A grain-field in biblical times was a cultivated area of land used for growing cereal crops such as wheat, barley, and other grains. These fields were integral to the agrarian society of ancient Israel and are frequently mentioned throughout the Bible, symbolizing sustenance, provision, and the cycle of sowing and reaping.

Biblical References:

1. Provision and Sustenance:
Grain-fields are often associated with God's provision for His people. In the Old Testament, the Promised Land is described as a land of "wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey" (Deuteronomy 8:8). This description highlights the abundance and fertility of the land, with grain-fields being a central component of this prosperity.

2. Sabbath Observance:
The grain-field is notably mentioned in the context of Sabbath observance in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus and His disciples walk through the grain-fields on the Sabbath, and His disciples begin to pick heads of grain to eat. The Pharisees challenge Jesus, accusing His disciples of breaking the Sabbath law. Jesus responds by emphasizing the principle of mercy over sacrifice, saying, "If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent" (Matthew 12:7).

3. Parables and Teachings:
Jesus often used agricultural imagery, including grain-fields, in His parables to convey spiritual truths. In the Parable of the Weeds, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his field, only for an enemy to sow weeds among the wheat. The servants are instructed to let both grow together until the harvest, symbolizing the coexistence of good and evil until the final judgment (Matthew 13:24-30).

4. Harvest and Judgment:
Grain-fields are also symbolic of the harvest, a recurring theme in biblical prophecy and eschatology. The harvest represents the end of the age when God will gather His people. In Revelation, the imagery of a sickle being used to reap the earth's harvest is a powerful depiction of divine judgment and the gathering of the faithful (Revelation 14:14-16).

5. Ruth and Boaz:
The Book of Ruth provides a narrative set in the grain-fields during the barley harvest. Ruth, a Moabite widow, gleans in the fields of Boaz, a relative of her deceased husband. This account not only highlights the social customs and laws regarding gleaning and provision for the poor but also illustrates themes of redemption and divine providence (Ruth 2:1-23).

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Israel, grain-fields were a vital part of the economy and daily life. The agricultural calendar revolved around the planting and harvesting seasons, with festivals such as the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) celebrating the wheat harvest. The Law of Moses included specific instructions regarding the treatment of grain-fields, such as leaving the edges of the field unharvested for the poor and the foreigner (Leviticus 19:9-10).

Grain-fields, therefore, serve as a rich metaphorical and literal backdrop in the biblical narrative, illustrating themes of provision, mercy, judgment, and redemption.

The vineyard Labourers.
... While in fertile plains, like Esdraelon, the grain-field was the Hebrew husbandman's
chief care, on the mountain sides, the vineyards were the most valuable ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/ix the vineyard labourers.htm

Jesus Defends Healing a Withered Hand on the Sabbath.
... But, taught by their experience in the grainfield, they changed their bold assertion,
"It is not lawful," and approached the subject with a guarded question ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxix jesus defends healing a.htm

The Sower.
... Sunlight admitted now and then through apertures in the leafy awning is not sufficient
for the processes of nature; the grain field must get its bosom opened ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/i the sower.htm

Grainfield (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) A field where grain is grown. Multi-Version
Concordance Grainfield (1 Occurrence). Deuteronomy 23:25 ...
/g/grainfield.htm - 6k

Grain-field (1 Occurrence)
Grain-field. Grainfield, Grain-field. Grainfields . Multi-Version Concordance ...
(BBE). Grainfield, Grain-field. Grainfields . Reference Bible.
/g/grain-field.htm - 6k

Grain-cutting (19 Occurrences)
Grain-cutting. Grain-cutters, Grain-cutting. Grainfield . Multi-Version
Concordance ... (BBE). Grain-cutters, Grain-cutting. Grainfield . Reference Bible.
/g/grain-cutting.htm - 12k

Grainfields (3 Occurrences)

/g/grainfields.htm - 7k

Minute (19 Occurrences)
... of death. (BBE). Ruth 2:7 And she said to me, Let me come into the
grain-field and take up the grain after the cutters. So she came ...
/m/minute.htm - 13k

Cutters (14 Occurrences)
... of Moab; (BBE). Ruth 2:7 And she said to me, Let me come into the
grain-field and take up the grain after the cutters. So she came ...
/c/cutters.htm - 10k

Resting (117 Occurrences)
... sunrise. (WEB JPS ASV). Ruth 2:7 And she said to me, Let me come into the
grain-field and take up the grain after the cutters. So ...
/r/resting.htm - 36k

What were the various sacrifices in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of gleaning in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Does the Bible say anything about crop circles? | GotQuestions.org

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