Topical Encyclopedia The term "pluck" in the Bible is often used metaphorically to describe the act of removing, taking away, or seizing something with force or decisiveness. It appears in various contexts throughout Scripture, illustrating both physical actions and spiritual truths.1. Physical Removal: In its most literal sense, "pluck" refers to the act of removing something from its place. For example, in the agricultural context, it can mean harvesting or gathering crops. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed regarding the Sabbath year: "But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest or gather the grapes of your untended vine" (Leviticus 25:4-5). Here, the idea of not plucking or gathering emphasizes rest and reliance on God's provision. 2. Divine Judgment and Deliverance: The concept of plucking is also used to describe God's intervention, either in judgment or deliverance. In Jeremiah 12:14-17, God speaks of plucking up nations as a form of judgment: "This is what the LORD says: 'As for all My wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave My people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands, and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them.'" Conversely, God also promises to pluck His people from danger, as seen in Psalm 91:14: "Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him." 3. Spiritual Warfare and Protection: In the New Testament, the term is used to convey spiritual truths, particularly in the context of spiritual warfare and divine protection. Jesus assures His followers of their security in Him, saying, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:28). The imagery of plucking or snatching here underscores the believer's safety in Christ, immune to the enemy's attempts to remove them from God's care. 4. Moral and Ethical Implications: The metaphor of plucking is also applied to moral and ethical teachings. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses hyperbolic language to emphasize the seriousness of sin: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell" (Matthew 5:29). The act of plucking out the eye symbolizes the radical measures one should take to avoid sin. 5. Prophetic Imagery: Prophets often used the imagery of plucking to convey messages of both destruction and hope. In Ezekiel 17, the allegory of the two eagles and the vine includes the act of plucking to describe the fate of Israel: "He plucked off the topmost shoot of its young twigs and carried it to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders" (Ezekiel 17:4). This imagery illustrates the removal and transplantation of Israel, symbolizing exile and eventual restoration. In summary, the concept of "pluck" in the Bible is rich with meaning, encompassing themes of judgment, deliverance, protection, and moral urgency. It serves as a powerful metaphor for God's sovereign actions and the believer's call to holiness. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (v. t.) To pull; to draw.2. (v. t.) Especially, to pull with sudden force or effort, or to pull off or out from something, with a twitch; to twitch; also, to gather, to pick; as, to pluck feathers from a fowl; to pluck hair or wool from a skin; to pluck grapes. 3. (v. t.) To strip of, or as of, feathers; as, to pluck a fowl. 4. (v. t.) To reject at an examination for degrees. 5. (v. i.) To make a motion of pulling or twitching; -- usually with at; as, to pluck at one's gown. 6. (n.) The act of plucking; a pull; a twitch. 7. (n.) The heart, liver, and lights of an animal. 8. (n.) Spirit; courage; indomitable resolution; fortitude. 9. (n.) The act of plucking, or the state of being plucked, at college. See Pluck, v. t., 4. Greek 5089. tillo -- to pluck, to pluck off ... to pluck, to pluck off. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: tillo Phonetic Spelling: (til'-lo) Short Definition: I pluck, pluck off Definition: I pluck, pluck ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5089.htm - 6k 1807. exaireo -- to take out, to deliver 1610. ekrizoo -- to uproot 1846. exorusso -- to dig out or up 1407. drepanon -- a sickle, a pruning hook 1288. diaspao -- to draw apart, tear asunder 1544. ekballo -- to go out 5567. psallo -- to pull, twitch, twang, play, sing 726. harpazo -- to seize, catch up, snatch away Strong's Hebrew 6998. qataph -- to pluck off or out... 6997, 6998. qataph. 6999 . to pluck off or out. Transliteration: qataph Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-taf') Short Definition: pluck. Word Origin a prim. ... /hebrew/6998.htm - 6k 5428. nathash -- to pull or pluck up, root out 6131. aqar -- to pluck or root up 717. arah -- to gather, pluck 2963. taraph -- to tear, rend, pluck 4804. merat -- to pluck 1497. gazal -- to tear away, seize, rob 4803. marat -- to make smooth, bare or bald, to scour, polish 8025. shalaph -- to draw out or off 6132. aqar -- to be rooted up Library Jesus Defends Disciples who Pluck Grain on the Sabbath. There Remains the Pleasure of These Eyes of My Flesh... Of the Very Dangerous Allurements of the Eyes; on Account of ... Description of the Symbol of the Hands among the Manich??ans. Against Men who Embellish Themselves. Melanchthon -- the Safety of the virtuous John x. 22-24 Chapter xiii. Irresistible Logic. His Statement of the Proof of his Messiahship. --His Oneness With Thesaurus Pluck (41 Occurrences)... to pull with sudden force or effort, or to pull off or out from something, with a twitch; to twitch; also, to gather, to pick; as, to pluck feathers from a fowl ... /p/pluck.htm - 19k Pick (37 Occurrences) Pull (32 Occurrences) Overthrow (48 Occurrences) Causeth (209 Occurrences) Snatch (14 Occurrences) Plucking (8 Occurrences) Hell (53 Occurrences) Tear (97 Occurrences) Gouge (4 Occurrences) Resources Did Jesus mean we should literally pluck out our eyes and cut off our hands in Matthew 5:29-30 and 18:8-9? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a psalm? | GotQuestions.org Is carpe diem something a Christian should live by? | GotQuestions.org Pluck: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Pluck (41 Occurrences)Matthew 5:29 Matthew 12:1 Matthew 18:9 Mark 2:23 Mark 9:47 John 10:28 John 10:29 Leviticus 1:16 Numbers 33:52 Deuteronomy 23:25 Deuteronomy 29:28 2 Chronicles 7:20 Ezra 9:3 Nehemiah 13:25 Job 24:9 Job 30:4 Psalms 25:15 Psalms 31:4 Psalms 52:5 Psalms 74:11 Psalms 80:8 Psalms 80:12 Proverbs 15:25 Ecclesiastes 3:2 Isaiah 23:16 Isaiah 50:6 Jeremiah 1:10 Jeremiah 12:14 Jeremiah 12:17 Jeremiah 18:7 Jeremiah 22:24 Jeremiah 24:6 Jeremiah 31:28 Jeremiah 42:10 Jeremiah 45:4 Ezekiel 17:9 Ezekiel 17:22 Ezekiel 23:34 Hosea 2:9 Micah 3:2 Micah 5:14 Subtopics Related Terms |