Lexical Summary yagab: To love, desire Original Word: יָגַב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance husbandman A primitive root; to dig or plow -- husbandman. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to till, be a husbandman NASB Translation plowmen (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [יָגַב] verb till, be husbandman, only Qal Participle plural לְכֹרְמִים וּלְֹיגְבִים Jeremiah 52:16; 2 Kings 25:12 Qr (kt גבים); see גוב above Topical Lexicon Occurrence and ContextStrong’s Hebrew 3009 יָגַב appears once, at Jeremiah 52:16. In the wake of Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon, “Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest people of the land to be vinedressers and farmers” (Jeremiah 52:16). The verb highlights the practical task assigned to the remnant: cultivating the devastated land so that it might yet yield fruit. Historical Setting Jeremiah 52 mirrors 2 Kings 25, describing the siege of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Babylon’s policy typically transplanted skilled artisans and leaders while leaving behind agricultural laborers to maintain productivity and prevent total desolation. Those who were commissioned “to till” became stewards of Judah’s physical survival, embodying God’s continuing concern for the land promised to Abraham even under judgment. Their presence ensured that famine would not erase Judah from the map and that returning exiles (Ezra 1:1–4) would find fields already under cultivation. Theological Significance 1. Divine Mercy in Judgment Even as the city lay in ruins, God reserved “a stump” (Isaiah 6:13) through whom future restoration could sprout. By preserving vinedressers and farmers, the LORD showed that judgment did not cancel covenant promises (Jeremiah 29:10–14). 2. Sanctity of Ordinary Labor Scripture consistently honors manual vocation. From Adam, whom God placed “in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15), to Paul, who labored “night and day” (1 Thessalonians 2:9), work is a divinely appointed avenue for stewardship. יָגַב therefore affirms that humble tasks participate in God’s redemptive plan. 3. Foreshadowing of Spiritual Vine-Keeping Jesus later declared, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1). The physical cultivation of vines and fields anticipates the spiritual fruitfulness demanded of God’s people (John 15:8; Galatians 5:22-23). The remnant left to till the land becomes a living parable of believers who remain to bear fruit in a fallen world. Intercanonical Links • Jeremiah 39:10 and 2 Kings 25:12 echo the same event, underscoring its importance in the exile narrative. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Hope for the Marginalized God entrusted the future of the nation to “the poorest people of the land.” Ministry to the overlooked is not peripheral but central to divine strategy (James 2:5). 2. Faithfulness in Small Things The task of cultivating ground devastated by war required patience and faith. Pastors and lay leaders likewise persist in ministries whose fruit may not be immediate (1 Corinthians 15:58). 3. Stewardship of Creation יָגַב encourages responsible engagement with the physical world. Agricultural imagery reminds congregations that environmental care and gospel witness are not mutually exclusive. Christological Perspective Isaiah’s shoot from the stump of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1) finds visible analogy in the tilled fields of post-exilic Judah. Out of apparent barrenness, God brought forth the Messiah. The farmers of Jeremiah 52:16 participated unknowingly in preparing the stage for that unfolding drama. Conclusion Though occurring only once, יָגַב anchors a profound truth: God’s purposes advance through faithful laborers—often the least celebrated—who cultivate both soil and soul so that the promise of redemption may flourish for future generations. Forms and Transliterations וּלְיֹגְבִֽים׃ וליגבים׃ ū·lə·yō·ḡə·ḇîm ūləyōḡəḇîm uleyogeVimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 52:16 HEB: טַבָּחִ֑ים לְכֹרְמִ֖ים וּלְיֹגְבִֽים׃ NAS: to be vinedressers and plowmen. KJV: for vinedressers and for husbandmen. INT: of the guard to be vinedressers and plowmen 1 Occurrence |
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