Lexical Summary charish: Plowing, tillage, silence Original Word: חָרִישׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance plowing time, ground From charash; ploughing or its season -- earing (time), ground. see HEBREW charash NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom charash Definition a plowing, plowing time NASB Translation plowing (2), plowing time (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חָרִישׁ noun masculine ploughing, ploughing-time — absolute וְקָצִיר ׳ח Genesis 45:6 (E) ploughing and harvesting; also (= time of ploughing and harvest) Exodus 34:21 (JE); with suffix as accusative of congnate meaning with verb חָרַשׁ חֲרִישׁוֺ 1 Samuel 8:12 (see above חָרַשׁ 2). Topical Lexicon Occurrences and Immediate Contexts Genesis 45:6; Exodus 34:21; 1 Samuel 8:12 Agricultural Setting חָרִישׁ (charish) designates the activity or season of plowing—turning hard soil so seed can be received. In the Eastern Mediterranean climate, rains arrive chiefly in autumn and spring. Farmers therefore plowed soon after the early rains softened the ground. The term thus evokes a moment of hope and anticipation: the land is being prepared, but nothing is visible yet. Ancient Israel’s calendar, economy, and even military campaigns adjusted to this rhythm; without plowing, there could be no harvest and therefore no national stability (compare Deuteronomy 20:5–7). Economic and Social Significance 1 Samuel 8:12 reveals how kings could conscript men for חָרִישׁ, showing plowing’s strategic value. Whoever controlled the plow controlled the food supply. Joseph’s reassurance in Genesis 45:6, “there will be five more years without plowing or harvest”, underlines how famine halted the very first step of food production. Exodus 34:21 links plowing to labor patterns protected by the Sabbath command: even the most essential economic task yielded to covenantal rest, demonstrating that Israel’s prosperity depended on obedience, not frantic toil. Theological Themes 1. Divine Provision and Sovereignty. The interruption of חָרִישׁ in Genesis 45:6 magnifies God’s providence through Joseph; He sends famine yet also the means of rescue. Prophetic Resonance Later prophets convert the literal image into moral exhortation: “Break up your fallow ground” (Hosea 10:12; Jeremiah 4:3). Though these verses employ a related verb, the conceptual link is clear: just as חָרִישׁ prepares earth, repentance prepares hearts for righteousness. New Testament Echoes While the Hebrew term itself does not appear in Greek Scripture, its imagery surfaces in parables about soils (Matthew 13:3–9) and in the warning, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). The call is to persistent, forward-looking discipleship. Homiletical and Discipleship Applications • Spiritual Preparation: Just as seed cannot germinate on unbroken ground, the Word finds its deepest lodging in a heart tilled by confession and humility. Conclusion חָרִישׁ traces a straight furrow from the practical fields of ancient Israel to enduring spiritual truths: God ordains both labor and rest, rulers answer to Him for how they direct resources, and hearts, like soil, must be prepared for fruitful reception of His Word. Forms and Transliterations בֶּחָרִ֥ישׁ בחריש חֲרִישׁוֹ֙ חָרִ֖ישׁ חריש חרישו be·ḥā·rîš bechaRish beḥārîš chaRish chariSho ḥă·rî·šōw ḥā·rîš ḥārîš ḥărîšōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 45:6 HEB: אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵין־ חָרִ֖ישׁ וְקָצִּֽיר׃ NAS: there will be neither plowing nor KJV: in the which [there shall] neither [be] earing nor harvest. INT: which there plowing harvesting Exodus 34:21 1 Samuel 8:12 3 Occurrences |
    |