Bible Encyclopedia: Sheaves

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

SHEAF; SHEAVES

shef, shevz ('alummah, `omer, `amir): When the grain is reaped, it is laid in handfuls back of the reaper to be gathered by children or those who cannot stand the harder work of reaping (Psalm 129:7). The handfuls are bound into large sheaves, two of which are laden at a time on a donkey (compare Nehemiah 13:15). In some districts carts are used (compare Amos 2:13). The sheaves are piled about the threshing-floors until threshing time, which may be several weeks after harvest. It is an impressive sight to see the huge stacks of sheaves piled about the threshing-floors, the piles often covering an area greater than the nearby villages (see AGRICULTURE). The ancient Egyptians bound their grain into small sheaves, forming the bundles with care so that the heads were equally distributed between the two ends (see Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians, 1878, II, 424; compare Joseph's dream, Genesis 37:5-8). The sheaves mentioned in Genesis 37:10-12, 15 must have been handfuls. It is a custom in parts of Syria for the gatherers of the sheaves to run toward a passing horseman and wave a handful of grain, shouting kemshi, kemshi (literally, "handful"). They want the horseman to feed the grain to his horse. In Old Testament times forgotten sheaves had to be left for the sojourner (Deuteronomy 24:19); compare the kindness shown to Ruth by the reapers of Boaz (Ruth 2:7, 15).

Figurative: "Being hungry they carry the sheaves" is a picture of torment similar to that of the hungry horse urged to go by the bundle of hay tied before him (Job 24:10). The joyful sight of the sheaves of an abundant harvest was used by the Psalmist to typify the joy of the returning captives (Psalm 126:6).

James A. Patch

Strong's Hebrew

6014. amar -- to bind sheaves
... 6013, 6014. amar. 6014a . to bind sheaves. Transliteration: amar Phonetic Spelling:
(aw-mar') Short Definition: sheaves. bind sheaves, make merchandise of ...
/hebrew/6014.htm - 5k

6014a. amar -- to bind sheaves
... 6014, 6014a. amar. 6014b . to bind sheaves. Transliteration: amar Short
Definition: sheaves. Word Origin denominative verb from ...
/hebrew/6014a.htm - 5k

5995. amir -- a swath, row of fallen grain
... 5994, 5995. amir. 5996 . a swath, row of fallen grain. Transliteration:
amir Phonetic Spelling: (aw-meer') Short Definition: sheaves. ...
/hebrew/5995.htm - 6k

485. alummah -- a sheaf
... 484, 485. alummah. 486 . a sheaf. Transliteration: alummah Phonetic Spelling:
(al-oom-maw') Short Definition: sheaves. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/485.htm - 6k

1430. gadiysh -- a heap, stack
... shock stack of corn, tomb From an unused root (meaning to heap up); a stack of sheaves;
by analogy, a tomb -- shock (stack) (of corn), tomb. 1429, 1430. ...
/hebrew/1430.htm - 5k

6016a. omer -- a sheaf
... a sheaf. Transliteration: omer Short Definition: sheaf. Word Origin from an unused
word Definition a sheaf NASB Word Usage sheaf (5), sheaves (3). 6016, 6016a ...
/hebrew/6016a.htm - 5k

Library

Bringing in the Sheaves. PM
... 417 Bringing in the Sheaves. PM. Spiritual Harvest. Sowing in the morning,
sowing seeds of kindness, Sowing in the noontide and the ...
/.../lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/417 bringing in the sheaves.htm

The Sower and his Sheaves.
... PHILANTHROPIC SUBJECTS. 771. " The Sower and his Sheaves. 771. 8s. &
7s. M. Hastings. The Sower and his Sheaves. 1 He, that ...
/.../adams/hymns for christian devotion/771 the sower and.htm

Observations on the Words of John the Baptist John I. ...
... new children. 73. Christ, then, alone is the Bridegroom, grudging not even
to the synagogue the sheaves of His harvest. Would that ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter x observations on the.htm

The Trials and visions of Devout Youth
... And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold,
we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the trials and visions of.htm

A visit to the Harvest Field
... It is but common gratitude that we should go to the field awhile, and there hear
what God the Lord may have to say to us among the waving sheaves. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/a visit to the harvest.htm

