◄ Threshing-Floor ►
Jump to: ISBE • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms
Topical Encyclopedia
A threshing-floor in biblical times was a vital agricultural site where the process of threshing grain took place. This process involved separating the edible part of the grain from the chaff, typically using tools like a threshing sledge or by having animals tread over the grain. Threshing-floors were usually located on elevated, open areas to take advantage of the wind, which helped in winnowing the grain by blowing away the lighter chaff.

Biblical Significance

Threshing-floors hold significant symbolic and practical importance in the Bible. They are often mentioned in the context of God's provision, judgment, and worship.

1. Provision and Abundance: Threshing-floors are frequently associated with God's blessing and provision. In the book of Ruth, Ruth gleans in the fields and later approaches Boaz on the threshing-floor, which becomes a pivotal moment in her account of redemption and provision (Ruth 3:6-9). The abundance of grain on the threshing-floor symbolizes God's provision for His people.

2. Judgment and Purification: The imagery of the threshing-floor is also used to depict judgment and purification. In Matthew 3:12, John the Baptist speaks of Jesus, saying, "His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." This metaphor illustrates the separation of the righteous from the wicked, emphasizing the purity and holiness required by God.

3. Worship and Sacrifice: Threshing-floors are also sites of significant worship events. One of the most notable is the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite, where King David built an altar to the Lord to stop a plague on Israel (2 Samuel 24:18-25). This site later became the location for Solomon's Temple, underscoring its importance in Israel's worship history.

4. Covenant and Promise: The threshing-floor is a place where God's promises and covenants are often reaffirmed. In Genesis 50:10-11, Joseph mourns for his father Jacob at the threshing-floor of Atad, which becomes a place of significant emotional and covenantal remembrance for the Israelites.

Cultural and Historical Context

Threshing-floors were central to the agrarian lifestyle of ancient Israel. They were communal spaces where families and communities gathered during the harvest season. The process of threshing and winnowing was labor-intensive and required cooperation among community members, reflecting the communal nature of ancient Israelite society.

In summary, the threshing-floor in the Bible is a multifaceted symbol representing God's provision, judgment, worship, and covenant. It serves as a powerful reminder of the spiritual truths embedded in the everyday life of God's people.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
CHIDON, THE THRESHING-FLOOR OF

ki'-don, (goren kidhon; Septuagint B, omits; A has Cheilo): The place where Uzza perished because he touched the ark (1 Chronicles 13:9). In 2 Samuel 6:6 it is called the threshing-floor of Nachon. No name resembling either of these has been discovered.

THRESHING-FLOOR

thresh'-ing-flor (goren; halon; 'iddar, occurs in Daniel 2:35): The location and method of making threshing-floors have already been described under AGRICULTURE. These floors have come into prominence because of the Biblical events which occurred on or near them. Joseph with his kinsmen and Egyptian followers halted for seven days at the threshing-floor of Atad to lament the death of Jacob (Genesis 50:10). Probably there was a group of floors furnishing a convenient spot for a caravan to stop. Travelers today welcome the sight of a threshing-floor at their halting-place. The hard, level spot is a much preferable to the surrounding stony fields for their tents.

David built an altar on Ornan's (Araunah's) threshing-floor (2 Samuel 24:18-24 1 Chronicles 21:18-27), which later became the site of the Temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). David probably chose this place for his altar because it was on an elevation, and the ground was already level and prepared by rolling. Uzzah died near the threshing-floor of Nacon for touching the ark (2 Samuel 6:6). Ruth reveals herself to Boaz on his threshing-floor (Ruth 3:6-9).

Threshing-floors are in danger of being robbed (1 Samuel 23:1). For this reason, someone always sleeps on the floor until the grain is removed (Ruth 3:7). In Syria, at the threshing season, it is customary for the family to move out to the vicinity of the threshing-floor. A booth is constructed for shade; the mother prepares the meals and takes her turn with the father and children at riding on the sledge.

The instruments of the threshing-floor referred to in 2 Samuel 24:22 were probably:

(1) the wooden drag or sledge, charuts or moragh, Arabic lauch eddiras;

(2) the fan (fork), mizreh, Arabic midra, for separating straw from wheat;

(3) shovel, meghraphah, Arabic mirfashat, for tossing the wheat into the air in winnowing;

(4) broom, maT'aTe', for sweeping the floor between threshing and for collecting the wheat after winnowing;

(5) goad, malmedh, Arabic messas;

(6) the yoke, `ol, Arabic tauk;

(7) sieve, kebharah, Arabic gharbal;

(8) dung catcher, Arabic milkat.

