Farmers hold a significant place in the biblical narrative, reflecting the agrarian society of ancient Israel and the surrounding regions. The Bible frequently references farming, agriculture, and the role of farmers, illustrating both literal and metaphorical lessons.

Biblical Role and Significance

In the Bible, farming is one of the earliest occupations. After the fall, Adam is tasked with working the ground: "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground" (Genesis 3:19). This highlights the toil and labor associated with farming, a theme that recurs throughout Scripture.

The patriarchs, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were involved in pastoral and agricultural activities. Isaac, for instance, is noted for his success in farming: "Isaac sowed seed in that land, and that year he reaped a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him" (Genesis 26:12). This passage underscores the divine blessing associated with agricultural prosperity.

Laws and Regulations

The Mosaic Law contains numerous regulations concerning agriculture, emphasizing justice, fairness, and care for the land. The Israelites were commanded to observe the Sabbath year, allowing the land to rest every seventh year: "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" (Leviticus 25:4). This law reflects a divine concern for sustainable farming practices and the well-being of the land.

Additionally, the law required farmers to leave the edges of their fields unharvested for the poor and the foreigner: "When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest" (Leviticus 19:9). This provision ensured that the vulnerable in society had access to food, highlighting the social responsibility of farmers.

Parables and Teachings

Jesus frequently used agricultural imagery in His parables to convey spiritual truths. The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9) is a prime example, where different types of soil represent the varied responses to the Gospel message. This parable illustrates the importance of the condition of one's heart in receiving God's word.

Another significant teaching is found in the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30), where Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his field. This parable addresses the coexistence of good and evil in the world and the ultimate judgment that will separate the righteous from the wicked.

Metaphorical Use

The Bible often uses farming metaphors to describe spiritual growth and the work of God in believers' lives. Paul writes, "I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow" (1 Corinthians 3:6), emphasizing the collaborative effort in ministry and the divine role in spiritual growth.

Furthermore, the concept of reaping and sowing is a recurring theme, illustrating the principle of cause and effect in moral and spiritual contexts: "Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return" (Galatians 6:7). This principle serves as a warning and encouragement for righteous living.

Conclusion

Farmers in the Bible are depicted as essential contributors to society, with their work often serving as a backdrop for divine instruction and moral teaching. Through the lens of agriculture, the Scriptures convey profound truths about human responsibility, divine providence, and the kingdom of God.406. ikkar -- a plowman, husbandman
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition a plowman, husbandman NASB Word Usage
farmer (3), farmers (3), plowmen (1). husbandman, ploughman. ...
/hebrew/406.htm - 5k

The Economic Challenge to the Church
... When there is newspaper talk of again burning corn for fuel, when wool is a drug
on the market, and when farmers' organizations are urging the decrease in the ...
/.../church cooperation in community life/chapter iii the economic challenge.htm

Efforts at Unity and Peace.
... J. Sherer's letter and their minutes: 1. That the committee did not entitle them
as a genuine Lutheran body; and 2. because we appointed farmers to constitute ...
/.../bente/american lutheranism/efforts at unity and peace.htm

God, when one Believes in Him as You and I Do...
... what we call a Nation; of proprietors of the soil, and proprietors of houses; of
investments, of handicrafts, of merchants, of manufacturers, of farmers; of day ...
/.../lamartine/atheism among the people/v god when one believes.htm

"The King Kissed Barzillai. " 2 Sam. xix. 39
... They were rich farmers, and had land which brought forth with abundance, so were
able to act with princely hospitality to the fugitive monarch. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/lv the king kissed barzillai.htm

Epistle xxxiv. To Pantaleo, Notary.
... chartularius has taken care to mention also what has already been collected under
thy Experience by the fraudulent dealings of the farmers (conductores) [221 ...
/.../the epistles of saint gregory the great/epistle xxxiv to pantaleo notary.htm

Epistle xxxii. To Peter, Subdeacon of Sicily.
... I wish them all to be dispersed, and four hundred only of the younger kept for breeding;
which four hundred ought to be presented to the farmers [1423] "so ...
/.../the epistles of saint gregory the great/epistle xxxii to peter subdeacon.htm

Epistle Xliv. To Peter, Subdeacon of Sicily.
... on some estates [1347] of the Church a most unjust exaction is practised, in that
three and a half [modii] in seventy are demanded by the farmers [1348] ;"a ...
/.../the epistles of saint gregory the great/epistle xliv to peter subdeacon.htm

Sovereignty of God in Administration
... in the common concerns of every day life? Take for example farmers and their
crops. Suppose God left them to themselves: what would ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter three sovereignty of god.htm

Anti-Romanistic Attitude.
... "They appointed farmers," Jacob Sherer of the North Carolina Synod, in a letter,
remarked contemptuously, "to instruct us, who in public print have slandered us ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/bente/american lutheranism/anti-romanistic attitude.htm

Questions and Answers--Sorrowful Cases--Testimonies from those who ...
... 2. "How come the Canadian farmers to be willing to take these children?". From
a business point of view this is quite easily explained. ...
/.../lowe/gods answers/chapter ix questions and answerssorrowful.htm

Farmers (23 Occurrences)
...Farmers (23 Occurrences). ... (WEB NIV). Matthew 21:34 When the season for the fruit
drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit. (WEB). ...
/f/farmers.htm - 12k

Tax-farmers (14 Occurrences)
Tax-farmers. Tax-farmer, Tax-farmers. Tax-gatherer . Multi-Version
Concordance Tax-farmers (14 Occurrences). Matthew ...
/t/tax-farmers.htm - 10k

Tenants (18 Occurrences)
... Tenants (18 Occurrences). Matthew 21:34 When the season for the fruit drew near,
he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit. (See RSV NIV). ...
/t/tenants.htm - 10k

Season (101 Occurrences)
... Matthew 21:34 When the season for the fruit drew near, he sent his servants
to the farmers, to receive his fruit. (WEB ASV YLT RSV). ...
/s/season.htm - 38k

Farmer (17 Occurrences)
... it. (WEB NIV). 2 Timothy 2:6 The farmers who labor must be the first to
get a share of the crops. (Root in WEB NAS RSV NIV). James ...
/f/farmer.htm - 11k

Vineyard (69 Occurrences)
... a man who was a master of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about
it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went ...
/v/vineyard.htm - 29k

Let's (74 Occurrences)
... Matthew 21:38 But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves,'This
is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and seize his inheritance.' (WEB NIV). ...
/l/let's.htm - 27k

Collect (24 Occurrences)
... NIV). Matthew 21:34 When the season for the fruit drew near, he sent his
servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit. (See NIV). ...
/c/collect.htm - 14k

Inheritance (263 Occurrences)
... the Ages. (WEY). Matthew 21:38 But the farmers, when they saw the son,
said among themselves,'This is the heir. Come, let's kill ...
/i/inheritance.htm - 45k

Lover (55 Occurrences)
... Lover (55 Occurrences). Matthew 11:19 The Son of man has come feasting, and they
say, See, a lover of food and wine, a friend of tax-farmers and sinners! ...
/l/lover.htm - 24k

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