Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Description:Shears, a tool resembling large scissors, are primarily used for cutting or trimming. In biblical times, shears were essential for various tasks, particularly in agriculture and textile production. They were typically made of metal and were used for shearing sheep, a vital process in obtaining wool for clothing and other textiles.
Biblical References:The Bible makes specific mention of shearing in the context of sheep, which was a common practice in ancient Israel. Although the term "shears" itself is not explicitly mentioned in the Berean Standard Bible, the process of shearing is referenced, highlighting its importance in the agrarian society of the time.
One notable reference to shearing is found in the account of David and Nabal. In
1 Samuel 25:2-4 , it is written: "Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. The man was very wealthy, owning a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. His name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings. While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep."
This passage illustrates the significance of shearing as a time of economic activity and social interaction. It was during the shearing season that David sought provisions from Nabal, highlighting the abundance and festivity associated with this period.
Cultural and Historical Context:Shearing was a labor-intensive process that required skill and precision. The shearing of sheep was not only an economic necessity but also a communal event, often accompanied by feasting and celebration. This is evident in the account of Absalom, who invited all the king's sons to a feast during the shearing of his sheep (
2 Samuel 13:23-24).
The process of shearing also had religious and symbolic connotations. Wool, obtained through shearing, was used in the making of garments, including those worn by priests. The purity and quality of wool were significant, as seen in the regulations concerning priestly garments in
Exodus 28.
Symbolism and Metaphorical Use:In a metaphorical sense, shearing can symbolize the removal of excess or the refining of character. The imagery of sheep being sheared is used in
Isaiah 53:7 to describe the suffering servant: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth." This passage prophetically points to the humility and submission of Christ, who, like a sheep before its shearers, did not resist His path to sacrifice.
Conclusion:While the direct mention of shears is limited in the biblical text, the practice of shearing and its associated tools played a significant role in the daily life and economy of ancient Israel. The cultural, economic, and symbolic aspects of shearing provide a deeper understanding of its importance in biblical times.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A cutting instrument.
2. (n.) An instrument consisting of two blades, commonly with bevel edges, connected by a pivot, and working on both sides of the material to be cut, -- used for cutting cloth and other substances.
3. (n.) A similar instrument the blades of which are extensions of a curved spring, -- used for shearing sheep or skins.
4. (n.) A shearing machine; a blade, or a set of blades, working against a resisting edge.
5. (n.) Anything in the form of shears.
6. (n.) A pair of wings.
7. (n.) An apparatus for raising heavy weights, and especially for stepping and unstepping the lower masts of ships. It consists of two or more spars or pieces of timber, fastened together near the top, steadied by a guy or guys, and furnished with the necessary tackle.
8. (n.) The bedpiece of a machine tool, upon which a table or slide rest is secured; as, the shears of a lathe or planer.
Library
On the Nativity of Our Lady
... grow in the flesh like hair; and so also the tendency to old habits clings to the
highest and lowest powers; they must be cut off with the sharpshears of holy...
The Three Fates
... that there were three fates, in the form of three women seated above the clouds,
who spun the thread of everyone's life, and cut it off withshears when death...
The Fulfilment of the Prophecies Concerning Christ.
... And whereas He was evil entreated, He opened not His mouth; He was brought as a
sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before him whoshears it is dumb, so He...
The Traitor Prince.
... Anywhere you run yourshears into the web of this Book you will find these two
threads. They run crosswise and are woven inextricably in....
Of Removing Tithes.
... distinct from, and independent of his farm, and no way exempted in the parish of
B. and depastures his sheep upon the lands in that parish, butshears them in A...
Letter S
... Laton "Received 1836 * Shaw, Samuel P. "Received 1825 * Shaw, Thomas "Received 1798,
Located 1806 * Shearer, Walter "Received 1837 *Shears, Alonzo G...
Love's Triumph
... into a lonely land. But there is one bond which his 'abhorredshears'
cannot cut. Their edge is turned on it. One Hand holds us...
Carey's Last Days
... The Brotherhood had hardly despatched this appeal to England with the sentence,
"Our present incomes even are uncertain," when theshears of financial...
David's Choristers
... his successors have often aimed at enforcing it, but nature has been too strong
for them, and the hedge will grow its own way in spite of pedants'shears....
Sleep Not
... Those locks, bushy end black as a raven, fall thickly on the ground; one by one
the razorshears them all away till the Nazarite has lost the hair of his...
Thesaurus
Shears (1 Occurrence)... 4. (n.) A shearing machine; a blade, or a set of blades, working against a resisting
edge. 5. (n.) Anything in the form of
shears.
...Shears (1 Occurrence).
...Shear (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To cut, clip, or sever anything from withshears
or a like instrument; as, to shear sheep; to shear cloth.... SeeShears....
Shearing (6 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Shear. 2. (n.) The act or operation of clipping withshears
or a shearing machine, as the wool from sheep, or the nap from cloth....
Opens (30 Occurrences)
... 32 And the passage of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep
to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in presence of him thatshears him, thus...
Clip (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To embrace, hence; to encompass. 2. (vt) To cut off; as withshears or scissors;
as, to clip the hair; to clip coin. 3. (vt) To curtail; to cut short....
Sheer (2 Occurrences)
... of it. 10. (n.) A turn or change in a course. 11. (n.)Shears See Shear.
Multi-Version Concordance Sheer (2 Occurrences). Mark 15...
Scissors (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n. pl.) A cutting instrument resemblingshears, but smaller,
consisting of two cutting blades with handles, movable on a pin in the...
She-ass (2 Occurrences)
She-ass.Shears, She-ass. She-asses . Multi-Version Concordance... So He sat on
them; (WEY).Shears, She-ass. She-asses . Reference Bible.
She'ar-jash'ub (1 Occurrence)
She'ar-jash'ub. Shear-jashub, She'ar-jash'ub.Shears . Multi-Version Concordance...
Shear-jashub, She'ar-jash'ub.Shears . Reference Bible.
Shearer (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) One whoshears. 2. (n.) A reaper.
Multi-Version Concordance Shearer (1 Occurrence). Acts 8:32 Now...
Resources
How can I overcome resistance to change? | GotQuestions.orgShears: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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