Plowing is an agricultural practice mentioned frequently in the Bible, symbolizing preparation, diligence, and the cultivation of both land and spiritual life. In biblical times, plowing was essential for preparing the soil to receive seed, ensuring a fruitful harvest. This practice is often used metaphorically in Scripture to illustrate spiritual truths and moral lessons.

Biblical References and Symbolism

1. Genesis 45:6 · The necessity of plowing is highlighted during times of famine, as Joseph explains to his brothers: "For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting." This verse underscores the importance of plowing in sustaining life and providing for future needs.

2. Proverbs 20:4 · The book of Proverbs uses plowing to teach about diligence: "The sluggard does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there." Here, plowing is a metaphor for timely and diligent work, warning against laziness and its consequences.

3. Luke 9:62 · Jesus uses the imagery of plowing to describe commitment to the Kingdom of God: "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." This verse emphasizes the need for unwavering dedication and focus in following Christ, likening discipleship to the steady and forward-focused task of plowing.

4. Hosea 10:12 · The prophet Hosea calls for spiritual renewal using agricultural imagery: "Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain." Plowing here symbolizes the preparation of one's heart to receive God's righteousness and blessings.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Israel, plowing was typically done with a wooden plow pulled by oxen or other draft animals. The process involved breaking up the hard ground to make it suitable for planting seeds. This labor-intensive task was crucial for a successful harvest and was often a communal activity, reflecting the agrarian lifestyle of the Israelites.

Spiritual Lessons

Plowing in the Bible often serves as a metaphor for spiritual readiness and transformation. Just as the soil must be prepared to receive seed, so must the human heart be prepared to receive God's word. The act of plowing represents repentance, breaking up the hardened areas of life, and making way for spiritual growth and fruitfulness.

Moral and Ethical Implications

The biblical references to plowing also convey moral and ethical teachings. The diligence required in plowing is paralleled with the diligence needed in spiritual and moral life. The warnings against looking back while plowing serve as a reminder of the importance of commitment and perseverance in one's faith journey.

In summary, plowing in the Bible is rich with meaning, illustrating both the physical and spiritual preparation necessary for growth and productivity. It serves as a powerful symbol of the work required to cultivate a life that is pleasing to God and fruitful in His service.(p. pr. & vb. n.) of Plough.722. arotriao -- to plow
... Word Origin from arotron Definition to plow NASB Word Usage plow (1), plowing (1),
plowman (1). plow. From arotron; to plow -- plough. see GREEK arotron. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/722.htm - 6k2758. charish -- a plowing, plowing time
... 2757, 2758. charish. 2759 . a plowing, plowing time. Transliteration: charish
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-reesh') Short Definition: plowing. ...
/hebrew/2758.htm - 6k

4618. maanah -- a field for plowing
... 4617, 4618. maanah. 4619 . a field for plowing. Transliteration: maanah
Phonetic Spelling: (mah-an-aw') Short Definition: furrow. ...
/hebrew/4618.htm - 6k

5215. niyr -- a lamp
... fallow ground, plowing, tillage Or nir {neer}; from niyr; properly, plowing, ie
(concretely) freshly plowed land -- fallow ground, plowing, tillage. ...
/hebrew/5215.htm - 5k

1241. baqar -- cattle, herd, an ox
... From baqar; beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used
for plowing); collectively, a herd -- beeve, bull (+ -ock), + calf, + cow ...
/hebrew/1241.htm - 6k

4500. manor -- a (weaver's) beam
... beam. From niyr; a yoke (properly, for plowing), ie The frame of a loom -- beam.
see HEBREW niyr. 4499, 4500. manor. 4501 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4500.htm - 6k

2790a. charash -- to cut in, engrave, plow, devise
... devise (4), devises (2), do (1), engraved (1), farmer plow (1), implements (1),
plotting (1), plow (5), plowed (4), plowers plowed (1), plowing (2), plowman (1 ...
/hebrew/2790a.htm - 5k

The Call of Elisha
... The prophetic call came to Elisha while, with his father's servants, he was plowing
in the field. He had taken up the work that lay nearest. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 17 the call of.htm

Chapter xlv
... For it is now two years that the famine has been in the land, and there are
yet five years that there will be neither plowing nor reaping. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlv.htm

Prayer in the Unconverted.
... which by and by the seed of eternal life will be planted., And, altho this ordinary
grace is not effectual to salvation, any more than the mere plowing of the ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xli prayer in the unconverted.htm

The Heroic Women of Early Indiana Methodism.
... By the dint of hard work, chopping or plowing by day, and burning brush, or husking
corn, or making splint brooms, or pounding hominy, by night, he was ...
/.../the heroic women of early indiana methodism/the heroic women of early.htm

Are You Willing to be a Servant?
... God spoke to me some time ago through Luke 17:7-1O. "But which of you, having a
servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hession/the calvary road/chapter 8 are you willing.htm

Unprofitable Servants.
... But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him
by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/xxvii unprofitable servants.htm

Second Great Group of Parables.
... to the same natural order as the fig-tree, and is a tree distinguished for being
deeply rooted.] 7 But who is there of you, having a servant plowing or keeping ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xcii second great group of 7.htm

"Increase Our Faith. "
... you. But who is there of you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep,
that will say unto him, when he is come in from the field. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/increase our faith.htm

Birth and Ancestors. Family Circumstances. "Fist and Skull" ...
... Here I had my first and last fight with my mother. When I was three years old, my
father, one day in June, was plowing corn in a field not far from the house. ...
/.../chapter i birth and ancestors.htm

The Right to Privacy
... I stood still and looked around me. The flat countryside was dotted with villages,
and crisscrossed with paths. Farmers were busy plowing their tiny fields. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/williamson/have we no rights/chapter 5 the right to.htm

Plowing (9 Occurrences)
...Plowing (9 Occurrences). ... Exodus 34:21 "Six days you shall work, but on the seventh
day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. ...
/p/plowing.htm - 9k

Plow (11 Occurrences)
... worked" or "plowed" (Deuteronomy 21:4); palach (literally, "to break open," Psalm
141:7). One special law is mentioned in connection with plowing, namely that ...
/p/plow.htm - 15k

Earing (2 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) A line fastening the corners of an awning to the rigging or stanchions.
5. (n.) Coming into ear, as corn. 6. (n.) A plowing of land. Int. ...
/e/earing.htm - 8k

Agriculture
... AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS 1. Growing of Grain (1) Plowing and Sowing (2) Reaping (3)
Threshing 2. Care of Vineyards 3. Raising of Flocks I. Development of ...
/a/agriculture.htm - 27k

Fallow (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Left unplanted after plowing; uncultivated;
resting; as, fallow farmland. 2. (a.) Pale red or ...
/f/fallow.htm - 9k

Acre (1 Occurrence)
... The word rendered "furrow," used only here and in Psalm 129:3, is in Brown's Hebrew
Lexicon defined as "plowing-ground." This gives the rendering "as it were ...
/a/acre.htm - 9k

Reaping (10 Occurrences)
... Genesis 45:6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are
yet five years, in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. (See NIV). ...
/r/reaping.htm - 13k

Feeding (37 Occurrences)
... Luke 17:7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say
unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? ...
/f/feeding.htm - 17k

Cattle (277 Occurrences)
... The fellachin in most parts of the country keep them in small numbers, mostly
for plowing, and but little for milk or for slaughtering. ...
/c/cattle.htm - 52k

Harrow (3 Occurrences)
... In the first 2 it is translated "harrow," in the last "break the clods." That this
was a separate operation from plowing, and that it was performed with an ...
/h/harrow.htm - 10k

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