Meaning
To glean means to gather grain or other produce left behind after the main harvest.
Biblical Usage
To glean was to gather what remained in a field after the main harvest had been collected. The Law of Moses required landowners to leave portions of their harvest for the poor, strangers, widows, and fatherless.
The practice is especially prominent in Ruth, where Ruth gathered grain after the reapers in the field of Boaz. Gleaning provided a means of obtaining food for people who lacked sufficient agricultural resources of their own.
Key References
- Leviticus 19:9-10
- Leviticus 23:22
- Deuteronomy 24:19-21
- Ruth 2:2-23
- Isaiah 17:5-6
- Jeremiah 49:9
- Micah 7:1
Related Terms
- Gleaning
- Reaper
- Harvest
- Barley
- Field