his head"); caphah, "to add" (Deuteronomy 32:23); tsabhar, "to heap up" (Habakkuk 1:10); kabhats, "to press together" (with the fingers or hand) (Habakkuk 2:5); rabhah, "to multiply" (Ezekiel 24:10); episoreuo, "to heap up upon" (2 Timothy 4:3, they "will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts"); soreuo, "to heap up" (Romans 12:20, "Thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head"); thesaurizo, "to lay up" (as treasure) (James 5:3 the King James Version, "Ye have heaped treasure together," the Revised Version (British and American) "laid up"); tsabhar, "to heap up," "to heap" or "store up" (Job 27:16, "silver"; Psalm 39:6, "riches"; Zechariah 9:3, "silver,"); sum, sim "to place," "set," "put" (Job 36:13 the King James Version, "The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath," the Revised Version (British and American) "They that are godless in heart lay up anger"). In Judges 15:16 we have chamor, chamorothayim, "with the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps," the Revised Version margin "heap, two heaps"; one of Samson's sayings; chamor means "an ass," chomer "a heap."
For "heap up words" (Job 16:4), the Revised Version (British and American) has "join together"; for "shall be a heap" (Isaiah 17:11), "fleeth away," margin "shall be a heap"; "heap" for "number" (Nahum 3:3); the English Revised Version "heap of stones" for "sling," margin as the King James Version and the American Standard Revised Version (Proverbs 26:8); "in one heap" for "upon a heap" (Joshua 3:16); "he heapeth up (dust)" for "they shall heap" (Habakkuk 1:10).
W. L. Walker
Greek
4987. soreuo -- to heap on ... to
heap on. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: soreuo Phonetic Spelling:
(sore-yoo'-o) Short Definition: I
heap up, load Definition: I
heap up, load.
... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4987.htm - 6k205. akrothinion -- the top of a heap, ie the best of the spoils
... the top of a heap, ie the best of the spoils. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: akrothinion Phonetic Spelling: (ak-roth-in'-ee-on) Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/205.htm - 6k
2002. episoreuo -- to heap together
... to heap together. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: episoreuo Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-so-ryoo'-o) Short Definition: I heap up, obtain a multitude of ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2002.htm - 6k
439. anthrakia -- a heap of burning coals
... a heap of burning coals. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: anthrakia
Phonetic Spelling: (anth-rak-ee-ah') Short Definition: a heap of burning ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/439.htm - 6k
3786. ophelos -- advantage, help
... profit, help. 3786 (from , "heap together") -- properly, "something heaped
up," ie the () a believer in life by living . This gives ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3786.htm - 6k
2343. thesaurizo -- to lay up, store up
... From thesauros; to amass or reserve (literally or figuratively) -- lay up (treasure),
(keep) in store, (heap) treasure (together, up). see GREEK thesauros. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2343.htm - 7k
5522. choos -- dust.
... Word Origin see chous. dust. From the base of cheimon; a heap (as poured out), ie
Rubbish; loose dirt -- dust. see GREEK cheimon. (choun) -- 2 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5522.htm - 6k
Strong's Hebrew
6194. aremah -- a heap... 6193, 6194. aremah. 6195 . a
heap. Transliteration: aremah Phonetic Spelling:
(aw-rame') Short Definition: heaps. Word Origin from
... /hebrew/6194.htm - 6k 1530. gal -- a heap, wave, billow
... 1529, 1530. gal. 1531 . a heap, wave, billow. Transliteration: gal Phonetic
Spelling: (gal) Short Definition: waves. ... billow, heap, spring, wave. ...
/hebrew/1530.htm - 6k
5122. nevalu -- a refuse heap
nevalu or nevali. 5121, 5122. nevalu or nevali. 5123 . a refuse heap.
Transliteration: nevalu or nevali Phonetic Spelling: (nev-aw-loo') Short Definition: ...
/hebrew/5122.htm - 6k
2565. chamorah -- a heap
... 2564, 2565. chamorah or chamor. 2566 . a heap. Transliteration: chamorah or
chamor Phonetic Spelling: (kham-o-raw') Short Definition: heaps. ... heap. ...
/hebrew/2565.htm - 6k
5856. i -- a ruin, heap of ruins
... i. 5857 . a ruin, heap of ruins. Transliteration: i Phonetic Spelling: (ee) Short
Definition: ruins. ... heap. From avah; a ruin (as if overturned) -- heap. ...
/hebrew/5856.htm - 6k
6651. tsabar -- to heap up
... tsabar. 6652 . to heap up. Transliteration: tsabar Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-bar')
Short Definition: piled. Word Origin a prim. ... gather together, heap up, lay up ...
/hebrew/6651.htm - 6k
830. ashpoth -- an ash heap, refuse heap, dunghill
... 829, 830. ashpoth. 831 . an ash heap, refuse heap, dunghill. Transliteration:
ashpoth Phonetic Spelling: (ash-pohth') Short Definition: refuse. ...
