יְבוּל
produce, i.e. a crop or (figuratively) wealth
Definition
The Hebrew noun יְבוּל (yᵉbûwl) primarily refers to the produce or yield of the land, specifically the agricultural harvest of crops like grain and fruit (Leviticus 26:4). It can also denote the resulting wealth or income that such produce provides. In a figurative sense, it is used to describe the 'fruit' or outcome of one's actions, as seen in the context of divine judgment where the earth's produce is withheld (Leviticus 26:20) or where the wicked are said to possess the 'increase' of their house (Job 20:28).
Biblical Usage
יְבוּל is used 13 times, predominantly in contexts of blessing and cursing related to the land's fertility. It appears in legal and covenantal texts like Leviticus and Deuteronomy, where obedience brings abundant 'produce' (Deuteronomy 11:17) and disobedience brings its withholding. It is also found in poetic books: in Psalms for blessing (Psalm 67:6), in Job for the fate of the wicked, and in Judges describing Midianite raids on Israel's crops (Judges 6:4).
Etymology
Derived from the root יָבַל (yāḇal, H2986), meaning 'to bring, carry, or produce.' This root conveys the idea of bearing or yielding, which directly informs יְבוּל as the tangible 'that which is brought forth' from the earth.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it is intimately tied to the biblical covenant. Abundant יְבוּל is a sign of God's blessing and favor upon a faithful people (Leviticus 26:4, Psalm 67:6), while its absence is a key covenantal curse for disobedience (Leviticus 26:20, Deuteronomy 11:17). It underscores the biblical theme that material provision is directly related to spiritual faithfulness, grounding God's promises in the tangible reality of agricultural life.
In an agrarian society, a successful harvest (יְבוּל) was synonymous with survival, economic stability, and divine favor. The threat of its loss, whether from drought, locusts (Psalm 78:46), or enemy raids, represented a direct threat to life and community well-being. This contrasts with modern, industrialized contexts where food security is often less directly tied to annual local harvests.
פְּרִי (pᵉrî, H6529) — More specifically 'fruit,' often of trees/vines; can be more abstract for 'result.'; תְּבוּאָה (tᵉḇûʼâ, H8393) — 'Produce' or 'income,' closely related but often from grain harvest; can mean 'coming in.'
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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