Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Agricultural Context:Fallow-ground refers to land that has been plowed and tilled but left unseeded for one or more growing seasons. This practice is common in agriculture to allow the soil to recover its nutrients, improve its structure, and reduce the buildup of pests and weeds. In biblical times, fallowing was an essential part of sustainable farming, ensuring that the land remained productive over the long term.
Biblical References:The concept of fallow-ground is used metaphorically in the Bible to describe the spiritual state of individuals or communities. It signifies a heart or life that is unproductive or in need of renewal and repentance. The imagery of fallow-ground is employed to call believers to prepare their hearts for spiritual growth and fruitfulness.
1.
Hosea 10:12 : "Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain." In this passage, the prophet Hosea urges the Israelites to break up their fallow-ground, symbolizing a call to repentance and spiritual renewal. The unplowed ground represents a heart that has become hardened or neglected, needing to be prepared for the sowing of righteousness.
2.
Jeremiah 4:3 : "For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: 'Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among thorns.'" Here, the prophet Jeremiah echoes a similar call to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The instruction to break up the unplowed ground is a metaphor for removing obstacles and preparing one's heart to receive God's word and blessings.
Theological Significance:The metaphor of fallow-ground in the Bible emphasizes the importance of spiritual preparation and renewal. Just as farmers must prepare the soil to ensure a good harvest, believers are called to prepare their hearts to receive God's word and bear spiritual fruit. This preparation involves repentance, self-examination, and a willingness to remove anything that hinders spiritual growth.
The call to break up fallow-ground is a reminder of the need for ongoing spiritual vigilance. It challenges believers to avoid complacency and to actively seek a deeper relationship with God. By doing so, they open themselves to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, leading to a life characterized by righteousness and devotion.
Practical Application:In practical terms, breaking up fallow-ground can involve various spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, Bible study, and confession. These practices help believers to cultivate a receptive heart, ready to respond to God's leading. Additionally, it may involve addressing specific areas of sin or neglect in one's life, seeking forgiveness, and making amends where necessary.
The imagery of fallow-ground serves as a powerful reminder of the potential for renewal and growth in the Christian life. It encourages believers to remain attentive to their spiritual condition and to take proactive steps to ensure that their lives are fertile ground for God's work.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
The expression, "Break up your fallow ground" (
Hosea 10:12;
Jeremiah 4:3) means, "Do not sow your seed among thorns", i.e., break off all your evil habits; clear your hearts of weeds, in order that they may be prepared for the seed of righteousness. Land was allowed to lie fallow that it might become more fruitful; but when in this condition, it soon became overgrown with thorns and weeds. The cultivator of the soil was careful to "break up" his fallow ground, i.e., to clear the field of weeds, before sowing seed in it. So says the prophet, "Break off your evil ways, repent of your sins, cease to do evil, and then the good seed of the word will have room to grow and bear fruit."
Strong's Hebrew
5215b. nir -- tillable, untilled, orfallow groundnir or nir. 5215a, 5215b. nir or nir. 5216 . tillable, untilled, or
fallowground. Transliteration: nir or nir Short Definition: ground.
...5215. niyr -- a lamp
...fallow ground, plowing, tillage Or nir {neer}; from niyr; properly, plowing, ie
(concretely) freshly plowed land --fallow ground, plowing, tillage....
Library
True Righteousness is Obtained by Christ.
... not hear you. Break up yourfallow ground,' Jeremiah has cried to the people,
and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to...
How to Promote a Revival.
... HOW TO PROMOTE A REVIVAL. Text."Break up yourfallow ground; for it is time to seek
the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you."Hosea 10:12....
Charity.
... of men"it grows not on the corrupt soil of human nature; it springs only where the
ploughshare of true repentance has broken up thefallow ground of the heart...
The Answer Concerning the Threefold Condition of Souls.
... giving word in ground that is barren and unfruitful and choked by noxious thorns;
but that they should scorn this, and rather cultivatefallow ground, ie, that...
An Exhortation to the People Respecting Fortitude and Patience...
... This the Prophet signified when he spoke thus, "Break up yourfallow ground, and
sow not among thorns." [1191] Therefore, as when he who has set the plough on...
His Earliest Oracles. (ii. 2-iv. 4. )
... Jerusalem: Fallow up yourfallow-ground,(195) And sow not on thorns! To...
hearts. Fallow up thefallow-ground, Sow not on thorns! To...
Spiritual Farming. --No. 3 Cultivation.
... but we feel we have not pressed upon them with the force it deserves, the necessity
of what the Bible calls "breaking up thefallow ground." What the plough...
The Sower. Mt 13:03
... 8,6,8,6. The sower. Mt 13:3. Ye sons of earth prepare the plow,. Break up yourfallow
ground! The Sower is gone forth to sow,. And scatter blessings round....
Effectual Calling
... without Christ. Then having ploughed up thefallow ground of their hearts
by humiliation, He sows the seed of consolation. He presents...
Introduction
... in melodious cadence; but if the utterance be harsh and discordant they fail to
interest, fall upon deaf ears, and are as barren as seed sown onfallow ground....
Thesaurus
Fallowground... The expression, "Break up your
fallowground" (Hosea 10:12; Jeremiah 4:3) means,
"Do not sow your seed among thorns", ie, break off all your evil habits; clear
...Fallow-ground
Fallow-ground.Fallowground,Fallow-ground. Falls . Easton's Bible Dictionary...
Fallowground,Fallow-ground. Falls . Reference Bible.
Fallow (5 Occurrences)
... (See NAS RSV). Jeremiah 4:3 For thus says Yahweh to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,
Break up yourfallowground, and don't sow among thorns....
Sow (61 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Jeremiah 4:3 For thus says Yahweh to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,
Break up yourfallowground, and don't sow among thorns....
Grounded (5 Occurrences)
... as representing the heart in relation to its reception of words of truth and
righteousness (Jeremiah 4:3 Hosea 10:12, "Break up yourfallowground"); to the...
Fallow-deer (2 Occurrences)
Fallow-deer. Fallowdeer, Fallow-deer.Fallowground . Easton's Bible Dictionary...
(DBY WBS YLT). Fallowdeer, Fallow-deer.Fallowground . Reference Bible.
Rains (16 Occurrences)
... kindness. Break up yourfallowground; for it is time to seek Yahweh, until
he comes and rains righteousness on you. (WEB). Joel...
Showers (20 Occurrences)
... kindness. Break up yourfallowground; for it is time to seek Yahweh, until
he comes and rains righteousness on you. (See NIV). Joel...
Unfailing (29 Occurrences)
... to kindness. Break up yourfallowground; for it is time to seek Yahweh,
until he comes and rains righteousness on you. (See NIV)....
Resources
What does the Bible mean when it refers to holy ground? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to be a root out of dry ground (Isaiah 53:2)? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the meaning of the Parable of the Sower? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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