Gleaning refers to the biblical practice of gathering leftover crops from farmers’ fields after they have been commercially harvested or allowing the poor to harvest for themselves. It was a way of providing for the poor and foreigners in ancient Israelite society.
The laws concerning gleaning are found in several places in the Old Testament. Leviticus 19:9-10 instructs farmers: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”
Leviticus 23:22 also commands: “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”
Deuteronomy 24:19 states: “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
The book of Ruth provides a great example of gleaning in practice. Ruth was a Moabite widow who traveled to Bethlehem with her Israelite mother-in-law Naomi. As a foreigner, Ruth had no land of her own to provide food for herself and Naomi. She went to the fields to glean leftover grain after the harvesters had finished their work. Ruth happened to glean in a field belonging to a man named Boaz, who showed her kindness and allowed her to gather all she needed (Ruth 2:2-23). Through this practice of gleaning, Ruth was able to provide for herself and Naomi.
A few key principles can be seen in the biblical texts about gleaning:
1. God cares for the vulnerable members of society including the poor, orphans, widows, and foreigners living in the land. The gleaning laws provided a way for them to meet their basic needs.
2. Farmers and landowners were expected to willingly share from their abundance by not harvesting every last bit of their crops. This allowed the less fortunate to glean.
3. Work was still required on the part of those gleaning. They did not receive handouts but had to spend long hours gathering the leftover grain.
4. Gleaning created an opportunity for the rich and poor to interact and build relationships, as seen with Boaz and Ruth.
5. Generosity towards the poor is pleasing to God and a way of glorifying him. As Boaz says of Ruth, “She has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.” Then he blesses her, “May the LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” (Ruth 2:12, 12b).
In addition to these laws concerning farmland, the Old Testament also instructed vineyard owners and olive growers not to go back over the trees a second time to collect what was missed the first time. What was leftover was for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow (Deuteronomy 24:20-21).
Gleaning was not just an Old Testament concept either. Jesus references it in a parable in Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (and parallels in Mark and Luke). In this parable, a sower scatters seed on different types of soil. Some falls on the path, rocky ground, and among thorns and does not grow. But the seed that falls on the good soil produces exponentially more grain that the sower originally scattered. Jesus explains that the good seeds represent people who hear the gospel and understand it. Just as the sower does not go back and gather every grain that fell, but leaves some behind on the path, rocks, thorns, etc, so Jesus does not expect every person to accept and understand his teachings. Jesus knew many would reject him. The disciples must not become discouraged but should continue proclaiming the gospel, trusting that some will receive it and bear fruit.
So in summary, gleaning in the Bible provided a way to care for the vulnerable and thirst principles of generosity, hard work, and building relationships between rich and poor. Though an ancient agricultural practice, the principles behind gleaning can still guide Christians today in how they seek to minister to those in need.
Old Testament References to Gleaning
The main Old Testament passages about gleaning are in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and the story of Ruth:
Leviticus 19:9-10 – “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”
Leviticus 23:22 – “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”
Deuteronomy 24:19 – “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
Deuteronomy 24:20-21 – “When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.”
Ruth 2 – The entire chapter tells the story of Ruth gleaning in the fields of Boaz to provide for herself and her mother-in-law Naomi.
So the Torah provided specific instructions for farmers to leave portions of their fields unharvested and vineyards partially unpicked so the vulnerable members of society could come and gather food for themselves. Ruth put this law into practice by gleaning in Boaz’s field.
Gleaning as Caring for the Poor and Needy
One of the main purposes behind the gleaning laws was to provide a way for the poor, foreigners, widows and orphans to meet their basic needs. Here are some verses that emphasize this concern for the vulnerable:
Deuteronomy 24:19 – “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
Deuteronomy 24:20 – “When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.”
Deuteronomy 24:21 – “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.”
Psalm 41:1 – “Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him.”
Proverbs 19:17 – “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.”
Isaiah 1:17 – “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”
Jeremiah 22:16 – “He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the LORD.”
So by allowing the poor to glean from their fields, vineyard and olive groves, the landowners of Israel showed compassion and generosity, qualities that the prophets and wisdom literature kept calling the nation back to. God promised to bless those who cared for the poor and needy among them.
Gleaning and Leaving Behind for the Needy
An important aspect of the gleaning instructions was the command to not harvest all the way to the edges of the field or gather every last bit of produce. Farmers had to intentionally leave some behind for the vulnerable.
Leviticus 19:9 – “And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field.”
Leviticus 23:22 – “And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.”
Deuteronomy 24:21 – “When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.”
Isaiah 17:6 – “Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.”
