Fertilize
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In the context of biblical agriculture, the concept of fertilization is closely tied to the principles of stewardship, productivity, and divine provision. Fertilization, as understood in modern agricultural practices, involves enriching the soil to enhance plant growth and yield. While the Bible does not explicitly mention the term "fertilize," it provides numerous references to agricultural practices and the importance of fruitful harvests.

Biblical Agriculture and Soil Enrichment

The Bible frequently uses agricultural metaphors to convey spiritual truths, emphasizing the importance of preparing and maintaining the soil for a bountiful harvest. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus illustrates the significance of good soil for seed growth: "But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown" (Matthew 13:23). This parable underscores the necessity of a fertile environment for spiritual and physical growth.

Divine Provision and Blessing

Fertilization, in a biblical sense, can also be seen as a reflection of God's provision and blessing upon the land. In Deuteronomy 28:11-12, God promises abundance to the Israelites if they obey His commandments: "The LORD will make you prosper abundantly—in the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land. The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands" . This passage highlights the connection between divine favor and agricultural productivity.

Stewardship and Responsibility

The Bible calls for responsible stewardship of the land, which includes practices that would align with modern concepts of fertilization. In Genesis 2:15, God places Adam in the Garden of Eden "to work it and take care of it" . This mandate implies a responsibility to maintain and enhance the fertility of the land, ensuring its ability to sustain life and provide for future generations.

Symbolism of Fertility and Growth

Fertility and growth are recurring themes in Scripture, often symbolizing spiritual prosperity and the flourishing of God's people. Psalm 1:3 describes the righteous person as "a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does" . This imagery reflects the idea of being nourished and sustained by God's word and presence, akin to how fertilization supports plant growth.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not explicitly discuss fertilization as understood in contemporary agriculture, its teachings on stewardship, divine provision, and the importance of fertile soil provide a framework for understanding the spiritual and practical aspects of enriching the land. Through obedience to God's commandments and responsible care for creation, believers are encouraged to cultivate both physical and spiritual fruitfulness.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (v. t.) To make fertile or enrich; to supply with nourishment for plants; to make fruitful or productive; as, to fertilize land, soil, ground, and meadows.

2. (v. t.) To fecundate; as, to fertilize flower.

Library

How to Fertilize Love
... TALK FORTY-ONE. HOW TO FERTILIZE LOVE. Love is the greatest thing in earth or heaven.
Out of it flows most of the things that are worth while in life. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk forty-one how to fertilize.htm

Heart Talks
... WHERE THE JOY IS. TALK FORTY. BLOWING THE CLOUDS AWAY. TALK FORTY-ONE. HOW TO FERTILIZE
LOVE. TALK FORTY-TWO. HOW TO OVERCOME DISAPPOINTMENT. TALK FORTY-THREE. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/

Natural Law in the Spiritual World
... His book is one to fertilize the mind, to open to it fresh fields of thought,
and to stimulate its activity.""LITERARY CHURCHMAN. ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/natural law in the spiritual.htm

Life on the Top Floor
... mountain. The mountain is of use to send streams into the valley of our ordinary
life, to fertilize and nourish what is there. Perhaps ...
/.../stones rolled away and other addresses to young men/v life on the top.htm

But that People which Forgets God, Forgets Itself. ...
... creatures as much to be pitied and as miserable as themselves, and to serve, from
generation to generation, as human manure for the land, to fertilize the soil ...
/.../lamartine/atheism among the people/x but that people which.htm

O Lord! I Sing with Mouth and Heart.
... The tent-like firmament who builds, Who spreads th' expanse of blue, Who
sends to fertilize our fields Refreshing rain and dew? ...
/.../gerhardt/paul gerhardts spiritual songs/o lord i sing with.htm

The Hardening Operation of Love.
... nature. In March they melt the snow and warm and fertilize the soil, while
in August they harden the field and scorch its fruit. ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxi the hardening operation of.htm

Consciousness of Messiahship in the Mind of Jesus. --Jesus among ...
... applying"in a sense in which they apply to no other"to that mind, lofty beyond all
human comparison, whose creative thoughts are to fertilize the spiritual ...
/.../section 23 consciousness of messiahship.htm

Soul and Body Conceived, Formed and Perfected in Element ...
... from each other, flow forth simultaneously in a united channel; and finding their
way together into their appointed seed-plot, they fertilize with their ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter xxvii soul and body conceived.htm

The Gallican Confession. AD 1559.
... to fertilize other countries, and reduced to a proscribed sect of the desert at
home, where nevertheless, like the burning bush, it could not be consumed, and ...
/.../ 62 the gallican confession.htm

Thesaurus
Fertilize (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (vt) To make fertile or enrich; to supply with nourishment for plants; to make
fruitful or productive; as, to fertilize land, soil, ground, and meadows. ...
/f/fertilize.htm - 6k

I'll (31 Occurrences)
... Luke 13:8 He answered,'Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it,
and fertilize it. (See NIV). Genesis 13:9 Isn't the whole land before you? ...
/i/i'll.htm - 15k

Fertility (1 Occurrence)

/f/fertility.htm - 7k

Fertilizer (1 Occurrence)

/f/fertilizer.htm - 6k

Tablets (31 Occurrences)
... 2. Discovery: In 1887 a peasant woman, digging in the ruins of Tell el-Amarna for
the dust of ancient buildings with which to fertilize her garden, found ...
/t/tablets.htm - 41k

Tell (3056 Occurrences)
... 2. Discovery: In 1887 a peasant woman, digging in the ruins of Tell el-Amarna for
the dust of ancient buildings with which to fertilize her garden, found ...
/t/tell.htm - 33k

El-amarna
... 2. Discovery: In 1887 a peasant woman, digging in the ruins of Tell el-Amarna for
the dust of ancient buildings with which to fertilize her garden, found ...
/e/el-amarna.htm - 31k

Elamarna
... 2. Discovery: In 1887 a peasant woman, digging in the ruins of Tell el-Amarna for
the dust of ancient buildings with which to fertilize her garden, found ...
/e/elamarna.htm - 31k

Enrich (6 Occurrences)
... ceiling by frescoes. 3. (vt) To make rich with manure; to fertilize; -- said
of the soil; as, to enrich land by irrigation. 4. (vt) To ...
/e/enrich.htm - 8k

Dig (24 Occurrences)
... Luke 13:8 He answered,'Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around
it, and fertilize it. (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/d/dig.htm - 14k

Resources
Is being a sperm/egg donor a sin? Is it a sin to use a sperm/egg donor? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of the Parable of the Fig Tree? | GotQuestions.org

Is it wrong for parents to select the gender of their children, such as through Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)? | GotQuestions.org

Fertilize: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Fertilize (1 Occurrence)

Luke 13:8
He answered,'Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it, and fertilize it.
(WEB NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Fertilize

Related Terms

Fervent (10 Occurrences)

Fertilize (1 Occurrence)

Plaster (13 Occurrences)

Fertility and Multiplication
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