Lexical Summary
laqat: To gather, to glean, to collect
Original Word:לָקַט
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:laqat
Pronunciation:lah-KAHT
Phonetic Spelling:(law-kat')
KJV: gather (up), glean
NASB:gather, gathered, glean, gleaned, gleaning, picked
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (properly) to pick up
2. (generally) to gather
3. (specifically) to glean
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
gather up, glean
A primitive root; properly, to pick up, i.e. (generally) to gather; specifically, to glean -- gather (up), glean.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto pick or gather up, glean
NASB Translationgather (15), gathered (8), glean (8), gleaned (4), gleaning (1), picked (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] , specifically ( Late Hebrew
id. and ; Arabic
pick up (as a bird, grains, etc.); Aramaic , and ;
; Mandean (Nö
M 54, also on Talmud ); compare Assyrian
lakâtu Dl
HWB 385 (but =
t?)); —
Perfect3pluralExodus 16:22;Numbers 11:8, consecutiveExodus 16:4,Exodus 16:18;Imperfect3masculine pluralExodus 16:5,Psalm 104:28,Exodus 16:17,21; 2masculine plural suffixExodus 16:26;Imperative masculine pluralGenesis 31:46;Exodus 16:16;Infinitive constructExodus 16:27 2t.; —
pick up, gather, with accusative, stonesGenesis 31:46 (J), liliesSongs 6:2; usually the manna:Exodus 16:4,5,26 (J),Exodus 16:21;Exodus 16:22 (P); followed by partitiveExodus 16:16 (P); so absoluteExodus 16:27;Numbers 11:8 ( both J E ),Exodus 16:17,18 (P); of animals gathering foodPsalm 104:28.
specificallyglean, absolute,Ruth 2:8 (with local; usually Pi`el in this sense ).
Perfect3feminine singular consecutiveRuth 2:16,Ruth 2:17,18; 2feminine singularRuth 2:19;ImperfectGenesis 47:14 2t.; 3 feminine singularRuth 2:15,Ruth 2:3,17; 2masculine singularLeviticus 19:9 2t.; 1 singularRuth 2:2,7 (compare BaNB 152, 489);Infinitive constructRuth 2:15 2t.;ParticipleIsaiah 17:5, pluralJudges 1:7;Jeremiah 7:18; —
gather, gather up, fallen grapes,Leviticus 19:10 (H), arrows1 Samuel 20:38, (fire-)woodJeremiah 7:18; absolute (food from ground)Judges 1:7 (compare GFM); =pick, pick off,2 Kings 4:39 (twice in verse) (+ of source ).
collect (money)Genesis 47:14 (J).
specificallyglean, after the reapers, usually absoluteRuth 2:3,7 ("" ),Ruth 2:17 (all with local),Ruth 2:15 ( location),Ruth 2:19 (adverb location), alsoRuth 2:2 (where may be local or partitive, compare Be), alsoRuth 2:15;Ruth 2:16;Ruth 2:23; with accusativeIsaiah 17:5 (, simile of devastation of land; "" ),Ruth 2:17,18; with accusative of congnate meaning with verbLeviticus 19:9 =Leviticus 23:22 (H).
Imperfect2masculine pluralIsaiah 27:12ye shall be picked up (of Israel under figure of grains or berries, after the threshing process of s judgment).
ImperfectJudges 11:3 andthere collected themselves worthless men unto () Jephthah (were raked together GFM).
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scopeלָקַט (laqat, Strong’s 3950) describes the act of picking up, gathering, or gleaning items that are already present on the ground or left behind by others. The term moves easily from literal agriculture to broader spheres of daily provision, judgment, and redemption.
Agricultural Practice of Gleaning
Leviticus 19:9–10 and 23:22 establish gleaning as an integral feature of Israel’s harvest ethic: fields and vineyards were to be reaped only once, leaving what remained for “the poor and the foreigner.” The gleaner did not sow or own the crop; he merely “picked up” what grace made available. The word therefore embodies the covenantal balance between the landowner’s diligence and the community’s compassion.
Ruth—A Narrative Showcase
Ruth 2 contains eight uses of לָקַט, portraying the Moabite widow moving from marginalized gleaner to honored bride. “So Ruth went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters” (Ruth 2:3). Boaz’s generous commands (“Let her gather among the sheaves and do not reprimand her,”Ruth 2:15–16) reveal how gleaning protected the vulnerable and provided a platform for redemptive relationships that ultimately led to the Davidic line.
Provision from Heaven: Gathering the Manna
Exodus 16 anchors לָקַט in daily dependence. “Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day” (Exodus 16:4). Seven distinct gathers punctuate the chapter, underscoring rhythms of work and rest (verses 26–27). The verb highlights both obedience (daily limits) and faith (trusting God for tomorrow).Numbers 11:8,32 extends the idea to quail, linking indulgence and judgment when gathering exceeds grateful reception.
