Jump to: Smith's • ATS • ISBE • Easton's • Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Topical Encyclopedia Threshing is an agricultural process mentioned frequently in the Bible, integral to the agrarian society of ancient Israel. It involves the separation of grain from the husks and straw, a necessary step in the preparation of harvested crops such as wheat and barley. The process of threshing is rich in symbolic meaning throughout Scripture, often used metaphorically to describe judgment, purification, and the separation of good from evil.Biblical Practices and Methods In biblical times, threshing was typically performed on a threshing floor, a flat, hard surface where harvested grain was spread out. Oxen or other animals would often be used to tread over the grain, or a threshing sledge might be employed. The sledge, a wooden implement with sharp stones or metal attached to its underside, would be dragged over the grain to separate the kernels from the chaff. The prophet Isaiah references this method: "Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff" (Isaiah 41:15). Symbolism and Metaphors Threshing is frequently used in the Bible as a metaphor for divine judgment and the purification of God's people. The process of separating wheat from chaff is likened to God's judgment, where the righteous are distinguished from the wicked. In the New Testament, John the Baptist uses this imagery to describe the coming ministry of Jesus: "His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12). The imagery of threshing also appears in the context of God's deliverance and the triumph of His people over their enemies. In the book of Micah, the Lord promises Israel victory over its foes: "Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hooves of bronze, and you will break to pieces many peoples" (Micah 4:13). Cultural and Religious Significance Threshing floors held significant cultural and religious importance in ancient Israel. They were often located on elevated ground to take advantage of the wind for winnowing, the process of further separating the grain from the chaff. Threshing floors were sometimes used as places of worship and divine encounter. Notably, the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite became the site of Solomon's Temple after King David purchased it to build an altar to the Lord (2 Samuel 24:18-25). Conclusion The practice of threshing, while a common agricultural activity, is imbued with deep spiritual significance in the Bible. It serves as a powerful metaphor for judgment, purification, and the ultimate triumph of God's righteousness. Through the imagery of threshing, Scripture communicates profound truths about the nature of God's justice and the destiny of His people. Smith's Bible Dictionary ThreshingATS Bible Dictionary ThreshingWas anciently and is still performed in the East, sometimes with a flail, Ruth 2:17 Isaiah 28:27; sometimes by treading out the grain with unmuzzled oxen, De 25:4, but more generally by means of oxen dragging an uncouth instrument over the sheaves of grain. See CORN. The instrument most used in Palestine at this time is simply two short planks fastened side by side and turned up in front, like our common stone-sledge, having sharp stones or irons projecting from the under side, Isaiah 28:27 41:15 Am 1:3. The Egyptian mode is thus described by Niebuhr: "They use oxen, as the ancients did, to beat out their corn, by trampling upon the sheaves, and dragging after them a clumsy machine. This machine is not, as in Arabia, a stone cylinder, nor a plank with sharp stones, as in Syria, but a sort of sledge, consisting of three rollers fitted with irons, which turn upon axles. A farmer chooses out a level spot in his fields, and has his corn carried thither in sheaves, upon asses or dromedaries. Two oxen are then yoked in a sledge; a driver gets upon it, and drives them backward and forward upon the sheaves; and fresh oxen succeed in the yoke from time to time." By this operation, the straw is gradually chopped fine and the grain released. Meanwhile the whole is repeatedly turned over by wooden pitchforks with three or more prongs, and in due time thrown into a heap in the center of the floor. The machine thus described is called a moreg, and answers to the Hebrew morag mentioned in 2 Samuel 24:22 1 Chronicles 21:23. When the grain is well loosened from the straw by the treading of oxen, with or without one of the instruments above mentioned, the whole heap is next thrown with forks several yards against the wind, which blowing away the chaff, the grain falls into a heap by itself, 2 Kings 13:7; and if necessary, the process is repeated. For this purpose the threshing-floors are in the open air, Jud 6:37, and often on high ground, like that of Araunah on Mount Moriah, 1 Chronicles 21:15, that the wind may aid more effectually in winnowing the grain, Jeremiah 4:11-12, which is afterwards sometimes passed through a sieve for farther cleansing. The ground is prepared for use as a threshing-floor by being smoothed off, and beaten down hard. While the wheat was carefully garnered, the straw and chaff were gathered up for fuel; a most instructive illustration of the day of judgment, Matthew 3:12. Easton's Bible Dictionary see AGRICULTURE. