Topical Encyclopedia
The term "pluck" in the Bible is often used metaphorically to describe the act of removing, taking away, or seizing something with force or decisiveness. It appears in various contexts throughout Scripture, illustrating both physical actions and spiritual truths.
1.
Physical Removal: In its most literal sense, "pluck" refers to the act of removing something from its place. For example, in the agricultural context, it can mean harvesting or gathering crops. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed regarding the Sabbath year: "But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest or gather the grapes of your untended vine" (
Leviticus 25:4-5). Here, the idea of not plucking or gathering emphasizes rest and reliance on God's provision.
2.
Divine Judgment and Deliverance: The concept of plucking is also used to describe God's intervention, either in judgment or deliverance. In
Jeremiah 12:14-17, God speaks of plucking up nations as a form of judgment: "This is what the LORD says: 'As for all My wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave My people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands, and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them.'" Conversely, God also promises to pluck His people from danger, as seen in
Psalm 91:14: "Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him."
3.
Spiritual Warfare and Protection: In the New Testament, the term is used to convey spiritual truths, particularly in the context of spiritual warfare and divine protection. Jesus assures His followers of their security in Him, saying, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand" (
John 10:28). The imagery of plucking or snatching here underscores the believer's safety in Christ, immune to the enemy's attempts to remove them from God's care.
4.
Moral and Ethical Implications: The metaphor of plucking is also applied to moral and ethical teachings. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses hyperbolic language to emphasize the seriousness of sin: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell" (
Matthew 5:29). The act of plucking out the eye symbolizes the radical measures one should take to avoid sin.
5.
Prophetic Imagery: Prophets often used the imagery of plucking to convey messages of both destruction and hope. In
Ezekiel 17, the allegory of the two eagles and the vine includes the act of plucking to describe the fate of Israel: "He plucked off the topmost shoot of its young twigs and carried it to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders" (
Ezekiel 17:4). This imagery illustrates the removal and transplantation of Israel, symbolizing exile and eventual restoration.
In summary, the concept of "pluck" in the Bible is rich with meaning, encompassing themes of judgment, deliverance, protection, and moral urgency. It serves as a powerful metaphor for God's sovereign actions and the believer's call to holiness.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To pull; to draw.
2. (v. t.) Especially, to pull with sudden force or effort, or to pull off or out from something, with a twitch; to twitch; also, to gather, to pick; as, to pluck feathers from a fowl; to pluck hair or wool from a skin; to pluck grapes.
3. (v. t.) To strip of, or as of, feathers; as, to pluck a fowl.
4. (v. t.) To reject at an examination for degrees.
5. (v. i.) To make a motion of pulling or twitching; -- usually with at; as, to pluck at one's gown.
6. (n.) The act of plucking; a pull; a twitch.
7. (n.) The heart, liver, and lights of an animal.
8. (n.) Spirit; courage; indomitable resolution; fortitude.
9. (n.) The act of plucking, or the state of being plucked, at college. See Pluck, v. t., 4.
10. (n.) The lyrie.
Greek
5089. tillo -- topluck, topluck off... to
pluck, to
pluck off. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: tillo Phonetic Spelling:
(til'-lo) Short Definition: I
pluck,
pluck off Definition: I
pluck,
pluck...1807. exaireo -- to take out, to deliver
... Word Origin from ek and haireo Definition to take out, to deliver NASB Word Usage
pluck (1), rescue (2), rescued (3), rescuing (1), tear (1)....
1610. ekrizoo -- to uproot
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ekrizoo Phonetic Spelling: (ek-rid-zo'-o)
Short Definition: I root out, root up Definition: I root out,pluck up by the...
1846. exorusso -- to dig out or up
... extract,pluck out. From ek and orusso; to dig out, ie (by extension) to extract
(an eye), remove (roofing) -- break up,pluck out. see GREEK ek....
1407. drepanon -- a sickle, a pruning hook
... Word Origin from drepo (topluck) Definition a sickle, a pruning hook NASB
Word Usage sickle (8). sickle. From drepo (topluck); a...
1288. diaspao -- to draw apart, tear asunder
...pluck asunder, tear apart. From dia and spao; to draw apart, ie Sever or dismember --
pluck asunder, pull in pieces. see GREEK dia. see GREEK spao....
1544. ekballo -- to go out
... From ek and ballo; to eject (literally or figuratively) -- bring forth, cast (forth,
out), drive (out), expel, leave,pluck (pull, take, thrust) out, put forth...
5567. psallo -- to pull, twitch, twang, play, sing
... stringed instrument. 5567 -- properly,pluck a musical instrument (like a
harp); used of " with instruments"; "to ," or simply . Word...
726. harpazo -- to seize, catch up, snatch away
... catch, seize, take by force. From a derivative of haireomai; to seize (in various
applications) -- catch (away, up),pluck, pull, take (by force)....
Strong's Hebrew
6998. qataph -- topluck off or out... 6997, 6998. qataph. 6999 . to
pluck off or out. Transliteration: qataph Phonetic
Spelling: (kaw-taf') Short Definition:
pluck. Word Origin a prim.
...5428. nathash -- to pull orpluck up, root out
... nathash. 5429 . to pull orpluck up, root out. Transliteration: nathash Phonetic
Spelling: (naw-thash') Short Definition: uproot. Word Origin a prim....
