Lexical Summary laqash: To gather, collect, glean Original Word: לָקַשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gather A primitive root; to gather the after crop -- gather. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origindenominative verb from leqesh Definition to take the second crop, to take everything NASB Translation glean (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [לָקַשׁ] verb only Pi`el3masculine plural, probably denominative from לֶקֶשׁ = take the aftermath, i.e. take everything (Wetzst in DeHiob 26, 6) (> Buhl II. לקשׁ, compare Arabic לשׁד (√ of following, compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Scriptural Context Laqash appears a single time in the canon at Job 24:6: “They gather fodder in the field and glean the vineyard of the wicked” (Berean Standard Bible). Within Job’s catalogue of injustices, the term portrays desperate laborers scrounging for food on land controlled by oppressive landowners. Gleaning in Ancient Israel Gleaning was divinely regulated to safeguard the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the sojourner (Leviticus 19:9; Leviticus 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19–22). By leaving the edges and forgotten sheaves, landowners acknowledged that the harvest ultimately belonged to the Lord and was to be shared with the needy. Ruth’s account illustrates how this provision fostered covenant faithfulness and community solidarity (Ruth 2:2–17). Job 24:6 and Social Injustice Job 24 exposes a society that has inverted God’s moral order. Those who should receive compassionate allowance now “glean the vineyard of the wicked,” suggesting that even the leftover grace intended for them is controlled by exploiters. The verse implies: Divine Concern for the Vulnerable The solitary use of laqash accents the biblical theme that the Lord notices the slightest act of gathering by the destitute. From the manna regulations (Exodus 16:16–18) to Christ’s feeding of multitudes (Matthew 14:20), Scripture consistently displays God’s provision for those on society’s margins. Canonical Connections 1. Prophetic rebukes: Isaiah 5:8 and Micah 2:2 denounce land-grabbing elites, echoing Job’s lament. Ministry and Discipleship Applications • Advocacy: Churches are called to safeguard modern “gleaners”—migrant workers, the homeless, and refugees—by upholding fair labor and property practices. Homiletical Reflections The preacher may contrast the vineyard of the wicked with the true Vine (John 15:1). While the wicked compel the poor to glean for survival, Christ invites the weary to abide and bear fruit abundantly (John 15:5). The single appearance of laqash thus becomes a vivid doorway into the gospel: God reverses exploitation by providing eternal sustenance through His Son. Summary Laqash, though rare, magnifies a major biblical motif: God’s unwavering attention to the powerless. Job 24:6 confronts readers with the tragedy of withheld compassion and propels the covenant community toward justice, mercy, and practical provision for every modern gleaner. Forms and Transliterations יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃ ילקשו׃ yə·laq·qê·šū yelakKeshu yəlaqqêšūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 24:6 HEB: וְכֶ֖רֶם רָשָׁ֣ע יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃ NAS: in the field And glean the vineyard KJV: in the field: and they gather the vintage INT: the vineyard of the wicked and glean 1 Occurrence |
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schnell zusammenraffen [compare Lane2668]); — despoil; וְכֶרֶם רָשָׁע יְלֵַקּשׁוּ ׃ 
suck, lick (Ethiopic 
butter); so Thes and on