Ploughing, an essential agricultural activity in biblical times, was typically performed by servants or laborers. This task involved breaking up the soil to prepare it for sowing seeds, ensuring a fruitful harvest. The act of ploughing is frequently mentioned in the Bible, symbolizing both physical labor and spiritual preparation.

In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, ploughing was a common sight, reflecting the dependence on agriculture for sustenance and economic stability. The task was labor-intensive and required strength and endurance, often delegated to servants or hired workers. This is evident in several biblical passages that highlight the role of servants in agricultural activities.

In the book of 1 Samuel, we see an example of ploughing being associated with servitude: "So Saul took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, 'This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.' Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they turned out as one man" (1 Samuel 11:7). This passage, while not directly about ploughing, illustrates the use of oxen, a common ploughing animal, and the authority of leaders over the labor force.

In the New Testament, Jesus uses the imagery of ploughing to convey spiritual truths. In Luke 9:62, He states, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God" . Here, ploughing serves as a metaphor for commitment and dedication, emphasizing the need for steadfastness in following Christ.

The book of Proverbs also alludes to the diligence required in ploughing: "The lazy man does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there" (Proverbs 20:4). This proverb underscores the importance of timely and diligent work, a principle applicable both in agriculture and in spiritual life.

In the context of servitude, ploughing was a task that required obedience and submission to the landowner's directives. The relationship between master and servant in agricultural settings is further illustrated in the parable of the unworthy servants: "Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or shepherding. When he comes in from the field, will he say to him, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?" (Luke 17:7). This parable highlights the expectations placed upon servants, who were to fulfill their duties without seeking immediate reward.

Overall, ploughing in biblical times was a task generally performed by servants, reflecting the social and economic structures of the period. It served as a powerful metaphor for spiritual truths, illustrating themes of diligence, commitment, and the relationship between labor and reward.Isaiah 61:5
And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 17:7
But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say to him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Unprofitable Servants.
... that part of his duty is successfully performed, it is ... The appetites are generally
sure guides to living creatures ... of you having a servant ploughing or feeding ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/xxvii unprofitable servants.htm

The Tares.
... this critical and cardinal act is performed; the seed ... It seems to be generally assumed
by modern expositors ... 7-10), a servant, who has been ploughing or feeding ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/ii the tares.htm

Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
... Princes but that vast unnumbered Host' generally designated as ... Angels had performed
the music at the first ... to the connection between rain and ploughing, and in ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xii the baptism of.htm

Of the Sacraments.
... The same work is performed in us by the Spirit. ... For what would ploughing, and sowing,
and watering avail ... have hitherto taken of it, includes, generally, all the ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 14 of the sacraments.htm

Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &C.
... of obscenity, folly, yea, and Atheism is generally practised in ... more serious duties;
and those are performed in the ... they do cursed, and their ploughing as well ...
/.../proposition xv concerning salutations and.htm

A Revival Sermon
... when they are fulfilled, for when once performed they stand ... Between the harvest and
the ploughing there is a season ... It was not generally the way for sailors to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/a revival sermon.htm

Concerning Worship.
... For hence both the ploughing and praying of the ... be counterfeited by the enemy, nor
yet performed by the ... arisen, as of a certain sect, generally commended by all ...
/.../proposition xi concerning worship.htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... ate and drank with her; the pictured ploughing, harvesting, and ... where the statue
was kept, and performed in its ... This title is generally supposed to have been a ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... had claimed them, and to his servants they belonged ... She lived in it and performed
in it without ... to several superiors, of whom the principal (generally the widow ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Reaction against Egypt
... arrived at some place than the servants scoured the ... At this period Egyptian ships
were ploughing the Red Sea ... broad-bladed choppers, or more generally, short thin ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm

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