6131. aqar -- topluck or root up
... 6130, 6131. aqar. 6132 . topluck or root up. Transliteration: aqar Phonetic
Spelling: (aw-kar') Short Definition: uproot.... dig down,pluck up, root up....
717. arah -- to gather,pluck
... 716, 717. arah. 718 . to gather,pluck. Transliteration: arah Phonetic Spelling:
(aw-raw') Short Definition: gathered. Word Origin a prim.... gather,pluck....
2963. taraph -- to tear, rend,pluck
... 2962, 2963. taraph. 2964 . to tear, rend,pluck. Transliteration: taraph Phonetic
Spelling: (taw-raf') Short Definition: tear. Word Origin a prim....
4804. merat -- topluck
... 4803, 4804. merat. 4805 . topluck. Transliteration: merat Phonetic Spelling:
(mer-at') Short Definition: plucked. Word Origin (Aramaic...
1497. gazal -- to tear away, seize, rob
... catch, consume, exercise robbery,pluck off, rob, spoil, take away by force,
violence,. A primitive root; topluck off; specifically...
4803. marat -- to make smooth, bare or bald, to scour, polish
... root Definition to make smooth, bare or bald, to scour, polish NASB Word Usage becomes
bald (1), loses the hair (1),pluck out the beard (1), polished (6...
8025. shalaph -- to draw out or off
... draw off, grow up,pluck off. A primitive root; to pull out, up or off -- draw
(off), grow up,pluck off. 8024, 8025. shalaph. 8026 . Strong's Numbers.
6132. aqar -- to be rooted up
...pluck up by the roots. (Aramaic) corresponding to aqar --pluck up by the roots.
see HEBREW aqar. 6131, 6132. aqar. 6133 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Jesus Defends Disciples whoPluck Grain on the Sabbath.
... Part Fifth. From Second Passover Until Third.(Time: One Year.) XXXVIII.
Jesus Defends Disciples WhoPluck Grain on the Sabbath....
There Remains the Pleasure of These Eyes of My Flesh...
... of the eyes I resist, lest my feet wherewith I walk upon Thy way be ensnared; and
I lift up mine invisible eyes to Thee, that Thou wouldestpluck my feet out...
Of the Very Dangerous Allurements of the Eyes; on Account of...
... of the eyes, lest my feet with which I advance on Thy way be entangled; and I raise
my invisible eyes to Thee, that Thou wouldst be pleased to "pluck my feet...
Description of the Symbol of the Hands among the Manich??ans.
... As for your not plucking fruits or pulling up vegetables yourselves, while you get
your followers topluck and pull and bring them to you, that you may confer...
Against Men who Embellish Themselves.
... For their service the towns are full of those who take out hair by pitch-plasters,
shave, andpluck out hairs from these womanish creatures....
Melanchthon -- the Safety of the virtuous
... Luther. MELANCHTHON 1497"1560. THE SAFETY OF THE VIRTUOUS. Neither shall
any manpluck them out of my hand."John x, 28. To Thee...
John x. 22-24
... Ver.27-30. "For My sheep hear My voice, [1643] and follow Me; and I give unto them
eternal life [1644] ; neither can [1645] any manpluck them out of My hand....
Chapter xiii.
... 37. In the next place, He goes on to say: "And if thy right eye offend thee,pluck
it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy...
Irresistible Logic.
... A prize was offered once for the best definition of "pluck." The definition that
won the prize said, "Pluck is fighting with the scabbard after the sword is...
His Statement of the Proof of his Messiahship. --His Oneness With
... 604] hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I grant unto them eternal
life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any manpluck them out...
Thesaurus
Pluck (41 Occurrences)... to pull with sudden force or effort, or to pull off or out from something, with
a twitch; to twitch; also, to gather, to pick; as, to
pluck feathers from a fowl
...Pick (37 Occurrences)
... 5. (v.) To pull apart or away, especially with the fingers; topluck; to gather,
as fruit from a tree, flowers from the stalk, feathers from a fowl, etc....
Pull (32 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward one; topluck; as, to pull
fruit; to pull flax; to pull a finch.... (n.) Apluck; loss or violence suffered....
Overthrow (48 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 1:10 behold, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
topluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build...
Causeth (209 Occurrences)
... Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble,pluck it out, and cast
it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should...
Snatch (14 Occurrences)
... RSV NIV). Job 24:9 There are those whopluck the fatherless from the breast,
and take a pledge of the poor, (See NAS RSV NIV). Job 24...
Plucking (8 Occurrences)
... (p. pr. & vb. n.) ofPluck. Int.... (YLT). Jeremiah 12:17 But if they will not hear,
then will Ipluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it, says Yahweh....
Hell (53 Occurrences)
... Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee,pluck it out, and cast it from thee:
for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and...
Tear (97 Occurrences)
... Psalms 52:5 God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, andpluck
you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah....
Gouge (4 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Gouge (4 Occurrences). Matthew 5:29 If your right eye
causes you to stumble,pluck it out and throw it away from you....
Resources
Did Jesus mean we should literally pluck out our eyes and cut off our hands in Matthew 5:29-30 and 18:8-9? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a psalm? | GotQuestions.orgIs carpe diem something a Christian should live by? | GotQuestions.orgPluck: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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