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Thresh.International Standard Bible Encyclopedia NACON, THE THRESHING FLOOR OFna'-kon, (nakhon; the King James Version Nachon): The place where Uzzah was smitten for putting forth his hand to steady the ark, hence, called afterward "Perezuzzah" (2 Samuel 6:8); in the parallel passage (1 Chronicles 13:9) we have kidhon, and in Josephus (Ant., VII, iv, 2) Cheidon. In 1 Samuel 23:23 the word nakhon occurs, and is translated "of a certainty," margin "with the certainty" or "to a set place"; also in 1 Samuel 26:4 it is translated "of a certainty," margin "to a set place." It is uncertain whether in 1 Samuel 6:6 it is a place-name at all; and no successful attempt has been made to identify either Nacon or Chidon; possibly they are both personal names. THRESHING thresh'-ing (dush; aloao): Dush means literally, "to trample out." In Jeremiah 51:33, darakh, is used of threshing. Fitches and cummin were beaten off with a rod. The distinction between beating and threshing is made in Isaiah 28:27. Gideon, in order to avoid being seen by the Midianites, beat out his wheat in a wine press instead of threshing it on the threshing-floor (Judges 6:11). For a general description of the threshing operations see AGRICULTURE. TOWER OF PENUEL See PENIEL. TOWER OF SILOAM See SILOAM. TOWER OF SYENE si-e'-ne. TOWER OF THE FURNACES Greek 257. halon -- a threshing floor ... a threshing floor. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: halon Phonetic Spelling: (hal'-ohn) Short Definition: a threshing-floor Definition: a ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/257.htm - 6k 248. aloao -- to thresh Strong's Hebrew 4173. morag -- a threshing sledmorag or morag. 4172, 4173. morag or morag. 4174 . a threshing sled. Transliteration: morag or morag Phonetic Spelling: (mo-rag') Short Definition: sledges ... /hebrew/4173.htm - 6k 1786. dayish -- a threshing 1637. goren -- threshing floor 147. iddar -- a threshing floor 2742. charuwts -- sharp, diligent 4098. medushshah -- that which is threshed 1758. dush -- to tread, thresh 2757. charits -- a cut, thing cut, sharp instrument 2251. chabat -- to beat off, beat out 2982. Yebus -- an early name of Jer. Library For I am a Man of the Threshing-Floor of Christ... The Husbandman and his Operations David and Araunah. Discussion of Pelagius' First Answer. Gideon's Fleece Song of Songs The Devotion of Ruth A Sermon for the Time Present On Earthly Things The Specimen of Catechetical Discourse Continued, in Reference ... Thesaurus Threshing (57 Occurrences)... see AGRICULTURE. Noah Webster's Dictionary. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Thresh. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. NACON, THE THRESHING FLOOR OF. ... EWG Masterman. THRESHING... /t/threshing.htm - 28k Threshing-floor (36 Occurrences) Threshing-floors (2 Occurrences) Threshing-sledge (2 Occurrences) Threshing-place (1 Occurrence) Threshing-instruments (1 Occurrence) Threshing-wain (1 Occurrence) Threshing-sledges (1 Occurrence) Araunah (14 Occurrences) Threshingfloor (18 Occurrences) Resources What is a threshing floor? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Araunah the Jebusite? | GotQuestions.org What is the meaning of chaff in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Threshing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Threshing (57 Occurrences)Matthew 3:12 Luke 3:17 1 Corinthians 9:9 1 Timothy 5:18 Genesis 50:10 Genesis 50:11 Leviticus 26:5 Numbers 15:20 Numbers 18:27 Numbers 18:30 Deuteronomy 15:14 Deuteronomy 16:13 Deuteronomy 25:4 Judges 6:11 Judges 6:37 Judges 8:7 Judges 8:16 Ruth 3:2 Ruth 3:3 Ruth 3:6 Ruth 3:14 1 Samuel 23:1 2 Samuel 6:6 2 Samuel 24:16 2 Samuel 24:18 2 Samuel 24:21 2 Samuel 24:22 2 Samuel 24:24 1 Kings 22:10 2 Kings 6:27 2 Kings 13:7 1 Chronicles 13:9 1 Chronicles 21:15 1 Chronicles 21:18 1 Chronicles 21:20 1 Chronicles 21:21 1 Chronicles 21:22 1 Chronicles 21:23 1 Chronicles 21:28 2 Chronicles 3:1 2 Chronicles 18:9 Job 5:26 Job 39:12 Job 41:30 Proverbs 20:26 Isaiah 21:10 Isaiah 27:12 Isaiah 41:15 Jeremiah 50:11 Jeremiah 51:33 Daniel 2:35 Hosea 9:1 Hosea 9:2 Hosea 13:3 Joel 2:24 Amos 1:3 Micah 4:12 Subtopics Threshing of the Church in Her Conquests Threshing of the Judgments of God Threshing of the Labours of Ministers Threshing was Performed by a Rod or Staff Threshing was Performed by Cart Wheels Threshing was Performed by Instruments With Teeth Threshing was Performed by the Feet of Horses and Oxen Threshing with Instruments of Iron Threshing with Instruments of Wood Threshing with Instruments with a Cart Wheel Threshing: (An Instrument For, With Teeth) of the Church Overcoming Threshing: (Dust Made By) of Complete Destruction Threshing: (Gathering the Sheaves For) of Preparing the Enemies of Threshing: Cattle Employed In, not to be Muzzled Threshing: Continued Until the Vintage in Years of Abundance Threshing: Floor For, in Barns Threshing: Floor of Araunah Purchased by David for a Place of Sacrifice Threshing: Followed by a Winnowing With a Shovel or Fan Threshing: The Place for used for Winnowing the Corn Threshing: The Place for was Large and Roomy Threshing: The Place For: Called the Barn-Floor Threshing: The Place For: Called the Corn-Floor Threshing: The Place For: Called the Floor Threshing: The Place For: Called the Threshing Floor Threshing: The Place For: Fulness of, Promised As a Blessing Threshing: The Place For: Generally on High Ground Threshing: The Place For: Often Robbed Threshing: The Place For: Scarcity In, a Punishment Threshing: The Place For: Sometimes Beside the Wine-Press for Concealment Threshing: The Place For: The Jews Slept On, During the Time of Threshing: The Removing or Separating Corn Form the Straw Related Terms Threshing-floor (36 Occurrences) Threshing-floors (2 Occurrences) Threshing-sledge (2 Occurrences) Threshing-place (1 Occurrence) Threshing-instruments (1 Occurrence) Threshing-sledges (1 Occurrence) Threshingfloor (18 Occurrences) Winnowing-shovel (2 Occurrences) |
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