Greek
257. halon -- a threshing floor
... a threshing floor. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: halon Phonetic
Spelling: (hal'-ohn) Short Definition: a threshing-floor Definition: a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/257.htm - 6k
Strong's Hebrew
1637. goren -- threshing floor
... 1636, 1637. goren. 1638 . threshing floor. Transliteration: goren Phonetic
Spelling: (go'-ren) Short Definition: floor. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/1637.htm - 6k

147. iddar -- a threshing floor
... threshing floor. (Aramaic) intensive, from a root corresponding to 'adar; ample,
ie A threshing-floor -- threshingfloor. see HEBREW 'adar. 146, 147. ...
/hebrew/147.htm - 6k

3096. Yahats -- a place in Moab
... Or Yahtsah {yah'-tsaw}; or (feminine) Yahtsah {yah-tsaw'}; from an unused root meaning
to stamp; perhaps threshing-floor; Jahats or Jahtsah, a place East of ...
/hebrew/3096.htm - 6k

Library

For I am a Man of the Threshing-Floor of Christ...
... Book III. Chapter 12. " 13. For I am a man of the threshing-floor of
Christ? "13. For I am a man of the threshing-floor of ...
/.../writings in connection with the donatist controversy /chapter 12 13 for.htm

Gideon's Fleece
... meaning than it bore to him. God makes the fleece wet with dew, while all
the threshing-floor is dry. Dew is the symbol of divine ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/gideons fleece.htm

The Devotion of Ruth
... This very night he is going to winnow barley on the threshing-floor. ... So she went
down to the threshing-floor and did just as her mother-in-law told her. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the devotion of ruth.htm

On Earthly Things
... anywhere. [1:Cor.3:12; Micah 7:1]. The threshing floor is the church; in the
Gospel: and he will clean your threshing floor. [Matt.3:12]. ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/iii on earthly things.htm

The Specimen of Catechetical Discourse Continued, in Reference ...
... But these are reprobate; and although the church bears them for a time, as the
threshing-floor bears the chaff until the period of winnowing, yet if they fail ...
/.../chapter 17 the specimen of catechetical.htm

On the Management of the Resources Collected for the Support of ...
... As, therefore, the ox that labours in the threshing-floor without a muzzle eats
indeed, but does not eat all up; so do you who labour in the threshing-floor ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iv on the management of.htm

David and Araunah.
... God stayed the hand of the destroying angel; who stood by the threshing-floor of
Araunah, whither David was told to go and offer sacrifice. David went. ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the old testament/david and araunah.htm

Epistle xv. To Moyses and Maximus, and the Rest of the Confessors.
... Behold, the summer is fruitful with the fertility of the harvest, and the
threshing-floor is filled with grain; but you who have sown glory, reap the fruit ...
/.../cyprian/the epistles of cyprian/epistle xv to moyses and.htm

Occasion of Writing. Relative Position of Jews and Gentiles ...
... from priding himself on the notion that "the Gentiles are accounted as a little
drop of a bucket," or else as "dust out of a threshing-floor:" [1128] although ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter i occasion of writing relative.htm

An Exhortation to the People Respecting Fortitude and Patience...
... He thinks not of the decaying seed, but of the flourishing ears of corn; not of
the tedious rain, but of the delightful dust of the threshing floor. ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily iv an exhortation to.htm

Thesaurus
Threshingfloor (18 Occurrences)
... out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress? (See JPS). 1 Chronicles
13:9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand ...
/t/threshingfloor.htm - 15k

Threshing-floor (36 Occurrences)
Threshing-floor. Threshingfloor, Threshing-floor. Threshingfloors . Int. ...
Threshingfloor, Threshing-floor. Threshingfloors . Reference Bible.
/t/threshing-floor.htm - 21k

Araunah (14 Occurrences)
... angel, sent to punish David for his vanity in taking a census of the people, was
stayed in his work of destruction near a threshing-floor belonging to Araunah ...
/a/araunah.htm - 13k

Winepress (19 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV NIV). Exodus 22:29 Thou shalt not delay the fulness of
thy threshing-floor and the outflow of thy winepress. The ...
/w/winepress.htm - 14k

Ornan (10 Occurrences)
... hand. The angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshingfloor of Ornan
the Jebusite. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV). 1 ...
/o/ornan.htm - 10k

Jeb'usite (8 Occurrences)
... when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the ...
provision had been made in the Place of David, in the threshingfloor of Ornan ...
/j/jeb'usite.htm - 9k

Wine-vat (7 Occurrences)
... Numbers 18:27 and your heave-offering hath been reckoned to you as corn from
the threshing-floor, and as fulness from the wine-vat; (YLT). ...
/w/wine-vat.htm - 8k

