Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

GLEANING

The practice of gathering, mainly food. It is most often recognized in connection with the story of Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 2) where Ruth gleaned in the fields of Boaz to provide food for her mother-in-law Naomi and herself. The Torah makes provision for those in need (the poor, fatherless, aliens, widows) by commanding that the last bits of harvest be intentionally left for gleaners (Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut. 24:21).

Elsewhere, gleaning refers to a practice of collecting items that were originally put in place by someone other than the collector: the Israelites in the wilderness glean bread rained from heaven (Exod. 16); a prophet gleans herbs for stew and wild gourds (2 Kgs. 4:39); Joseph gleans money from Egypt and Canaan in preparation for dealing with the famine (Gen. 47:14); the Creator is thanked for all that is gleaned (Ps. 104:28); a lover gleans lilies (Cant. 6:2); Jonathan’s servant gleans arrows (1 Sam. 20:38); and others glean stones (Gen. 31:46), food scraps (Judg. 1:7), wood (Jer. 7:18), and grapes (Judg. 8:2).

Gleaning is used metaphorically in the prophetic writings, usually to generate an image of emptiness and despair (Isa. 24:13; Jer. 49:9 = Obad. 5; Mic. 7:1). In the only metaphorical use that generates a positive image, Isaiah speaks of God’s careful gleaning of each one of his people (Isa. 27:12).

Bibliography. O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel (Winona Lake, 1987).

Alice H. Hudiburg

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

GLEANING

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)