Letter vi. In My Last Two Letters I have Given the State of the ...
... In the sacred Volume they saw and reverenced the bounden wheat-sheaf that STOOD
UPRIGHT and had OBEISANCE from all the other sheaves (the writings, I mean, of ...
/.../coleridge/confessions of an inquiring spirit etc/letter vi in my last.htm

The Story of Joseph
... "We were binding sheaves in a field, and lo! my sheaf arose and also stood upright,
and, behold, your sheaves stood round about and bowed to my sheaf!". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/steedman/joseph the dreamer/the story of joseph.htm

Joseph the Dreamer.
... He dreamt one night that they were all binding sheaves once more out in the sunny
field, and his brothers' sheaves rose up and bowed down to his sheaf. ...
/.../anonymous/children of the old testament/joseph the dreamer.htm

Joseph and his Brethren
... And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: for, behold,
we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/i joseph and his brethren.htm

Joseph, the Castaway.
... He said that he dreamed that they were binding sheaves in the field, and that his
sheaf stood up, while the sheaves of his brothers bowed down to it. ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter vi joseph the castaway.htm

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(n.) Plural of Sheaf.

Thesaurus

Sheaves (13 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SHEAF; SHEAVES. ... The sheaves are piled about the
threshing-floors until threshing time, which may be several weeks after harvest. ...
/s/sheaves.htm - 12k

Sheaf (11 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To gather and bind into a sheaf; to make into sheaves; as, to sheaf wheat.
5. (vi) To collect and bind cut grain, or the like; to make sheaves. Int. ...
/s/sheaf.htm - 12k

Obeisance (45 Occurrences)
... In Joseph's dream his brother's sheaves made obeisance to his sheaf (Genesis
43:28; compare also 2 Samuel 15:5 2 Chronicles 24:17). ...
/o/obeisance.htm - 22k

Glean (12 Occurrences)
... Ruth 2:7 She said,'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.'
So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except ...
/g/glean.htm - 11k

Erect (17 Occurrences)
... Genesis 37:7 for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf
arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about ...
/e/erect.htm - 12k

Mow (1 Occurrence)
... 9. (vi) To cut grass, etc., with a scythe, or with a machine; to cut grass for hay.
10. (n.) A heap or mass of hay or of sheaves of grain stowed in a barn. 11. ...
/m/mow.htm - 7k

Binder (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) One who binds; as, a binder of sheaves;
one whose trade is to bind; as, a binder of books. 2. (n ...
/b/binder.htm - 7k

Binding (23 Occurrences)
... Genesis 37:7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf
arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and ...
/b/binding.htm - 13k

Shock (6 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A pile or assemblage of sheaves of grain, as wheat, rye, or the like, set
up in a field, the sheaves varying in number from twelve to sixteen. ...
/s/shock.htm - 9k

Suddenly (87 Occurrences)
... Genesis 37:7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf
arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and ...
/s/suddenly.htm - 32k

Bible Concordance

Sheaves (13 Occurrences)

Genesis 37:7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Ruth 2:7 She said,'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she stayed a little in the house."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ruth 2:15 When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don't reproach her.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Nehemiah 13:15 In those days saw I in Judah some men treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys therewith; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day in which they sold food.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Job 5:26 You shall come to your grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season.
(See NIV)

Job 24:10 So that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 126:6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 129:7 with which the reaper doesn't fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves, his bosom.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Jeremiah 9:22 Speak, Thus says Yahweh, The dead bodies of men shall fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester; and none shall gather them.
(See RSV)

Jeremiah 50:26 Come ye against her from every quarter, open her storehouses; pile her up like sheaves, and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left.
(DBY)

Amos 2:13 Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Micah 4:12 But they don't know the thoughts of Yahweh, neither do they understand his counsel; for he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Zechariah 12:6 In that day I will make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they will devour all the surrounding peoples, on the right hand and on the left; and Jerusalem will yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Sheaves

Related Terms

Sheaf (11 Occurrences)

Obeisance (45 Occurrences)

Glean (12 Occurrences)

Erect (17 Occurrences)

Mow (1 Occurrence)

Binder (3 Occurrences)

Binding (23 Occurrences)

Shock (6 Occurrences)

Suddenly (87 Occurrences)