לֶקֶט
the gleaning
Definition
The Hebrew noun לֶקֶט (leqeṭ) specifically refers to 'the gleaning'—the portion of a harvest intentionally left in the field for the poor and the foreigner to gather. It describes the agricultural produce (grain, grapes, olives) that remains after the main reaping or harvesting is complete. This concept is legislated in the Torah, where landowners are commanded not to reap their fields to the very edges nor gather every last stalk, but to leave this gleaning as a provision (Leviticus 19:9, Leviticus 23:22). The word carries a singular, focused meaning tied directly to this social and religious obligation.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively in two parallel verses in the Holiness Code of Leviticus (Leviticus 19:9 and 23:22). In both contexts, it appears within divine commands regulating harvest practices. Its usage is strictly legal and instructional, forming part of Israel's covenant obligations to care for the vulnerable. The pattern is consistent: a prohibition against complete harvesting, followed by the instruction to leave the 'leqeṭ' for the poor and the foreign resident.
Etymology
לֶקֶט (leqeṭ) is a noun derived from the root verb לָקַט (lāqaṭ, H3950), which means 'to gather, collect, or glean.' The noun form signifies 'the thing that is gathered' or, more specifically in this context, 'the act or result of gleaning.' It is a straightforward nominal formation from its verbal root, with no known direct cognates in other Semitic languages that alter its core meaning of gathering a remnant.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it embodies the biblical principles of divine provision, social justice, and covenantal community. It reveals God's character as one who provides for the marginalized and instructs His people to actively participate in that provision. Understanding 'leqeṭ' enriches the reading of Ruth 2, where Ruth gleans in Boaz's field, demonstrating the practical outworking of this Levitical law. It connects material care for the poor with obedience to God, framing economics as a matter of holiness and love for neighbor.
In ancient Israel's agrarian society, gleaning was a vital social safety net. Unlike modern welfare systems, it required the poor to work for their food, preserving dignity, while obligating landowners to be generous with God's bounty. The practice assumed that the land ultimately belonged to God (Leviticus 25:23), and its produce was to be shared. This differs from a modern understanding of private property rights, embedding economic activity within a framework of communal responsibility under God's authority.
שִׁכְלָה (shikhleh, H7999) — a related term for the fallen grapes left in the vineyard after the main harvest, specified alongside 'leqeṭ' in Leviticus 19:10. פֵּאָה (pe'āh, H6285) — the 'corner' or 'edge' of a field that was to be left unharvested, another parallel provision for the poor mentioned in the same verses (Leviticus 19:9, 23:22).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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