In biblical times, the term "pickers" would generally refer to individuals involved in the gathering or harvesting of crops, particularly during the harvest season. This role was crucial in an agrarian society where the success of a harvest could determine the community's sustenance and economic stability for the year. The Bible provides several references to the practice of gathering crops, which can be associated with the work of pickers.

Old Testament Context

The Old Testament frequently mentions the harvest and the associated labor. In Leviticus 19:9-10 , God commands the Israelites: "When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreign resident. I am the LORD your God." This passage highlights the practice of leaving portions of the harvest for the less fortunate, indicating that pickers were to be mindful of God's provision for the needy.

The book of Ruth provides a narrative example of gleaning, where Ruth, a Moabite widow, gleans in the fields of Boaz. Ruth 2:3 states, "So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech." Here, Ruth's role as a gleaner aligns with the work of pickers, gathering what was left by the primary harvesters.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the imagery of harvest and laborers is often used metaphorically. Jesus uses the concept of harvest to describe the spiritual work of spreading the Gospel. In Matthew 9:37-38 , Jesus says to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest." Here, the "workers" or "laborers" can be likened to pickers, tasked with gathering souls for the Kingdom of God.

The parable of the workers in the vineyard, found in Matthew 20:1-16, also provides insight into the labor dynamics of the time. The landowner hires workers at different times of the day to work in his vineyard, illustrating the importance of laborers in the harvest process and the generosity of God’s kingdom.

Cultural and Spiritual Significance

The role of pickers in biblical times was not only a practical necessity but also carried spiritual significance. The act of harvesting was often accompanied by festivals and offerings, such as the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), which celebrated the firstfruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22). This festival underscored the dependence on God's provision and the community's gratitude for His blessings.

Moreover, the concept of gleaning and leaving portions of the harvest for the poor reflects the biblical principles of charity, justice, and community responsibility. The work of pickers, therefore, was intertwined with the broader social and spiritual fabric of Israelite society.

In summary, while the Bible does not explicitly use the term "pickers," the role is implicitly understood through the numerous references to harvesters, gleaners, and laborers. These individuals played a vital role in both the physical sustenance and spiritual symbolism of the biblical narrative.625. oseph -- a gathering
... gathering. Word Origin from asaph Definition a gathering NASB Word Usage
gathering (1), gathers (1), pickers (1). gathering. From ...
/hebrew/625.htm - 6k

Knox Little -- Thirst Satisfied
... There is the region of the affections"that region wherein we stray in early spring
days as pickers of the spring-flowers of our opening life, where suns are ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 8/knox little thirst satisfied.htm

Elucidations.
... It is the mere swine (with seed-pickers and jack-daws, the spermologoi of the
Athenians) who must be denied the pearls of gnostic truth. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/clement/the stromata or miscellanies/elucidations.htm

The Beginnings of Church Reform
... a reforming democracy which, perhaps from the quarter whence it gained its chief
support, was contemptuously named by its opponents the Patarins or Rag-pickers ...
/.../medley/the church and the empire/chapter i the beginnings of.htm

Early English Interpreters of Spiritual Religion: John Everard ...
... Christ and His Apostles into Allegories," and gives "a spiritual meaning" to the
same.[62] It is clear from the comments of these crumb-pickers of pernicious ...
/.../chapter xiii early english interpreters.htm

Pickers (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Pickers (2 Occurrences). ... If grape pickers came to
you, wouldn't they leave some gleaning grapes? (WEB NIV). ...
/p/pickers.htm - 7k

Picking (4 Occurrences)

/p/picking.htm - 8k

Picker (1 Occurrence)

/p/picker.htm - 7k

Plunderers (9 Occurrences)
... steal until they had enough? If grape pickers came to you, wouldn't they
leave some gleaning grapes? (See RSV). Nahum 2:2 For Yahweh ...
/p/plunderers.htm - 9k

Awaits (9 Occurrences)
... steal until they had enough? If grape pickers came to you, wouldn't they
leave some gleaning grapes? (WEB NIV). Habakkuk 2:3 For ...
/a/awaits.htm - 8k

Gleaning (10 Occurrences)
... If grape pickers came to you, wouldn't they leave some gleaning grapes?
(WEB JPS ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV). Micah 7:1 Misery is mine! ...
/g/gleaning.htm - 12k

Thieves (25 Occurrences)
... had enough? If grape pickers came to you, wouldn't they leave some gleaning
grapes? (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/t/thieves.htm - 14k

Grape (20 Occurrences)
... they had enough? If grape pickers came to you, wouldn't they leave some
gleaning grapes? (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). ...
/g/grape.htm - 13k

Robbers (21 Occurrences)
... until they had enough? If grape pickers came to you, wouldn't they leave
some gleaning grapes? (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS NIV). ...
/r/robbers.htm - 14k

Steal (29 Occurrences)
... steal until they had enough? If grape pickers came to you, wouldn't they
leave some gleaning grapes? (WEB JPS ASV YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/s/steal.htm - 16k

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

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