God did not want the land completely stripped for maximum profit. His people were to be different than the pagan nations and consciously make provision for the needy among them. Leaving margins in the fields enabled gleaning.
Generosity, Not Handouts
An important aspect of gleaning was that it still required work on the part of the poor. This was not a handout but an opportunity they had to labor for.
In the story of Ruth, she rises early to go out to the fields and gleans all day in the hot sun to gather grain. As Boaz tells her, “You shall gather gleanings after the reapers.” (Ruth 2:2). Ruth worked hard and ended up gleaning an ephah (about 22 liters) of barley by the end of the day (Ruth 2:17).
The prophets criticized even the elite of society if their generosity did not require any effort in return:
Micah 2:2 – “They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.”
Isaiah 5:8 – “Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.”
So gleaning allowed the vulnerable to provide for their own needs through diligent labor. The landowners did not harvest absolutely everything, but they did not directly hand it all over either.
Building Relationships Between Rich and Poor
Gleaning also created opportunities for interaction between the wealthy landowners and poor gleaners. They were not isolated from one another. This helped build understanding and compassion.
In the story of Ruth and Boaz, he takes a personal interest in Ruth, encourages her to only glean in his field where she will be safe, provides her water, and tells his reapers to intentionally let grain fall for her (Ruth 2:8-9, 15-16).
When Ruth returns home with an ephah of barley, Naomi sees that someone has shown her this kindness and blessing. She says, “May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” (Ruth 2:20).
Boaz allows Ruth to glean through the entire barley and wheat harvest, providing bountifully for her and Naomi. Their relationship leads ultimately to Boaz becoming Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer and husband (Ruth 4). So gleaning opened up the opportunity for Boaz to demonstrate compassion and for Ruth to receive favor.
Working to Provide for Family
In the book of Ruth, a key aspect of gleaning was that it allowed Ruth to provide for herself and her widowed mother-in-law Naomi. Many times the vulnerable like widows and orphans had no husband or father to work the fields owned by their family and bring in a harvest. Gleaning met this need.
After Ruth returns from gleaning with an ephah of barley, enough to feed them for about a week, Naomi says, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she recognizes that Ruth’s hard work in the fields has provided for them (Ruth 2:19).
The prophets and wisdom literature also emphasize caring for one’s family as a virtue:
Isaiah 58:7 – “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
1 Timothy 5:8 – “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
So gleaning enabled the poor to provide food for their families. It was not just accepting charity.
Gleaning in Jesus’ Parables
Jesus draws on the familiar practice of gleaning in one of his most famous parables to describe the coming of the kingdom of God.
In Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (also Mark 4:1-9, 14-20; Luke 8:4-8, 11-15) Jesus shares the parable of the sower and the seeds:
“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Jesus explains that the seed falling on the path, rocks, and thorns represent those who hear the gospel but do not understand or accept it. But the seed on good soil represents those who hear the word and understand it. Just as a farmer does not go back to re-gather seeds that fell in non-productive places, so Jesus knows many will reject his message. Yet the harvest is still plentiful from those who receive the gospel.
Some key principles we can draw about the kingdom of God from this parable include:
– The gospel is spread liberally and generously even knowing that not all will embrace it.
– Believers should not become discouraged if some reject the good news, but keep sowing it broadly.
– The gospel bears abundant spiritual fruit in the lives of those who understand and accept it.
– God ultimately brings in the harvest and judges the state of each heart like the farmer examines his field.
So gleaning provides a fitting analogy for Jesus to describe both the proclamation of the gospel and varying responses to it.
Applying Gleaning Principles Today
Though agrarian societies and ancient methods of harvesting may seem far removed from modern life, the principles behind gleaning can still guide Christians today:
1. God calls us to show compassion towards the poor and vulnerable. The Bible often emphasizes caring for widows, orphans, aliens, and the needy.
2. We should avoid gathering every resource just for our own profit, but be willing to leave a margin for those less fortunate.
3. Instead of just handing out money, we can develop programs and partnerships that still require effort and dignity on the part of recipients. Gleaning was not an automatic handout.
4. Getting to know people in need, hearing their stories, and building relationships is important, not just dropping off supplies. Boaz and Ruth relationship shows the beauty of compassion.
5. We can come alongside families, neighbors, and communities to help them provide for themselves instead of creating dependency. Gleaning allowed ordinary people to meet basic needs.
6. Just as farmers trust God for the growth and harvest, so we should keep generously planting spiritual seeds through acts of mercy and sharing the gospel, trusting God to draw people to Himself.
The biblical practice of gleaning and related teachings shine light on how God cares for the poor and needy, and how He calls us to follow Him in compassion, generosity, and building bridges between those who have and those in need.