Chidon (1 Occurrence)
... Dart, the name of the threshing-floor at which the death of Uzzah took place (1
Chronicles 13:9). In the parallel passage in Samuel (2 Samuel 6:6) it is called ...
/c/chidon.htm - 7k

Threshing (57 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. NACON, THE THRESHINGFLOOR OF. ... Matthew 3:12 His winnowing
fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshingfloor. ...
/t/threshing.htm - 28k

Vat (7 Occurrences)
... (DBY WBS YLT NAS). Numbers 18:27 and your heave-offering hath been reckoned to you
as corn from the threshing-floor, and as fulness from the wine-vat; (YLT NAS) ...
/v/vat.htm - 9k

Resources
What is a threshing floor? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Araunah the Jebusite? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of chaff in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus
Concordance
Threshing-floor (36 Occurrences)

Matthew 3:12
His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but burning up the chaff in unquenchable fire."
(WEY ASV DBY)

Luke 3:17
His winnowing-shovel is in His hand to clear out His threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into His storehouse; but the chaff He will burn up in fire unquenchable."
(WEY ASV DBY)

Genesis 50:10
And they came to the threshing-floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Genesis 50:11
And the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing-floor of Atad, and they said, This is a grievous mourning of the Egyptians. Therefore the name of it was called Abel-Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
(DBY YLT)

Exodus 22:29
Thou shalt not delay the fulness of thy threshing-floor and the outflow of thy winepress. The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.
(DBY)

Numbers 15:20
Of the first of your dough ye shall offer up a cake for a heave-offering: as the heave-offering of the threshing-floor, so shall ye heave it.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Numbers 18:27
And your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the grain of the threshing-floor, and as the fulness of the winepress.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Numbers 18:30
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye heave the best thereof from it, then it shall be reckoned unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the wine-press.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Deuteronomy 15:14
thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy threshing-floor, and out of thy winepress; as Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.
(See JPS ASV YLT)

Deuteronomy 16:13
Thou shalt keep the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in from thy threshing-floor and from thy winepress:
(See JPS ASV YLT)

Judges 6:37
behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken.
(See JPS ASV YLT)

Ruth 3:2
And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Ruth 3:3
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing-floor, but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
(See JPS ASV YLT)

Ruth 3:6
And she went down unto the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her.
(See JPS ASV YLT)

Ruth 3:14
And she lay at his feet until the morning. And she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor.
(See JPS ASV DBY)

2 Samuel 6:6
And when they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

2 Samuel 24:16
And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Jehovah repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough; now stay thy hand. And the angel of Jehovah was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
(See JPS ASV DBY YLT)

2 Samuel 24:18
And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

2 Samuel 24:21
And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto Jehovah, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

2 Samuel 24:24
And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will verily buy it of thee at a price. Neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah my God which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

1 Kings 22:10
Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
(See JPS YLT)

2 Kings 6:27
And he said, If Jehovah do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress?
(ASV DBY YLT)

1 Chronicles 13:9
And when they came unto the threshing-floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

1 Chronicles 21:15
And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was about to destroy, Jehovah beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the destroying angel, It is enough; now stay thy hand. And the angel of Jehovah was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

1 Chronicles 21:18
Then the angel of Jehovah commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

1 Chronicles 21:21
And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing-floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

1 Chronicles 21:22
Then David said to Ornan, Give me the place of this threshing-floor, that I may build thereon an altar unto Jehovah: for the full price shalt thou give it me, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

1 Chronicles 21:28
At that time, when David saw that Jehovah had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

2 Chronicles 3:1
Then Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem on mount Moriah, where 'Jehovah' appeared unto David his father, which he made ready in the place that David had appointed, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
(ASV DBY WBS YLT)

2 Chronicles 18:9
Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
(See JPS YLT)

Job 39:12
Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed, And gather the grain of thy threshing-floor?
(See JPS ASV DBY YLT)

Jeremiah 51:33
For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-floor at the time when it is trodden; yet a little while, and the time of harvest shall come for her.
(See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Daniel 2:35
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
(Root in JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Hosea 9:2
The threshing-floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail her.
(See JPS ASV)

Hosea 13:3
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that passeth early away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
(See JPS ASV DBY)

Micah 4:12
But they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, neither understand they his counsel; for he hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor.
(See JPS ASV DBY YLT)

Subtopics

Threshing-Floor

Related Terms

Threshing-floors (2 Occurrences)

Threshing-floor (36 Occurrences)

Threshingfloor
Top of Page
Top of Page