In biblical literature, the term "stalks" often refers to the stems or main structural parts of plants, particularly grains such as wheat, barley, or flax. These stalks are significant in various agricultural, symbolic, and narrative contexts within the Bible.

Agricultural Context

Stalks are primarily mentioned in the context of ancient Near Eastern agriculture, which forms the backdrop for many biblical narratives. The cultivation of grains like wheat and barley was central to the agrarian society of ancient Israel. The stalks of these grains were essential for the harvest, as they supported the heads of grain that were gathered during reaping. In the Book of Ruth, for example, the gleaning of stalks is depicted as a means of provision for the poor and the foreigner: "So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters" (Ruth 2:3).

Symbolic and Narrative Context

Stalks also appear in symbolic and narrative contexts within the Bible. One notable instance is found in the account of Rahab in the Book of Joshua. Rahab, a resident of Jericho, hides two Israelite spies under stalks of flax on her roof to protect them from the king's men: "But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out there" (Joshua 2:6). This act of hiding the spies under the stalks signifies Rahab's faith and alliance with the God of Israel, ultimately leading to her and her family's salvation during the conquest of Jericho.

Symbolism in Prophetic Literature

In prophetic literature, stalks can symbolize the fragility and transience of human life and endeavors. For instance, in Isaiah 17:5, the prophet uses the imagery of stalks to describe the fleeting nature of human pride and achievement: "It will be as when a reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the ears with his arm, as when one gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim" (Isaiah 17:5). This metaphor underscores the theme of divine judgment and the ultimate sovereignty of God over human affairs.

Cultural and Religious Practices

The use of stalks in cultural and religious practices is also evident in the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, which is associated with the wheat harvest. During this festival, the firstfruits of the harvest, including stalks of grain, were offered to God as a sign of gratitude and acknowledgment of His provision. This practice is rooted in the instructions given in Leviticus 23:15-17, where the Israelites are commanded to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits to the priest.

In summary, stalks in the Bible serve as a multifaceted symbol, representing agricultural abundance, divine provision, human vulnerability, and the faithfulness of God's people. They are woven into the fabric of biblical narratives, offering insights into the spiritual and cultural life of ancient Israel.5577. sansin -- fruit stalk (of the date)
... 5576, 5577. sansin. 5578 . fruit stalk (of the date). Transliteration: sansin
Phonetic Spelling: (san-seen') Short Definition: stalks. ...
/hebrew/5577.htm - 5k

6086. ets -- tree, trees, wood
... an unused word Definition tree, trees, wood NASB Word Usage carpenters* (4), framework
(1), gallows (9), handle (1), logs (1), shaft (3), stalks (1), stick (8 ...
/hebrew/6086.htm - 6k

1980. halak -- to go, come, walk
... prowled (1), ran (3), resort (1), return* (1), robber (1), run (1), runs off (1),
set (3), set* (1), spent (1), spread (1), sprout (1), stalks (1), steadily (2 ...
/hebrew/1980.htm - 8k

6653. tsebathim -- bundles (of grain)
... handful. From an unused root apparently meaning to grip; a lock of stalks --
handful. 6652, 6653. tsebathim. 6654 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6653.htm - 5k

8401. teben -- straw
... Probably from banah; properly, material, ie (specifically) refuse haum or stalks
of grain (as chopped in threshing and used for fodder) -- chaff, straw, stubble ...
/hebrew/8401.htm - 6k

A Strain of the Judgment of the Lord.
... And who will give. The summer harvest's heavy stalks mature? ... Full granaries by fruit
of slender stalks. distended be; or makes the tree grow ripe. ...
/.../unknown/fathers of the third century tertullian appendix/4 a strain of the.htm

Corollary Taken Out of Achmet, of the Signification of Hail, Fire ...
... "If he thought he saw hail that injured the stalks of wheat or barley, in that place,
as far as the stalks are broken, will warlike slaughters ensue.". ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/corollary taken out of achmet.htm

On the Study of Zoology.
... technically the "carapace," ending in front in a sharp spine, on either side of
which are the curious compound eyes, set upon the ends of stout moveable stalks ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/vi on the study of.htm

Power of Water.
... or barley and other sorts separately from year to year, until the seeds of each
sort amount to a hundred talents' weight, then also let the stalks be pulled up ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xxvii power of water.htm

Life and Death
... take it up; the salts which they find in it"the staple, as we call them"go to make
leaves and seed; the very sand has its use, it feeds the stalks of corn ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon iii life and death.htm

On the Glory of Martyrdom.
... Thus, whenever on the rejoicing wheat-stalks the ears of corn distended by rains
grow full, the abundant harvests are forced [4842] by the summer; thus, as ...
/.../on the glory of martyrdom.htm

The Sower.
... the picture. The sower, with a bag of seed dependent from his shoulder,
stalks slowly forth into the prepared field. With measured ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/i the sower.htm

The Northern Mountains
... going northward, the first glimpse of the sea horizon; in going south, the first
glimpse of the hazy lowland, in which the very roofs and chimney-stalks of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xi the northern mountains.htm

Wesley's Hymns Reconsidered
... A seven-syllable trochaic line is followed by a six-syllable iambic line: Who is
this gigantic foe. That proudly stalks along,. Overlooks the crowd below,. ...
/.../the hymns of wesley and watts five papers/wesleys hymns reconsidered.htm

The Story of Ruth, the Gleaner
... It was the custom in Israel when they reaped the grain not to gather all the stalks,
but to leave some for the poor people, who followed after the reapers with ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of ruth the.htm

Stalks (5 Occurrences)
...Stalks (5 Occurrences). Joshua 2:6 But she had brought them up to the roof, and
hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof. ...
/s/stalks.htm - 7k

Flax (11 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Hebrews pishtah, ie, "peeled", in allusion to the fact
that the stalks of flax when dried were first split or peeled before being ...
/f/flax.htm - 13k

Reaping (10 Occurrences)
... times, as at present, consisted in either pulling up the grain by the roots or cutting
it with a sickle (see SICKLE), and then binding the stalks into bundles ...
/r/reaping.htm - 13k

Stubble (18 Occurrences)
... it up instead of being given the already prepared straw of the threshing-floors
(Exodus 5:7). Qashsh (literally, "dried up") refers to the stalks left standing ...
/s/stubble.htm - 15k

Straw (21 Occurrences)
... and peas. 3. (n.) The gathered and thrashed stalks of certain species of
grain, etc.; as, a bundle, or a load, of rye straw. 4. (n ...
/s/straw.htm - 15k

Fuel (13 Occurrences)
... Almost every kind of combustible matter was used for fuel, such as the withered
stalks of herbs (Matthew 6:30), thorns (Psalm 58:9; Ecclesiastes 7:6), animal ...
/f/fuel.htm - 12k

Rahab (14 Occurrences)
... It was the time of the barley harvest, and flax and barley are ripe at the same
time in the Jordan valley, so that the bundles of flax stalks might have been ...
/r/rahab.htm - 16k

Parched (37 Occurrences)
... A handful of heads of fully developed grain, with the stalks still attached, are
gathered and bound together and then, holding the bunch by the lower ends of ...
/p/parched.htm - 20k

Corn (107 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) The plants which produce corn, when growing in the field; the stalks and
ears, or the stalks, ears, and seeds, after reaping and before thrashing. ...
/c/corn.htm - 41k

Agriculture
... The stalks thus gathered in a bunch are then grasped by the left hand and at the
same time a pull is given which cuts off some of the stalks a few inches above ...
/a/agriculture.htm - 27k

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