The Grain Crops

Biblical Academia
Oct 18
8 min read

The Grain Crops

Introduction

Next in a series of Harvests & Celebrations studies is The Grain Crops. The details concerning the grain crops directly correspond to the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Firstfruits which intertwine with Passover and Shavuot. Understanding the agricultural terms for gain will provide a better understanding of the process of the feasts as well as, what role it plays in God’s plan for his people.

Grain Crop Terms

EARS

Scripture references cereal grain as ears of corn.

Strong's Hebrew 7641 - שִׁבֹּל shibbôl; or (feminine) שִׁבֹּלֶת shibbôleth; from the same as 7640; a stream (as flowing); also an ear of grain (as growing out); by analogy, a branch
Strong's Hebrew 4425 - מְלִילָה mᵉlîylâh; from 4449, (in the sense of cropping [compare 4135]; a head of grain (as cut off)
Strong's Greek 4719 - στάχυς stachus; from the base of 2476; a head of grain (as standing out from the stalk)

Matthew 12:1 KJV - "At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat."

(ears of corn G4719)

GREEN EARS

"Green ears" appears twice in scripture and refers to young ears of grain.

Strong's Hebrew 24 - אָבִיב ʼâbîyb; from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. a young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan:—Abib, ear, green ears of corn (not maize)

Leviticus 23:14 KJV - "And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings."
(green ears H24)

ABIB

Abib is a growth stage of barley and has the same definition as term green ears.

Strong's Hebrew 24 - אָבִיב ʼâbîyb; from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. a young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan

Exodus 13:4 KJV - "This day came ye out in the month Abib."

(ears of corn H24)

The first month of the ecclesiastical year was called Nisan and became known as the month of Abib due to the barley reaching the growth stage of abib. Today in Hebrew, abib, alternately spelled aviv, means "spring". This is because the month in which the barley becomes ripe falls within the transitioning period of the summer and winter seasons. In scripture, God commanded the time to be observed.

Exodus 34:18 KJV - "The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt." (See also Exodus 23:158)

Deuteronomy 16:1 KJV - "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night."

There are nine growth stages of barley. Kernels start developing at stage seven; there is milk development in the kernel. Once it reaches stage eight, there is dough development in the kernel; starting off with soft dough. By the end of the eighth stage, the dough inside the kernel becomes hard and it starts to lose its green color. As barley kernels become a yellow-green color, the barley is considered Abib and just mature enough to be harvested; though it will be fully harvest ready in two to three weeks.

YOUNG

ABIB

MATURE

RIPE

In the month of Adar I, the last month of the year, if the barley had not reached the growth stage of abib, Adar II would start. Nisan would follow after and would be referred to as the month of Abib.

If barley is harvested before reaching the stage of Abib, the seeds won’t be large enough or firm enough to produce food through parching. If barley is left to mature further, the seeds fill up with too much liquid and will shrivel up when they are parched. (see "Parched Corn")

CORN

Cereal grains are referred to as corn. Corn has many definitions that describe its different forms and uses. These are the core definitions:

Strong's Hebrew 1715 - דָּגָן dâgân; from 1711; properly, increase, i.e. grain
Strong's Hebrew 1250 - בָּר bâr; or בַּר bar; from 1305 (in the sense of winnowing); grain of any kind (even while standing in the field); by extension the open country
Strong's Hebrew 7668 - שֶׁבֶר sheber; the same as 7667; grain (as if broken into kernels)
Strong's Hebrew 7054 - קָמָה qâmâh; feminine of active participle of 6965; something that rises, i.e. a stalk of grain
Strong's Greek 4702 - σπόριμος spŏrimŏs; from 4703; sown, i.e. (neuter plural) a planted field
Strong's Greek 4719 - στάχυς stachus; from the base of 2476; a head of grain (as standing out from the stalk)

Genesis 42:1 KJV - "Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?"

(Corn H7668)

Exodus 22:6 KJV - "If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution."

(Corn H7054)

PARHCED CORN

It was very common among the ancient Hebrew people to eat parched grain (barley and wheat corn); which is a dry roasting cooking method for grain. We can see this custom in scripture as well:

Strong's Hebrew 7039 - קָלִי qâlîy; or יאקָלִ qâlîyʼ; from 7033; roasted ears of grain:—parched corn
Strong's Hebrew 7033 - קָלָה qâlâh; a primitive root [rather identical with 7034 through the idea of shrinkage by heat]; to toast, i.e. scorch partially or slowly

(See Leviticus 23:14, Ruth 2:14, 1st Samuel 17:17, 25:18, and 2nd Samuel 17:28)

Joshua 5:11 KJV - "And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day."

(parched corn H7039)

OLD CORN

Corn that has been stored is referred to as old corn.

Strong's Hebrew 5669 - עָבוּר ʻâbûwr; the same as 5668; passed, i.e. kept over; used only of stored grain

Joshua 5:11 KJV -"And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day."
(old corn H5669)

Firstfruit

Firstfruits are the first part of, or first ripe part of, any crop or increase of substance. It is the portion of a crop offered to God. The word also appears as firstfruit, firstripe, and first ripe in scripture.

Strong's Hebrew 1061 - בִּכּוּר bikkûwr; from 1069; the first-fruits of the crop
Strong's Hebrew 7225 - רֵאשִׁית rêʼshîyth; from the same as 7218; the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically a firstfruit)
Strong's Hebrew 1063 - בִּכּוּרָה bikkûwrâh; feminine of 1061; the early fig:—firstripe (fruit)
Strong's Greek 536 - ἀπαρχή aparchḗ; from a compound of 575 and 756; a beginning of sacrifice, i.e. the (Jewish) first-fruit (figuratively)

Nehemiah 10:35 KJV - "And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:"

(firstfruits H1061)

SICKLE

Grain crops, such as barley, were cut using a hand tool with a sharp curved blade called a sickle.

Strong's Hebrew 2770 - חֶרְמֵשׁ chermêsh; from 2763; a sickle (as cutting)
Strong's Hebrew 4038 - מַגָּל maggâl; from an unused root meaning to reap; a sickle

Deuteronomy 16:9 KJV - "Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn."
(sickle H2770)

SHEAF & Shock

A sheaf, singular, or sheaves, plural, are commonly known as reaped and bundled stalks of grain. When in a heap, that is a pile, the pile is referred to as a shock.

As a sheaf:

Strong's Hebrew 485 - אֲלֻמָּה ʼălummâh; or (masculine) אָלֻם ʼâlûm; passive participle of 481; something bound; a sheaf
Strong's Hebrew 6016 - עֹמֶר ʻômer; from 6014; properly, a heap, i.e. a sheaf; also an omer, as a dry measure
Strong's Hebrew 6194 - עָרֵם ʻârêm (Jeremiah 50:26); or (feminine) עֲרֵמָה ʻărêmâh; from 6192; a heap; specifically, a sheaf
Strong's Hebrew 6014 - עָמַר ʻâmar; a primitive root; properly, apparently to heap; figuratively to chastise (as if piling blows); specifically (as denominative from 6016) to gather grain
Strong's Hebrew 5995 - עָמִיר ʻâmîyr; from 6014; a bunch of grain

As a shock:

Strong's Hebrew 1430 - גָּדִישׁ gâdîysh; from an unused root (meaning to heap up); a stack of sheaves; by analogy, a tomb

Leviticus 23:10 KJV - "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:"

(Sheaf H6016)

It was a well-known process when harvesting grain, to bundle up cut grain and bind them into sheaves. In scripture, God commanded his people to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits as an offering.

CHAFF

The chaff is the protective layer surrounding the kernel. The kernel must be separated before the kernel can be stored.

Strong's Hebrew 4671 - מֹץ môts; or מוֹץ môwts (Zephaniah 2:2); from 4160; chaff (as pressed out, i.e. winnowed or [rather] threshed loose)
Strong's Hebrew 2842 - חָשַׁשׁ châshash; by variation for 7179; dry grass
Strong's Hebrew 8401 - תֶּבֶן teben; probably from 1129; properly material, i.e. (specifically) refuse haum or stalks of grain (as chopped in threshing and used for fodder)
Strong's Hebrew 5784 - וּרע ʻûwr; (Chaldean); chaff (as the naked husk)
Strong's Greek 892 - ἄχυρον achyrǒn; perhaps remotely from χέω chěō (to shed forth); chaff (as diffusive)

Job 21:18 KJV - "They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away."

(stubble H8401; chaff H4671)

THRESH

Cereal grains must undergo threshing to release the kernel from the chaff. There are two methods for barley to be threshed; by hand and by foot.

Strong's Hebrew 1758 - דּוּשׁ dûwsh; or דּוֹשׁ dôwsh; or דִּישׁ dîysh; a primitive root; to trample or thresh
Strong's Hebrew 2251 - חָבַט châbaṭ; a primitive root; to knock out or off
Strong's Hebrew 4098 - מְדֻשָּׁה mᵉdushshâh; from 1758; a threshing, i.e. (concretely and figuratively) down-trodden people
Strong's Hebrew 1786 - דַּיִשׁ dayîsh; from 1758; threshing-time
Strong's Greek 248 - ἀλοάω alǒaō; from the same as 257; to tread out grain

1 Chronicles 21:20 KJV - "And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat."

(Threshing H1758)

Barley kernels are less challenging to remove from the chaff than wheat; though they can be threshed like wheat with assistance from farm animals, like oxen.

Winnow

Winnowing is the process of separating the loosened chaff from the kernel.

Strong's Hebrew 2219 - זָרָה zârâh; a primitive root [compare 2114]; to toss about; by implication to diffuse, winnow

Ruth 3:2 KJV - "And now [is] not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor."
(winnow H2219)

In Scripture

Stories that take place during the barley harvest include Deuteronomy 24:19, Ruth 1:22, 2:21, 2:23, 2 Samuel 21:9-10, and Joel 1:11.

In Hebrew culture, the harvesting of grains is also known as the "harvest of the earth" or "fruit of the earth". This is followed by the "harvest of the vine" or "fruit of the vine", and then the "harvest of the tree" or "fruit of the tree". These phrases will appear in scripture prophetically.

Conclusion

Barley is the first crop of the ecclesiastical year and undergoes a harvesting process that prepares it for being stored. The firstfruits are offered first and the remaining barley is harvested thereafter. The barley crop is an integral piece in the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover.

As more terminology and processes are understood about Israel's climate, the harvests, and the feasts, more understanding is gained of the prophecy that uses them symbolically and their purpose in God's redemptive plan for his people.