In the context of the Bible, the concept of peasantry refers to the rural, agrarian class of people who worked the land and formed the backbone of ancient Israelite society. These individuals were primarily subsistence farmers, shepherds, and laborers who lived in villages and small towns. The peasantry played a crucial role in the economic, social, and religious life of the biblical world.

Agricultural Life and Labor

The peasantry in biblical times was deeply connected to the land, as agriculture was the primary means of sustenance and livelihood. The Bible frequently references agricultural practices, seasons, and the importance of the harvest. In Genesis 3:17-19 , God tells Adam, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground."

The Israelites were commanded to observe agricultural laws, such as the Sabbatical year, where the land was to rest every seventh year (Leviticus 25:4: "But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land—a Sabbath to the LORD. You are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard."). These laws underscored the dependence of the peasantry on God's provision and the land's fertility.

Social and Economic Status

The peasantry often lived in modest conditions, with limited economic resources. They were subject to the authority of landowners, kings, and other ruling classes. The account of Naboth's vineyard in 1 Kings 21 illustrates the vulnerability of peasants to the whims of those in power. Naboth, a Jezreelite, refused to sell his vineyard to King Ahab, leading to his unjust execution orchestrated by Queen Jezebel.

Despite their low social status, the peasantry was integral to the community's well-being. Proverbs 27:23-27 highlights the importance of tending to one's flocks and herds, emphasizing the value of diligent labor and stewardship: "Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation."

Religious Observance and Community Life

The peasantry participated in the religious life of Israel, observing festivals and sacrifices as prescribed by the Law. The Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, was an agricultural festival celebrating the wheat harvest and the giving of the Law at Sinai (Exodus 34:22: "And you are to celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.").

The peasantry's reliance on God for provision is evident in the Psalms, where the psalmists often express trust in God's care for the land and its produce. Psalm 65:9-13 praises God for His abundant blessings: "You visit the earth and water it; You greatly enrich it. The stream of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for You have ordained it."

Prophetic Critique and Hope

The prophets frequently addressed issues of social justice, condemning the exploitation and oppression of the peasantry by the wealthy and powerful. Isaiah 5:8 warns, "Woe to those who join house to house and add field to field, until there is no place for others, and you alone dwell in the land."

The prophetic vision also includes hope for the restoration of justice and equity. Micah 4:4 envisions a future where "each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken."

In summary, the peasantry in biblical times was a vital component of Israelite society, deeply connected to the land and reliant on God's provision. Their experiences and challenges are woven throughout the biblical narrative, offering insights into the economic, social, and spiritual dimensions of life in ancient Israel.1. (n.) Peasants, collectively; the body of rustics.

2. (n.) Rusticity; coarseness.

6520. perazon -- perhaps rural population
... 6519, 6520. perazon. 6521 . perhaps rural population. Transliteration: perazon
Phonetic Spelling: (per-aw-zone') Short Definition: peasantry. ...
/hebrew/6520.htm - 6k

Mr. G. Borrow's Report on Past and Future Operations in Spain ...
... to be exactly prepared for the reception of the Scripture, it seems most expedient
for some time to come to offer it principally to the peasantry, by the ...
/.../borrow/letters of george borrow/mr g borrows report on.htm

To the Rev. A. Brandram
... me, and in these rural places, the name of a printing press is unknown; nor have
I much endeavoured to work upon the mind of the simple peasantry around me by ...
/.../borrow/letters of george borrow/to the rev a brandram 49.htm

Report of Mr. Geo. Borrow's Late Proceedings in Spain
... Few amongst the lower class of the population of the towns are acquainted with letters,
and fewer still amongst the peasantry; but though compelled to ...
/.../borrow/letters of george borrow/report of mr geo borrows.htm

History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 2
... The country people -- The villages; serfs, free peasantry -- Rural domains; the
survey, taxes; the bastinado, the corvee -- Administration of justice, the ...
/.../history of egypt chaldaea syria babylonia and assyria v 2/title page.htm

A Bottle in the Smoke
... The peasantry of Asia keep many articles, both dry and liquid, in such bottles,
which, for security, are suspended from the roof, or hung against the walls of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/a bottle in the smoke.htm

Mission Work
... returned to her house than she offered him a large sum of money to endow a band
of priests who would devote their lives to evangelizing the peasantry on her ...
/.../forbes/life of st vincent de paul/chapter 5 mission work.htm

To the Rev. A. Brandram
... Indeed nothing has surprised me more than the free and unembarrassed manner with
which the Portuguese peasantry sustain a conversation, and the purity of the ...
/.../borrow/letters of george borrow/to the rev a brandram 3.htm

The Charm
... The belief in witchcraft is very prevalent amongst the peasantry of the
Alemtejo, and I believe of other provinces of Portugal. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/borrow/letters of george borrow/the charm.htm

Imperial Tombs.
... The territories of Vulci, near the Ponte dell' Abbadia, and of Veii, near the
Vaccareccia, are dotted with these mounds, which the peasantry call cocumelle. ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter iv imperial tombs.htm

Essay v. Whose Powers Shed Round Him in the Common Strife...
... of the French from the island, though the civil and military powers and the whole
of the island, save Valetta, were in the hands of the peasantry, not a single ...
/.../coleridge/confessions of an inquiring spirit etc/essay v whose powers shed.htm

Peasantry (3 Occurrences)
...Peasantry (3 Occurrences). Judges 5:7 The peasantry ceased in Israel, they ceased
until you arose, Deb'orah, arose as a mother in Israel. (DBY NAS RSV). ...
/p/peasantry.htm - 7k

Pearls (8 Occurrences)

/p/pearls.htm - 9k

Village (21 Occurrences)
... They were originally enclosures specially for cattle, alongside of which dwellings
for the herdsmen and peasantry naturally grew up (see HAZAR-ADDAR; HAZOR). ...
/v/village.htm - 16k

Triumphs (5 Occurrences)
... Judges 5:11 To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat
the triumphs of the LORD, the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. ...
/t/triumphs.htm - 7k

Repeat (10 Occurrences)
... (DBY). Judges 5:11 To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they
repeat the triumphs of the LORD, the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. ...
/r/repeat.htm - 10k

Deb'orah (10 Occurrences)
... Judges 5:7 The peasantry ceased in Israel, they ceased until you arose, Deb'orah,
arose as a mother in Israel. (DBY RSV). Judges 5:12 "Awake, awake, Deb'orah! ...
/d/deb'orah.htm - 9k

Musicians (6 Occurrences)
... Judges 5:11 To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat
the triumphs of the LORD, the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. ...
/m/musicians.htm - 8k

Moreh (3 Occurrences)
... The present writer has often seen such trees with multitudinous rags of all colors
attached to them by the peasantry as evidence of their homage. See MEONENIM. ...
/m/moreh.htm - 11k

Marched (51 Occurrences)
... Judges 5:11 To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat
the triumphs of the LORD, the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. ...
/m/marched.htm - 21k

Pebble (2 Occurrences)

/p/pebble.htm - 7k

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