Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, the concept of a plantation is closely associated with agriculture, a central aspect of life in ancient Israel and surrounding regions. The term "plantation" itself is not explicitly used in the Bible; however, the practice of planting and cultivating crops, vineyards, and orchards is frequently mentioned and holds significant theological and symbolic meaning.
Agricultural PracticesThe Bible provides numerous references to agricultural practices, which can be likened to what we understand as plantations today. The Israelites were primarily an agrarian society, and their livelihood depended heavily on the cultivation of the land. The Promised Land was often described as "a land flowing with milk and honey" (
Exodus 3:8), indicating its fertility and suitability for agriculture.
Vineyards and OrchardsVineyards are a prominent example of plantation-like agriculture in the Bible. The cultivation of grapes for wine was a common practice, and vineyards are frequently mentioned in both literal and metaphorical contexts. In
Isaiah 5:1-7, the "Song of the Vineyard" uses the imagery of a vineyard to describe God's relationship with Israel, highlighting themes of care, expectation, and judgment.
Similarly, orchards, particularly those of olive trees, were vital to the economy and daily life. Olive oil was used for cooking, lighting, and religious anointing. The Mount of Olives, a significant location in the New Testament, underscores the importance of olive cultivation.
Symbolism and ParablesPlantation imagery is often used symbolically in the Bible to convey spiritual truths. Jesus frequently employed agricultural metaphors in His parables. In the Parable of the Sower (
Matthew 13:3-9), the act of planting seeds represents the spreading of God's Word, with the varying types of soil symbolizing the different responses of human hearts.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (
Matthew 13:31-32) illustrates the Kingdom of Heaven's growth from small beginnings to great influence, akin to a tiny seed growing into a large tree.
Divine Provision and BlessingThe Bible emphasizes that successful agriculture, akin to a thriving plantation, is a sign of divine blessing. In
Deuteronomy 28:8, the Lord promises to bless the barns and all the work of the hands of those who obey His commandments. Conversely, disobedience leads to agricultural failure, as seen in the curses outlined in
Deuteronomy 28:15-68.
Rest and StewardshipThe concept of the Sabbath year, or Shemitah, found in
Leviticus 25:1-7, reflects God's command for rest and stewardship of the land. Every seventh year, the land was to lie fallow, allowing it to rejuvenate. This practice underscores the belief that the land ultimately belongs to God and that humans are stewards of His creation.
ConclusionWhile the Bible does not use the term "plantation" explicitly, the principles and practices associated with it are deeply embedded in the biblical narrative. Agriculture serves as a backdrop for many of the Bible's teachings, illustrating themes of provision, stewardship, and the relationship between God and His people.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The act or practice of planting, or setting in the earth for growth.
2. (n.) The place planted; land brought under cultivation; a piece of ground planted with trees or useful plants; esp., in the United States and West Indies, a large estate appropriated to the production of the more important crops, and cultivated by laborers who live on the estate; as, a cotton plantation; a coffee plantation.
3. (n.) An original settlement in a new country; a colony.
Strong's Hebrew
5194. neta --plantation, planting, plant... 5193, 5194. neta. 5195 .
plantation, planting, plant. Transliteration:
neta Phonetic Spelling: (neh'-tah) Short Definition: plant.
...3759. karmel -- aplantation, garden land, fruit, garden growth
... 3758, 3759. karmel. 3760 . aplantation, garden land, fruit, garden growth.
Transliteration: karmel Phonetic Spelling: (kar-mel') Short Definition: field....
4302. matta -- place or act of planting, aplantation
... 4301, 4302. matta. 4303 . place or act of planting, aplantation. Transliteration:
matta Phonetic Spelling: (mat-taw') Short Definition: planting....
Library
The Fig-Tree.
... (Mark 11:12, 13.) It seems not to have been growing alone, but formed part of
a group orplantation on one of the slopes or ravines of Olivet....
Love and Law.
... There was a gradual diminution in the number of hogsheads of tobacco and bushels
of corn and wheat that went into Richmond from hisplantation annually; and...
The Regular or Calvinistic Baptists.
... p.2747; Dexter, As to Roger Williams and his 'Banishment' from the Massachusetts
Plantation (Boston, 1876); JL Diman, Monument to RW in Providence (Providence...
Appendix
... 24, J. Cotton, A Discourse about Civil Government in a NewPlantation whose Design
is Religion (written many years since), London, 1643, pp.12, 19....
Eighth Commandment
... and I want you to prepare a sermon on the Ten Commandments, and to bear down especially
on stealing, because there is a great deal of stealing on theplantation...
The Middle Colonies: the Jerseys, Delaware, and Pennsylvania --The...
... by thirty years of toil and thrift, and lifting the ark of the covenant by the staves,
set themselves down beside the Passaic, calling theirplantation the New...
General Commandments.
... The Catholic Church is theplantation of God and His beloved vineyard; [2538]
containing those who have believed in His unerring divine religion; who are the...
Home as a Nursery.
... The place or apartment appropriated to such nursing is called a nursery. Thus
aplantation of young trees is called a nursery. Shakspeare...
The Preaching of Nature.
... To the selfish man the world is a vast slaveplantation, where unhappy slaves are
forced to toil and labour to supply the needs of cruel taskmasters....
Lutherans in vibginia.
... Muhlenberg, Sr., wrote: "It is said to be a profitableplantation, and owns several
slaves to till the land." (G., 606.) Pastor Klug, who, in order to relieve...
Thesaurus
Plantation (3 Occurrences)... a large estate appropriated to the production of the more important crops, and
cultivated by laborers who live on the estate; as, a cotton
plantation; a coffee
...Plot (53 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A small extent of ground; a plat; as,
a garden plot. 2. (n.) Aplantation laid out. 3. (n.) A...
Plant (92 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 34:29 I will raise up to them aplantation for renown, and they shall be
no more consumed with famine in the land, neither bear the shame of the...
Vineyard (69 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) An inclosure or yard for grapevines; aplantation
of vines producing grapes. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. VINEYARD....
Victims (12 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 34:29 I will raise up to them aplantation for renown, and they shall be
no more consumed with famine in the land, neither bear the shame of the...
Judaeus
... of the Roman imperial system, but also the beginning of the end of ancient classical
civilization in its dominant ideas, and theplantation of Christianity....
Grove (23 Occurrences)
... (3.) The Hebrews word `elon, uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version
by "plain," properly signifies a grove orplantation....
Feathers (9 Occurrences)
... wings and many feathers: and behold, this vine did bend its roots toward him, and
shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of itsplantation, that he...
Force (250 Occurrences)
... an armament; troops; warlike array; -- often in the plural; hence, a body of men
prepared for action in other ways; as, the laboring force of aplantation....
Furrows (8 Occurrences)
... feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her
branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of herplantation...
Resources
Is Marxism compatible with the Christian faith? | GotQuestions.orgPlantation: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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