מִזְרָע
a planted field
Definition
The Hebrew noun מִזְרָע (mizrâʻ) refers to a sown or planted field, specifically land that has been cultivated with seed. It denotes agricultural land that is actively producing crops, as opposed to fallow or wild ground. In its sole biblical occurrence in Isaiah 19:7, it describes the cultivated fields along the Nile that will wither, highlighting the contrast between fertile, worked land and desolation. The word emphasizes the result of the sowing action—the field itself as a productive entity.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 19:7. It appears in a prophetic oracle against Egypt, describing the devastation of its agriculture: 'The meadows by the Nile, the grass on the banks, and all the sown fields (מִזְרָע) along the river will dry up, driven away, and be no more.' The context is one of judgment, where fertile, cultivated land becomes barren. Its usage is specific to a context of agricultural catastrophe.
Etymology
מִזְרָע is a noun derived from the root זָרַע (zāraʻ, H2232), meaning 'to sow' or 'to scatter seed.' It is formed using the מִ- (mi-) prefix, which often indicates the place or result of an action. Thus, מִזְרָע literally means 'a place of sowing' or 'that which is sown.' It is related to words like זֶרַע (zeraʻ, H2233), meaning 'seed,' and shares the core concept of agricultural planting.
Semantic Range
While a specific agricultural term, its single use in Isaiah 19:7 carries theological weight in the context of God's sovereignty over nations. The withering of the מִזְרָע is a sign of divine judgment against Egypt, demonstrating that fertility and food security are dependent on God's provision, not merely human effort or natural river cycles. It underscores the biblical theme that land and its fruitfulness are blessings contingent on covenant faithfulness or judgment.
In ancient Israelite and Near Eastern culture, a 'sown field' represented invested labor, food security, and economic stability. It was land carefully prepared, seeded, and expected to yield a harvest. The threat of its destruction in Isaiah 19:7 would evoke profound fear, as it meant famine and economic collapse. This contrasts with a modern view of fields as more interchangeable or mechanically managed; in antiquity, each sown field was a vital asset for survival.
שָׂדֶה (śādeh, H7704) — a general term for 'field' or 'countryside,' which can be cultivated or wild. זֶרַע (zeraʻ, H2233) — 'seed' or 'offspring,' the thing sown, not the field itself. שָׁדַם (šādam, H7702) — a cultivated field or tillable ground, very close in meaning but used in different poetic contexts (e.g., Job 5:10).
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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