In biblical times, agriculture was a central aspect of daily life and economy, and the imagery of farming is frequently used throughout the Scriptures. Furrows, the long, narrow trenches made in the soil by a plow, are mentioned in various contexts in the Bible, symbolizing both physical and spiritual truths.

Agricultural Context

Furrows are primarily associated with the act of plowing, an essential step in preparing the ground for sowing seeds. In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, plowing was a common activity, and the success of crops depended heavily on the proper preparation of the soil. The Bible often uses the imagery of plowing and furrows to convey messages about diligence, preparation, and the hope of a fruitful harvest.

Biblical References

1. Psalm 65:10 : "You soak its furrows and level its ridges; You soften it with showers and bless its growth." This verse highlights God's providential care over the earth, ensuring that the furrows, once plowed, receive the necessary rain to produce a bountiful harvest. It reflects the belief in God's active role in sustaining creation and providing for human needs.

2. Job 39:10 : "Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you?" Here, God challenges Job with questions about the natural world, emphasizing human limitations compared to divine power. The reference to furrows underscores the strength and independence of the wild ox, which cannot be easily controlled by man.

3. Hosea 10:4 : "They make many promises, take false oaths, and make covenants; so lawsuits break out like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field." This passage uses the imagery of furrows to illustrate the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness and corruption. Just as weeds can overtake a field, so too can sin and injustice spread among the people.

4. Psalm 129:3 : "The plowers plowed over my back; they made their furrows long." This verse is a metaphorical expression of suffering and oppression, likening the affliction endured by the psalmist to the deep and painful furrows made by a plow. It serves as a vivid depiction of the trials faced by the faithful.

Spiritual Symbolism

Furrows in the Bible often symbolize the preparation of the heart and life for spiritual growth and fruitfulness. Just as a farmer must diligently prepare the soil to receive seed, believers are called to prepare their hearts to receive God's word and bear spiritual fruit. The process of plowing, which involves breaking up hard ground, can also represent repentance and the breaking up of a hardened heart to make it receptive to divine truth.

Moral and Ethical Lessons

The imagery of furrows teaches lessons about perseverance, faithfulness, and the importance of preparation. In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9), although not directly mentioning furrows, the concept of prepared soil is central. The parable illustrates how different types of soil (hearts) receive the seed (God's word) and produce varying results based on their readiness and condition.

In summary, furrows in the Bible serve as a rich metaphor for both the physical act of farming and the spiritual cultivation required in the life of a believer. They remind us of the necessity of preparation, the inevitability of trials, and the hope of a fruitful harvest through God's provision and grace.8525. telem -- a furrow
... 8524, 8525. telem. 8526 . a furrow. Transliteration: telem Phonetic
Spelling: (teh'-lem) Short Definition: furrows. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/8525.htm - 5k

4618. maanah -- a field for plowing
... furrow. Word Origin from anah; place for (doing) a task Definition a field
for plowing NASB Word Usage furrow (1), furrows (1). furrow. ...
/hebrew/4618.htm - 6k

1407. gad -- coriander
... coriander. From gadad (in the sense of cutting); coriander seed (from its furrows) --
coriander. see HEBREW gadad. 1406, 1407. gad. 1408 . Strong's Numbers
/hebrew/1407.htm - 6k

'Fruit which is Death'
... 4. They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment
springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.5. The inhabitants of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/fruit which is death.htm

On Earthly Things
... farmer. [John 15:1, Vulgate]. The furrows are the heart of the saints; in
the psalm: the furrows are drenched. [Ps.64(65):11(12)]. ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/iii on earthly things.htm

A Strain of the Judgment of the Lord.
... Thus arid seeds. Are drops into the vacant lands, and deep. 160 In the fixt furrows
die and rot: and hence. ... [1304] ie, the surface or ridge of the furrows. ...
/.../unknown/fathers of the third century tertullian appendix/4 a strain of the.htm

Psalm LXV.
... 14. "The furrows thereof inebriate Thou" (ver.10). Let there be made therefore
at first furrows to be inebriated: let the hardness ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxv.htm

A Memorial Sketch by W. Robertson Nicoll
... He learned to linger beside the ploughed field, and revel in the affluence of colour
and shade which were to be seen in the newly-turned furrows, and to gaze ...
//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/the ideal life/a memorial sketch by w.htm

The Fifth Commandment
... Ecclesiastes 12:5. There are fathers for seniority, on whose wrinkled brows, and
in the furrows of whose cheeks is pictured the map of old age. ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 5 the fifth commandment.htm

The Similarity of Circumstances Between the First and the Second ...
... The earth was still in a virgin state, reduced as yet by no human labour, with no
seed as yet cast into its furrows, when, as we are told, God made man out of ...
/.../ on the flesh of christ/chapter xvii the similarity of circumstances.htm

The General Service to a Monk.
... Through the furrows of abstinence having obtained victory over the sensual passions
of the body, and having shewn on earth the zeal of the bodiless, thou hast ...
/.../anonymous/the general menaion/chapter xii the general service.htm

Liii. The Contemplation of Death.
... unpleasantnesses, it has in it much that is ugly, but there is pleasure and beauty
in it still, the traces of its own loveliness before sin drew furrows in its ...
/.../liii the contemplation of death.htm

During These Various Changes in the Lives of those with whom He ...
... His high forehead, white as marble, had no furrows to mar its smoothness, and from
under deep brows a pair of wondering wistful brown eyes peered like the eyes ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxxv during these various changes.htm

Furrows (8 Occurrences)
...Furrows (8 Occurrences). Job 31:38 If my land cries out against me, and its furrows
weep together; (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/f/furrows.htm - 8k

Furrow (3 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Any trench, channel, or groove, as in wood or metal; a wrinkle on
the face; as, the furrows of age. 3. (n.) To cut a furrow ...
/f/furrow.htm - 9k

Land (19790 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) The ground left unplowed between furrows; any one of several portions
into which a field is divided for convenience in plowing. ...
/l/land.htm - 21k

Wrinkle (1 Occurrence)
... 5. (vt) To contract into furrows and prominences; to make a wrinkle or wrinkles
in; to corrugate; as, wrinkle the skin or the brow. ...
/w/wrinkle.htm - 8k

Springing (16 Occurrences)
... Psalms 65:10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows
thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing ...
/s/springing.htm - 11k

Lawsuits (4 Occurrences)
... Hosea 10:4 They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment
springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. (See NIV). ...
/l/lawsuits.htm - 7k

Great-winged (2 Occurrences)
... abounding with feathers, And lo, this vine hath bent its roots toward him, And its
thin shoots it hath sent out toward him, To water it from the furrows of its ...
/g/great-winged.htm - 7k

Weeds (14 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Hosea 10:4 They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants.
Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. ...
/w/weeds.htm - 10k

Waterest (3 Occurrences)
... Psalms 65:10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows
thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing ...
/w/waterest.htm - 7k

Withereth (13 Occurrences)
... prosper? When come against it doth the east wind, Doth it not utterly wither?
On the furrows of its springing it withereth.' (YLT). Amos ...
/w/withereth.htm - 10k

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