Sabbath and Holiness
Numbers 15:32 records a man “gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.” The identical root that once denoted lawful gleaning here exposes willful disregard for divine rest. Similarly, the ashes of the red heifer had to be “gathered” by a ceremonially clean person (Numbers 19:9–10), showing that holy worship depends not only on action but also on consecrated hands.
Warfare, Judgment, and Rescue
Joshua 8:29: Israel “raised a large pile of rocks” by gathering stones—tokens of victory following covenant renewal.Judges 20:45,48 use לָקַט figuratively for Israel “gleaning” Benjaminites in punitive warfare, echoing the reaper-gleaner image for judgment. Conversely,Isaiah 27:12 promises, “you, O Israelites, will be gathered one by one,” turning the verb into a forecast of gracious restoration.
Wisdom and Everyday Diligence
Proverbs employs the ant as a model: it “gathers its food at harvest” (Proverbs 6:8; 30:25). The root therefore commends foresight and labor while implicitly warning against sloth that expects provision without effort.
Prophetic and Poetic Imagery
Micah 7:1 laments moral barrenness: “Like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard—there is no cluster of grapes to eat.” The same act that once meant abundance now accentuates emptiness, sharpening the prophet’s call to repentance.
Ministry Implications
1. Relief to the Poor: Fields, finances, and time should contain “edges” intentionally left for those in need.
2. Daily Reliance: Ministry depends on God’s fresh provision; hoarding yesterday’s manna breeds stagnation.
3. Sabbath Boundaries: Gathering has limits; rest is as obedient as labor.
4. Evangelistic Vision: The Church becomes Boaz’s field where outsiders, like Ruth, may glean grace and find family.
5. Eschatological Hope: The same God who commands gleaning now and promises gathering later assures that none He seeks will remain lost among the stubble.
Thus לָקַט weaves through Scripture as a quiet but vivid witness to providence, mercy, accountability, and ultimate restoration.
Forms and Transliterations
אֲלַקֳטָה־ אלקטה־ וְלִלְקֹ֖ט וְלִקְּטָ֖ה וְלָֽקְט֜וּ וְלָֽקְטוּ֙ וַֽיִּלְקְט֔וּ וַאֲלַקֳטָ֣ה וַיְלַקֵּ֞ט וַיְלַקֵּ֣ט וַיְלַקֵּ֥ט וַיִּֽתְלַקְּט֤וּ וַיִּלְקְט֤וּ וַתְּלַקֵּ֣ט וַתְּלַקֵּ֥ט ואלקטה וילקט וילקטו ויתלקטו וללקט ולקטה ולקטו ותלקט יִלְקְט֖וּ יִלְקֹט֑וּן ילקטו ילקטון כִּמְלַקֵּ֥ט כמלקט לְלַקֵּ֑ט לְלַקֵּ֔ט לְלַקֵּ֣ט לִלְקֹ֑ט לִלְקֹט֙ לִקְט֣וּ לִקֵּ֑טָה לִקֵּ֔טָה לִקַּ֤טְתְּ לָֽקְט֥וּ לָקָֽטוּ׃ ללקט לקטה לקטו לקטו׃ לקטת מְלַקְּטִ֣ים מְלַקְּטִים֙ מלקטים תְּלַקֵּ֖ט תְּלֻקְּט֛וּ תְלַקֵּ֑ט תְלַקֵּֽט׃ תִּלְקְטֻ֑הוּ תלקט תלקט׃ תלקטהו תלקטו ’ă·la·qo·ṭāh- ’ălaqoṭāh- alakotah kim·laq·qêṭ kimlakKet kimlaqqêṭ lā·qā·ṭū lā·qə·ṭū laKatu lakeTu lāqāṭū lāqəṭū lə·laq·qêṭ lelakKet ləlaqqêṭ likKatt likKetah likTu lil·qōṭ lilKot lilqōṭ liq·qaṭt liq·qê·ṭāh liq·ṭū liqqaṭt liqqêṭāh liqṭū mə·laq·qə·ṭîm melakkeTim məlaqqəṭîm tə·laq·qêṭ ṯə·laq·qêṭ tə·luq·qə·ṭū telakKet təlaqqêṭ ṯəlaqqêṭ telukkeTu təluqqəṭū til·qə·ṭu·hū tilkeTuhu tilqəṭuhū vaalakoTah vaiyilkeTu vaiyitlakkeTu vattelakKet vaylakKet velakeTu velikkeTah velilKot wa’ălaqoṭāh wa·’ă·la·qo·ṭāh wat·tə·laq·qêṭ wattəlaqqêṭ way·laq·qêṭ way·yil·qə·ṭū way·yiṯ·laq·qə·ṭū waylaqqêṭ wayyilqəṭū wayyiṯlaqqəṭū wə·lā·qə·ṭū wə·lil·qōṭ wə·liq·qə·ṭāh wəlāqəṭū wəlilqōṭ wəliqqəṭāh yil·qə·ṭū yil·qō·ṭūn yilkeTu yilkoTun yilqəṭū yilqōṭūn
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