In biblical terms, the concept of a "gatherer" is often associated with the collection of resources, whether they be agricultural, material, or spiritual. The role of a gatherer is seen throughout Scripture, reflecting both physical and metaphorical aspects of gathering.

Agricultural Gatherers

The most direct reference to gatherers in the Bible pertains to those who collect crops during harvest. In ancient Israel, agriculture was a central part of life, and the gathering of grain, fruits, and other produce was crucial for survival. The Book of Ruth provides a vivid depiction of this process, where Ruth, a Moabite widow, gleans in the fields of Boaz: "So she went out and entered a field and began to glean after the harvesters" (Ruth 2:3). This act of gathering was not only a means of sustenance but also a provision for the poor and the foreigner, as outlined in Leviticus 19:9-10.

Spiritual Gatherers

The concept of gathering extends beyond the physical to the spiritual realm. Jesus Christ is depicted as the ultimate gatherer of souls. In the New Testament, He speaks of gathering His followers as a shepherd gathers his sheep: "He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12). This imagery emphasizes the separation of the righteous from the unrighteous, a theme prevalent in eschatological teachings.

Gatherers of Wisdom

Proverbs often speaks of the wise as gatherers of knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 10:5 states, "He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son" . This verse highlights the importance of diligence and foresight, encouraging believers to gather wisdom and prepare for the future.

Community and Worship Gatherers

The gathering of believers for worship and community is a significant theme in the New Testament. Hebrews 10:25 exhorts Christians not to forsake assembling together: "Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another" . This gathering is essential for mutual edification, support, and the strengthening of faith.

Prophetic Gatherers

Prophets in the Old Testament often spoke of a future gathering of God's people. Isaiah 11:12 prophesies, "He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth" . This gathering is seen as a restoration and fulfillment of God's promises to Israel.

Conclusion

The role of a gatherer in the Bible is multifaceted, encompassing physical, spiritual, and communal aspects. Whether in the context of agriculture, wisdom, worship, or prophecy, gathering is portrayed as an essential activity that reflects God's provision, wisdom, and ultimate plan for His people.1. (n.) One who gathers or collects.

2. (n.) An attachment for making gathers in the cloth.

754. architelones -- a chief tax collector
... Masculine Transliteration: architelones Phonetic Spelling: (ar-khee-tel-o'-nace)
Short Definition: head of a custom-house, chief tax-gatherer Definition: head ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/754.htm - 6k

5058. telonion -- tax office
... tax office. Neuter of a presumed derivative of telones; a tax-gatherer's place of
business -- receipt of custom. see GREEK telones. (telonion) -- 3 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5058.htm - 6k

5057. telones -- tax collector
... taxes from the public. "Publican/tax-gatherer" (5057 ) is derived from
("a tax at the end") and ("to buy").]. Word Origin from telos ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5057.htm - 7k

1215. demegoreo -- to deliver a public address
... make an oration. From a compound of demos and agora; to be a people-gatherer, ie
To address a public assembly -- make an oration. see GREEK demos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1215.htm - 6k

2195. Zakchaios -- Zaccheus, a tax collector
... Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Zakchaios Phonetic Spelling: (dzak-chah'-ee-yos)
Short Definition: Zacchaeus Definition: Zacchaeus, a Jewish tax-gatherer. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2195.htm - 6k

623. Asaph -- "gatherer," the name of several Israelites
... 622, 623. Asaph. 624 . "gatherer," the name of several Israelites. Transliteration:
Asaph Phonetic Spelling: (aw-sawf') Short Definition: Asaph. ...
/hebrew/623.htm - 6k

1219. batsar -- to cut off, make inaccessible, enclose
... Definition to cut off, make inaccessible, enclose NASB Word Usage cut off (1),
fortified (24), fortify (2), gather (3), gathered (1), gatherer (1), gatherers ( ...
/hebrew/1219.htm - 6k

1103. balas -- to gather figs
... gatherer. A primitive root; to pinch sycamore figs (a process necessary to ripen
them) -- gatherer. 1102, 1103. balas. 1104 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1103.htm - 5k

460. Elyasaph -- "God has added," two Israelites
... NASB Word Usage Eliasaph (6). Eliasaph. From 'el and yacaph; God (is) gatherer;
Eljasaph, the name of two Israelites -- Eliasaph. see HEBREW 'el. ...
/hebrew/460.htm - 6k

23. Abiasaph -- "my father has gathered," an Israelite name
... name NASB Word Usage Abiasaph (1). Abiasaph. From 'ab and 'acaph; father of gathering
(ie Gatherer); Abiasaph, an Israelite -- Abiasaph. see HEBREW 'ab. ...
/hebrew/23.htm - 6k

