Definition and Context:
In biblical terms, "picking" often refers to the act of gathering or selecting, particularly in the context of agriculture or food collection. This activity is frequently mentioned in the Bible, reflecting the agrarian society of ancient Israel. Picking can involve the harvest of crops, fruits, or grains, and is sometimes associated with gleaning, a practice that allowed the poor to collect leftover produce from the fields.

Biblical References:

1. Harvesting and Gleaning:
The practice of picking is closely related to the laws of harvest and gleaning found in the Old Testament. In Leviticus 19:9-10 , God commands the Israelites: "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. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God." This directive emphasizes the importance of providing for the needy through the act of leaving some produce unpicked.

2. Sabbath Observance:
The act of picking grain on the Sabbath is addressed in the New Testament, where it becomes a point of contention between Jesus and the Pharisees. In Matthew 12:1-2 , it is recorded: "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, 'Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.'" This incident highlights the tension between strict Sabbath observance and the practical needs of hunger.

3. Symbolism and Parables:
Picking is also used symbolically in the teachings of Jesus. In the Parable of the Weeds, found in Matthew 13:24-30 , Jesus describes a farmer who sows good seed in his field, but an enemy sows weeds among the wheat. The servants ask if they should pick out the weeds, but the farmer instructs them to let both grow until the harvest. This parable uses the imagery of picking to convey spiritual truths about judgment and the kingdom of God.

4. Provision and Blessing:
The act of picking is often associated with God's provision and blessing. In Deuteronomy 24:19 , the Israelites are reminded: "When you reap the harvest in your field and forget a sheaf there, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands." This passage underscores the principle of generosity and the divine blessing that accompanies obedience to God's commands.

Cultural and Theological Significance:
Picking, as depicted in the Bible, is more than a mere agricultural activity; it is imbued with cultural and theological significance. It reflects the values of community, care for the marginalized, and reliance on God's provision. The biblical instructions regarding picking and gleaning reveal a divine concern for justice and compassion, ensuring that even the most vulnerable members of society are provided for. Additionally, the New Testament narratives involving picking challenge legalistic interpretations of the law, emphasizing mercy and human need over ritualistic observance.1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Pick.

2. (n.) The act of digging or breaking up, as with a pick.

3. (n.) The act of choosing, plucking, or gathering.

4. (n.) That which is, or may be, picked or gleaned.

5. (n.) Pilfering; also, that which is pilfered.

6. (n.) The pulverized shells of oysters used in making walks.

7. (n.) Rough sorting of ore.

8. (n.) Overburned bricks.

9. (a.) Done or made as with a pointed tool; as, a picking sound.

10. (a.) Nice; careful.

5089. tillo -- to pluck, to pluck off
... pluck off. Word Origin a prim. word Definition to pluck, to pluck off NASB
Word Usage pick (1), picking (2). pluck. Perhaps akin ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5089.htm - 6k

1586. eklego -- to select
... from ek and lego (in the sense of pick up) Definition to select NASB Word Usage
choose (4), chose (7), chosen (8), made a choice (1), picking (1), select (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1586.htm - 8k

3992. maar -- to prick, to pain
... fretting, picking. A primitive root; to be bitter or (causatively) to embitter,
ie Be painful -- fretting, picking. 3991, 3992. maar. 3993 . Strong's Numbers
/hebrew/3992.htm - 6k

A Life for a Life
... It isn't picking out a man here, and a man there and having them made fit to go
to Heaven; Christ came into this world, as He himself said, to found a society. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/a life for a life/a life for a life.htm

Rights
... CHAPTER 1 Rights. "Well," said mother, setting down a cup she had just wiped, and
picking up another, "the older I get, and the older my children get, the more ...
//christianbookshelf.org/williamson/have we no rights/chapter 1 rights.htm

The Birth of a Movement.
... It had discovered the secret of picking men from the streets and transforming them
into saints and scholars, and it was successful in its efforts. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclean/william black/i the birth of a.htm

Preface to the First Edition of the Gospel of the Pentateuch to ...
... was altogether negative; was possessed too often by that fanaticism of disbelief
which is just as dangerous as the fanaticism of belief; was picking the body ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/preface to the first edition.htm

A Prince's Bride
... A woman servant hastening after a line of men bearing a great divan, picking up
the draperies and pillows that had dropped, stopped and salaamed to her master. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/miller/the city of delight/chapter i a princes bride.htm

"Come Thou and all Thy House into the Ark. "
... I believe the story of the flood just as much as I do the third chapter of
John. I pity any man that is picking the old Book to pieces. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/the overcoming life/come thou and all thy.htm

Ruth the Gleaner.
... before the clouds were red over Hebron, she went down into the valley where the
harvesters were at work, and followed the reapers and binders, picking up as a ...
/.../anonymous/children of the old testament/ruth the gleaner.htm

The Kingdom of God and Your Part in It
... What is the secret of Christianity? It is not picking out a man here and
a man there and making them fit to go to heaven. Christ ...
/.../stones rolled away and other addresses to young men/vi the kingdom of god.htm

The Hilltops --Experiences of Gladness and Glory
... There's a breeze from the hilltops that comes sweeping down through the trees, while
you are slowly picking your way along the rough, narrow valley road. ...
/.../quiet talks on following the christ/4 the hilltopsexperiences of gladness.htm

The Right to Live with the People of My Choice
... "Pick your own! Just as if we'd be allowed to pick our own senior workers! What
are you talking about?". "Just what I said. I'm picking my own senior worker! ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/williamson/have we no rights/chapter 9 the right to.htm

Picking (4 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) Overburned bricks. 9. (a.) Done or made as with a pointed tool; as, a picking
sound. 10. ... Multi-Version Concordance Picking (4 Occurrences). ...
/p/picking.htm - 8k

Babbler (4 Occurrences)
... Version and the Revised Version (British and American) of Acts 17:18: The latter
Greek word is used of birds, such as the crow, that live by picking up small ...
/b/babbler.htm - 9k

Picks (7 Occurrences)

/p/picks.htm - 8k

Fowl (73 Occurrences)
... for two pence"); their quickly picking up seeds from the ground is made to illustrate
the influences which render "the word" powerless (Matthew 13:4); their ...
/f/fowl.htm - 36k

Pick (37 Occurrences)
... 12. (vi) To steal; to pilfer. 13. (n.) A sharp-pointed tool for picking; --
often used in composition; as, a toothpick; a picklock. 14. ...
/p/pick.htm - 18k

Picker (1 Occurrence)
... a cotton picker. 2. (n.) A machine for picking fibrous materials to pieces
so as to loosen and separate the fiber. 3. (n.) The piece ...
/p/picker.htm - 7k

Pickers (2 Occurrences)

/p/pickers.htm - 7k

Agriculture
... in diameter, prepared by first picking out the stones, and then wetting
the ground, tamping or rolling it, and finally sweeping it. ...
/a/agriculture.htm - 27k

Star (16 Occurrences)
... The difficulty of seeing the planet Venus in full sunshine does not lie in her want
of brightness, but in picking up and holding steadily so minute a point of ...
/s/star.htm - 29k

Magi (4 Occurrences)
... The difficulty of seeing the planet Venus in full sunshine does not lie in her want
of brightness, but in picking up and holding steadily so minute a point of ...
/m/magi.htm - 26k

What does it mean that “a bruised reed He will not break” in Matthew 12:20? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about littering? | GotQuestions.org

Picking: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus