Agriculture or Husbandry.

• 3 min. read • grade level: 13

The cultivation of the earth. Gen. 3:23²³Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. (Genesis 3:23).

The occupation of man before the fall. Gen. 2:15¹⁵And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (Genesis 2:15).

Rendered laborious by the curse on the earth. Gen. 3:17-19¹⁷And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; ¹⁸Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; ¹⁹In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:17‑19).

Man doomed to labor in, after the fall. Gen. 3:23²³Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. (Genesis 3:23).

Contributes to the support of all. Ecc. 5:9.

The providence of God to be acknowledged in the produce of. Jer. 5:24²⁴Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. (Jeremiah 5:24). Hos. 2:8⁸For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. (Hosea 2:8).

REQUIRES

Wisdom. Isa. 28:26²⁶For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. (Isaiah 28:26).

Diligence. Pro. 27:23-27²³Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. ²⁴For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? ²⁵The hay appeareth, and the tender grass showeth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. ²⁶The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. ²⁷And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens. (Proverbs 27:23‑27). Ecc. 11:6.

Toil. 2 Tim. 2:6⁶The husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits. (2 Timothy 2:6).

Patience in waiting. Jas. 5:7⁷Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. (James 5:7).

Diligence in, abundantly recompensed. Pro. 12:11¹¹He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding. (Proverbs 12:11). Pro. 13:23²³Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. (Proverbs 13:23). Pro. 28:19¹⁹He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. (Proverbs 28:19). Heb. 6:7⁷For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: (Hebrews 6:7).

PERSONS ENGAGED IN, CALLED

Tillers of the ground. Gen. 4:2²And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. (Genesis 4:2).

Husbandmen. 2 Chr. 26:10¹⁰Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry. (2 Chronicles 26:10).

Laborers. Mat. 9:37. Mat. 20:1.

Peace favorable to. Isa. 2:4⁴And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4). Jer. 31:24²⁴And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks. (Jeremiah 31:24).

War destructive to. Jer. 50:16¹⁶Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land. (Jeremiah 50:16). Jer. 51:23²³I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers. (Jeremiah 51:23).

Patriarchs engaged in. Gen. 4:2²And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. (Genesis 4:2). Gen. 9:20²⁰And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: (Genesis 9:20).

The labor of, supposed to be lessened by Noah. Gen. 5:29²⁹And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. (Genesis 5:29), with Gen. 9:20²⁰And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: (Genesis 9:20).

The Jews loved and followed. Jud. 6:11. 1 Kin. 19:19. 2 Chr. 26:10¹⁰Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry. (2 Chronicles 26:10).

Soil of Canaan suited to. Gen. 13: 10. Deu. 8:7-9.

Climate of Canaan favorable to Deu. 11:10, 11.

WAS PROMOTED AMONGST THE JEWS, BY

Allotments to each family. Num. 36:7-9⁷So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. ⁸And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. ⁹Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance. (Numbers 36:7‑9).

The right of redemption. Lev. 25:23-28²³The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. ²⁴And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. ²⁵If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. ²⁶And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; ²⁷Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. ²⁸But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. (Leviticus 25:23‑28).

Separation from other nations. Exo. 33:16¹⁶For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. (Exodus 33:16).

The prohibition against usury. Exo. 22:25²⁵If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. (Exodus 22:25).

The promises of God's blessing on. Lev. 26:4⁴Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. (Leviticus 26:4). Deu. 7:13. Deu. 11: 14, 15.

ENACTMENTS TO PROTECT;

Not to covet the fields of another. Deu. 5:21.

Not to move landmarks. Deu. 19:14. Pro. 22:28²⁸Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. (Proverbs 22:28).

Not to cut down crops of another. Deu. 23:25.

Against the trespass of cattle. Exo. 22:5⁵If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution. (Exodus 22:5).

Against injuring the produce of. Exo. 22:6⁶If 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. (Exodus 22:6).

Often performed by hirelings. 1 Chr. 27:26²⁶And over them that did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub: (1 Chronicles 27:26). 2 Chr. 26, 10. Mat. 20:8. Luke 17:7⁷But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? (Luke 17:7).

Not to be engaged in during the Sabbatical year. Exo. 23:10, 11¹⁰And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: ¹¹But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. (Exodus 23:10‑11).

Produce of, given as rent for land. Mat. 21:33, 34.

Produce of, often blasted because of sin. Isa. 5:10¹⁰Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah. (Isaiah 5:10). Isa. 7:23²³And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns. (Isaiah 7:23). Jer. 12: 13. Joel 1:10, 11¹⁰The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. ¹¹Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. (Joel 1:10‑11).

Grief occasioned by the failure of the fruits of Joel 1:11¹¹Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. (Joel 1:11) Amos 5:16, 17¹⁶Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing. ¹⁷And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the Lord. (Amos 5:16‑17).

Produce of, exported. 1 Kin. 5:11. Exe. 27:17.

OPERATIONS IN.

Hedging. Isa. 5:2, 5²And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. (Isaiah 5:2)
⁵And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: (Isaiah 5:5). Hos. 2:6⁶Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. (Hosea 2:6).

Plowing. Job 1:14¹⁴And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: (Job 1:14).

Digging. Isa. 5:6⁶And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. (Isaiah 5:6). Luke 13:8⁸And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: (Luke 13:8). Luke 16:3³Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. (Luke 16:3).

Manuring. Isa. 25:10¹⁰For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. (Isaiah 25:10). Luke 14: 34. 35.

Harrowing. Job 39:10¹⁰Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? (Job 39:10). Isa. 28:24²⁴Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground? (Isaiah 28:24).

Gathering out the stones. Isa. 5:2²And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. (Isaiah 5:2).

Sewing. Ecc. 11:4. Isa. 32:20²⁰Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass. (Isaiah 32:20). Mat. 13:3.

Planting. Pro. 31:16¹⁶She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. (Proverbs 31:16). Isa. 44:14¹⁴He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. (Isaiah 44:14). Jer. 31:5⁵Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things. (Jeremiah 31:5).

Watering Deu. 11:10. 1 Cor. 3:6-8⁶I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. ⁷So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. ⁸Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. (1 Corinthians 3:6‑8)

Weeding Mat. 13:28.

Grafting. Rom. 11:17-19 24.

Pruning. Lev. 25:3³Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; (Leviticus 25:3). Isa. 5:6⁶And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. (Isaiah 5:6). John. 15:2

Mowing. Psa. 129:7⁷Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. (Psalm 129:7). Amos 7:1¹Thus hath the Lord God showed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. (Amos 7:1).

Reaping. Isa. 17:5⁵And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim. (Isaiah 17:5).

Binding. Gen. 37:7⁷For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. (Genesis 37:7). Mat. 13:30.

Gleaning. Lev. 19:9⁹And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. (Leviticus 19:9). Ruth 2:3³And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. (Ruth 2:3).

Stacking. Exo. 22:6⁶If 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. (Exodus 22:6).

Threshing. Deu. 25:4. Jud. 6:11.

Winnowing. Ruth 3:2²And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. (Ruth 3:2). Mat. 3:12.

Storing in barns. Mat. 6:26. Mat. 13:30

BEASTS USED IN;

The Ox. Deu. 25:4.

The Ass. Deu. 22:10.

The Horse. Isa. 28:28²⁸Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen. (Isaiah 28:28).

IMPLEMENTS OF;

The plow. 1 Sam. 13:20²⁰But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. (1 Samuel 13:20).

The harrow. 2 Sam. 12:31³¹And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 12:31).

The mattock. 1 Sam. 13:20²⁰But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. (1 Samuel 13:20). Isa. 7:25²⁵And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle. (Isaiah 7:25).

The sickle. Deu. 16:9. Deu. 23:25.

The pruning-hook. Isa. 18:5⁵For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches. (Isaiah 18:5). Joel 3:10¹⁰Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. (Joel 3:10).

The fork. 1 Sam. 13:21²¹Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. (1 Samuel 13:21).

The ax. 1 Sam. 13:20²⁰But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. (1 Samuel 13:20).

The teethed threshing instrument. Isa. 41:15¹⁵Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. (Isaiah 41:15).

The flail, &c. Isa. 28:27²⁷For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. (Isaiah 28:27).

The cart. 1 Sam. 6:7⁷Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: (1 Samuel 6:7). Isa. 28:27, 28²⁷For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. ²⁸Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen. (Isaiah 28:27‑28).

The shovel. Isa. 30:24²⁴The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. (Isaiah 30:24).

The sieve. Amos 9:9⁹For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. (Amos 9:9).

The fan. Isa. 30:24²⁴The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. (Isaiah 30:24). Mat. 3:12.

ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE

Culture of the Church. 1 Cor. 3:9⁹For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:9).

Culture of the heart. Jer. 4:3³For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. (Jeremiah 4:3). Hos. 10:12¹²Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10:12).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Access to God.

• Adoption.

• Affections, the.

• Afflicted, Duty Toward the.

• Afflicted Saints.

• Affliction, Consolation Under.

• Affliction, Prayer Under.

• Afflictions.

• Afflictions Made Beneficial.

• Afflictions of the Wicked, the.

• Agriculture or Husbandry.

• Alliance and Society With the Enemies of God.

• Altar of Burnt-Offering, the.

• Amusements and Pleasures, Worldly.

• Anointing of the Holy Ghost.