Topical Bible: Agriculture or Farming: Enactments to Protect: Against Injuring the Produce of

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical context, agriculture and farming were central to the livelihood and sustenance of the Israelite community. The Bible contains numerous enactments designed to protect agricultural produce, ensuring both the welfare of the community and the integrity of the land. These laws reflect a divine concern for justice, stewardship, and the well-being of all people, particularly the vulnerable.

Protection of Produce

The Mosaic Law includes specific commandments aimed at safeguarding the produce of the land. These laws were intended to prevent theft, damage, and exploitation, ensuring that the fruits of labor were preserved for rightful owners and beneficiaries.

1. Prohibition Against Theft and Damage: The Eighth Commandment, "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15), serves as a foundational principle against taking or damaging another's produce. This commandment underscores the respect for personal property, including agricultural goods.

2. Gleaning Laws: The laws of gleaning provided protection for the poor and the foreigner, allowing them to gather leftover produce from the fields. Leviticus 19:9-10 instructs, "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." These laws ensured that the produce was not entirely consumed by the landowner, but shared with those in need.

3. Sabbath Year and Jubilee: The Sabbath year, observed every seventh year, required that the land lie fallow, allowing it to rest and rejuvenate. During this year, the produce that grew naturally was available to everyone, including the poor and animals (Leviticus 25:4-7). The Jubilee year, occurring every fiftieth year, further emphasized the return of land and the release of debts, protecting families from perpetual poverty and loss of their agricultural inheritance (Leviticus 25:10-13).

4. Prohibition Against Coveting: The Tenth Commandment, "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:17), extends to agricultural produce. This commandment addresses the heart's intentions, discouraging desires that could lead to actions harming another's livelihood.

5. Fair Wages and Timely Payment: The Bible mandates fair treatment of laborers, including prompt payment for their work. Deuteronomy 24:14-15 states, "Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them." This law protects the laborer’s ability to purchase food and sustain themselves, indirectly safeguarding the produce they help cultivate.

Divine Ownership and Stewardship

Underlying these enactments is the recognition of divine ownership of the land. Leviticus 25:23 declares, "The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine, and you are but foreigners and sojourners with Me." This perspective fosters a sense of stewardship, where humans are caretakers of God’s creation, responsible for its care and preservation.

These biblical enactments reflect a comprehensive approach to protecting agricultural produce, emphasizing justice, compassion, and community welfare. They serve as a reminder of the interconnectedness of humanity, land, and divine providence.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 22:5
If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
Torrey's Topical Textbook