/hebrew/830.htm - 6k
6652. tsibbur -- a heap
... 6651, 6652. tsibbur or tsibbur. 6653 . a heap. Transliteration: tsibbur or
tsibbur Phonetic Spelling: (tsib-boor') Short Definition: heaps. ... heap. ...
/hebrew/6652.htm - 6k
5067a. ned -- a heap
... ned. 5067b . a heap. Transliteration: ned Short Definition: heap. Word Origin
from an unused word Definition a heap NASB Word Usage heap (6). 5067, 5067a. ...
/hebrew/5067a.htm - 5k
5067. ned -- a heap
... ned. 5067a . a heap. Transliteration: ned Phonetic Spelling: (nade) Short Definition:
heap. heap From nuwd in the sense of piling up; a mound, ie Wave -- heap ...
/hebrew/5067.htm - 5k
Library
But as Celsus Delights to Heap up Calumnies against Us...
... Chapter LV. But as Celsus delights to heap up calumnies against us? But
as Celsus delights to heap up calumnies against us, and ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lv but as celsus.htm
"But" Say I "In Such a Slaughter-Heap of Dead Bodies...
... 4. "But" say I "in such a slaughter-heap of dead bodies? 4. "But" (say I) "in such
a slaughter-heap of dead bodies, could they not even be buried? ...
/.../augustine/on care to be had for the dead /4 but say i in.htm
Thy Navel is Like a Round Goblet which Wanteth not Liquor; Thy ...
... CHAPTER VII. 2. Thy navel is like a round goblet which wanteth not liquor;
thy belly is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/2 thy navel is like.htm
He Next Pours Down Upon us a Heap of Names...
... Chapter LXII. He next pours down upon us a heap of names? He next pours
down upon us a heap of names, saying that he knows of ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lxii he next pours.htm
Book x. It is Manifest that There is Nothing which Men have ever ...
... to the faith and to preach the word, adds, For the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine, but having itching ears will heap up teachers to ...
/.../hilary/the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/book x it is manifest.htm
Adam and Zaretan, Joshua 3
... is had of the cutting-off, or cutting in two, the waters of Jordan, that they might
afford a passage to Israel; The waters rose up upon a heap afar off in Adam ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 92 adam and zaretan.htm
The Harvest of a Godless Life
... strange slips: In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning
shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the harvest of a godless.htm
Letter i. --About Vanity and Infidelities.
... Therefore put on one side the nothingness, the sin, the evil inclinations, and habits,
a whole heap of miseries, and weaknesses, as your share, and it belongs ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter i about vanity and infidelities.htm
2 Timothy iii. 16, 17
... "But after their own lusts," he says, "shall they heap to themselves teachers.".
Nothing can be more expressive than these words. ...
/.../homily ix 2 timothy iii.htm
The Great Stone Face
... True it is, that if the spectator approached too near, he lost the outline of the
gigantic visage, and could discern only a heap of ponderous and gigantic rocks ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the great stone face.htm
Thesaurus
Pile (16 Occurrences)... 7. (n.) A mass of things heaped together; a
heap; as, a pile of stones; a pile
of wood. 8. (n.) A mass formed in layers; as, a pile of shot.
.../p/pile.htm - 13kGaleed (2 Occurrences)
...Heap of witness, the name of the pile of stones erected by Jacob and Laban to Mark
the league of friendship into which they entered with each other (Genesis 31 ...
/g/galeed.htm - 8k
Piled (10 Occurrences)
... Genesis 31:46 Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." They took stones, and
made a heap. They ate there by the heap. ... The floods stood upright as a heap. ...
/p/piled.htm - 9k
Ass (95 Occurrences)
... 2. Meaning: (1) Chamor is derived from the root which means, in all probability,
"to carry a burden" (see Furst, Handworterbuch, ch-mr ii), or "heap up." While ...
/a/ass.htm - 48k
Rocks (48 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Joshua 7:26 They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains
to this day. Yahweh turned from the fierceness of his anger. ...
/r/rocks.htm - 21k
Altar (343 Occurrences)
... It could have no horns, nor it would be impossible to give the stone horns without
hewing it, nor would a heap of earth lend itself to the formation of horns. ...
/a/altar.htm - 78k
Pillar (72 Occurrences)
... another. (See RSV). Genesis 31:51 Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap, and
see the pillar, which I have set between me and you. (WEB ...
/p/pillar.htm - 38k
Ai (32 Occurrences)
... routed in the attack upon the town; but after confession and expiation, a second
assault was successful, the city was taken and burned, and left a heap of ruins ...
/a/ai.htm - 21k
Ziklag (13 Occurrences)
... his band of 600 men. It has been identified with `Asluj, a heap of ruins
south of Beersheba. Conder, however, identifies it with ...
/z/ziklag.htm - 13k
Zaretan (3 Occurrences)
... There the water "stood and rose upon an heap." Thus the whole space of 30 miles
of the river-bed was dry, that the tribes might pass over (Joshua 3:16, 17; Comp ...
/z/zaretan.htm - 8k
Resources
Does war with Syria have anything to do with the end times? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of burning coals in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgHow can I overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21)? | GotQuestions.orgHeap: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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