פֶּרֶט
a stray or single berry
Definition
The Hebrew noun פֶּרֶט (pereṭ) refers to a single, stray, or leftover grape that remains on the vine or falls to the ground after the main harvest. It specifically denotes the individual berries that are not gathered in the primary grape-gathering process. In its sole biblical occurrence in Leviticus 19:10, it is paired with the related term 'olēlōṯ' (gleanings), together representing the produce that harvesters are commanded to leave for the poor and the foreign resident. The word emphasizes the small, scattered, and seemingly insignificant portions of the crop.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Leviticus 19:10. It appears within the Holiness Code, in a series of laws governing agricultural harvests. The context is an instruction to vineyard owners not to strip their vines completely clean or to gather the fallen fruit. Instead, they must leave these 'peret' grapes, along with the gleanings, for the disadvantaged. This establishes a clear pattern of its usage exclusively in a legal and charitable context related to harvest ethics.
Etymology
פֶּרֶט (pereṭ) is derived from the root verb פָּרַט (pāraṭ, H6527), which means 'to break off' or 'to scatter.' This root meaning directly informs the noun's sense of a single berry that has become separated or 'broken off' from the main cluster, either by falling or by being left behind. The connection highlights the item's state of being isolated or scattered from the whole.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it embodies the biblical principle of social justice and God's provision for the marginalized. The command to leave the 'peret' transforms an act of agricultural efficiency into one of covenantal obedience and compassion. It teaches that God's people are to intentionally create systems of care, viewing even the smallest, leftover resources as belonging to Him for the purpose of sustaining the poor and the foreigner (Leviticus 19:10). Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by revealing the deliberate, detailed nature of God's concern for economic equity within the community.
In ancient Israel's agrarian society, the grape harvest was a critical economic event. Vineyards were a primary source of food and income. The cultural practice was to harvest grapes by cutting whole clusters. The 'peret'—the individual berries that fell or were missed—were considered of little commercial value but were vital for subsistence. God's law sanctified this leftover portion, mandating that it be reserved not for the landowner's profit or even for compost, but for the survival of society's most vulnerable members, reflecting a communal responsibility embedded in the culture.
עֹלֵלוֹת (olēlōṯ, H5955) — 'gleanings'; refers to the small clusters of grapes left on the branches after the main harvest, whereas פֶּרֶט specifies the single, scattered berries.
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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