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usually represents Israel’s three annual “pilgrimage feasts,” which were celebrated with
processions and dances. These special feasts are distinguished from the sacred seasons
(“festal assemblies”—Ezek. 45:17), the new moon festivals, and the Sabbaths (Hos.
2:11).
There are two unique uses of
!
First, Aaron proclaimed a “feast to the Lord” at
the foot of Mt. Sinai. This “feast” involved no pilgrimage but was celebrated with burnt
offerings, communal meals, singing, and dancing. The whole matter was displeasing to
God (Exod. 32:5-7).
In two passages,
represents the “victim sacrificed to God” (perhaps during one
of the three annual sacrifices): “… Bind the [festal] sacrifice with cords, even unto the
horns of the altar” (Ps. 118:27; cf. Exod. 23:18).
FIELD
(
$*
, 7704), “field; country; domain [of a town].”
-
has cognates in
Akkadian, Phoenician, Ugaritic, and Arabic. It appears in biblical Hebrew about 320
times and in all periods.
This word often represents the “open field” where the animals roam wild. That is its
meaning in its first biblical appearance: “And every plant of the field before it was in the
earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to
rain upon the earth …” (Gen. 2:5). Thus, “Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field;
and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents” (Gen. 25:27). A city in the “open field”
was unfortified; David wisely asked Achish for such a city, showing that he did not
intend to be hostile (1 Sam. 27:5). Dwelling in an unfortified city meant exposure to
attack.
-
represents the “fields surrounding a town” (Josh. 21:12; cf. Neh. 11:25).
“Arable land,” land that is either cultivated or to be cultivated, is also signified by
&
“If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and entreat for
me to Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he
hath, which is in the end of his field …” (Gen. 23:8-9). The entirety of one’s cultivated or
pasture land is called his “field”: “And the king [David] said unto him [Mephibosheth],
Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land
[previously owned by Saul]” (2 Sam. 19:29).
Sometimes particular sections of land are identified by name: “And after this,
Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre …”
(Gen. 23:19).
(
$*
, 7704), “open field.”
-
occurs 12 times, only in poetical passages.
Deut. 32:13 is the first biblical appearance: “He made him ride on the high places of the
earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; …”
TO FIGHT
A. Verb.
(
, 3898), “to fight, do battle, engage in combat.” This word is found in
all periods of Hebrew, as well as in ancient Ugaritic. It occurs in the text of the Hebrew
Bible more than 170 times.
6
appears first in Exod. 1:10, where the Egyptian