The Pharisee and the Tax-Gatherer.
... THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX-GATHERER. The tax-gatherers in those days were called
Publicans. ... Matthew was a tax-gatherer before Jesus called him to follow Him. ...
/.../mother stories from the new testament/the pharisee and the tax-gatherer.htm

Introduction
... The blessed evangelist St Matthew, the penman of this sacred history, was at first
by profession a publican or gatherer of toll; and Christ, having called him ...
/.../watson/the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/1 introduction.htm

Preparation for Advent
... prophet, for he was a poor man himself; not a courtier like Isaiah, or a priest
like Jeremiah, or a sage like Daniel; but a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon ii preparation for advent.htm

And after Such Statements, Showing his Ignorance Even of the ...
... narratives, which Celsus does not appear even to have read, that Jesus selected
twelve apostles, and that of these Matthew alone was a tax-gatherer; that when ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lxii and after such.htm

In the Next Place, as it is his Object to Slander Our Scriptures.. ...
... "Son of Iapetus!' with wrathful heart. Spake the cloud-gatherer: Oh, unmatched
in art! ... Nor fled abroad; so will'd cloud-gatherer Jove: ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xxxviii in the next.htm

Following Jesus.
... The people did not like the tax-gatherer, and his was not a pleasant office.
Levi, also called Matthew, was a rich tax-gatherer ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xvi following jesus.htm

The Call of Matthew - the Saviour's Welcome to Sinners - Rabbinic ...
... It is of importance to notice, that the Talmud distinguishes two classes of publicans:'
the tax-gatherer in general (Gabbai), and the Mokhes, or Mokhsa, who ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvii the call of.htm

The Story of the Stranger at the Well
... One day, when Jesus was going out of Capernaum, to the seaside, followed by a great
crowd of people, he passed a publican, or tax-gatherer, who was seated at ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of the stranger.htm

Acts of the Holy Apostle Thomas.
... called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James of ...
/.../unknown/acts of the holy apostle thomas/acts of the holy apostle.htm

Massillon -- the Small Number of the Elect
... In Isaiah you would see the elect as rare as the grapes which are found after the
vintage, and have escaped the search of the gatherer; as rare as the blades ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/massillon the small number.htm

Gatherer (5 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) One who gathers or collects. 2. (n.) An attachment for making gathers in
the cloth. Multi-Version Concordance Gatherer (5 Occurrences). ...
/g/gatherer.htm - 8k

Tax-gatherer (7 Occurrences)
Tax-gatherer. Tax-farmers, Tax-gatherer. Tax-gatherers . Multi-Version
Concordance Tax-gatherer (7 Occurrences). Matthew ...
/t/tax-gatherer.htm - 8k

Grape-gatherer (1 Occurrence)
Grape-gatherer. Grapegatherer, Grape-gatherer. Grapegatherers .
Multi-Version Concordance Grape-gatherer (1 Occurrence). ...
/g/grape-gatherer.htm - 6k

Matthew (5 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Gift of God, a common Jewish name after the Exile. He
was the son of Alphaeus, and was a publican or tax-gatherer at Capernaum. ...
/m/matthew.htm - 38k

Gather (251 Occurrences)
...Gatherer occurs in Amos 7:14 as the translation of bolec, from balac, to cultivate
figs or sycamores, "a gatherer of sycamore fruit," the Revised Version ...
/g/gather.htm - 47k

Agur (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Gatherer; the collector, mentioned as author of the sayings
in Proverbs 30. Nothing is known of him beyond what is there recorded. ...
/a/agur.htm - 7k

Tax-gatherers (16 Occurrences)
Tax-gatherers. Tax-gatherer, Tax-gatherers. Tax-gathers . Multi-Version
Concordance ... (WEY). Tax-gatherer, Tax-gatherers. Tax-gathers . Reference Bible.
/t/tax-gatherers.htm - 11k

Tax-farmers (14 Occurrences)
Tax-farmers. Tax-farmer, Tax-farmers. Tax-gatherer . Multi-Version Concordance ...
(BBE). Tax-farmer, Tax-farmers. Tax-gatherer . Reference Bible.
/t/tax-farmers.htm - 10k

Zacchae'us (3 Occurrences)
... Zacchae'us (3 Occurrences). Luke 19:2 and lo, a man, by name called Zaccheus,
and he was a chief tax-gatherer, and he was rich, (See RSV). ...
/z/zacchae'us.htm - 7k

Noticed (19 Occurrences)
... Luke 5:27 After this He went out and noticed a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting
at the Toll office; and He said to him, "Follow me." (WEY NAS). ...
/n/noticed.htm - 11k

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