ἀλοάω G0248
to thresh grain, tread out; to separate kernels by trampling or beating
A verb describing the threshing process—oxen treading grain or workers beating it to separate kernels from chaff. Paul quotes Deuteronomy 25:4 twice: 'You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing' (1 Cor 9:9, 1 Tim 5:18), applying this to ministers' right to support. First Corinthians 9:10 adds that the thresher should 'thresh in hope' of sharing the crop. The agricultural image becomes a principle of labor's reward.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Refers to the literal agricultural process of separating grain from stalks—typically by having oxen tread it or workers beat it. Paul's repeated citation transforms this into a principle: those who labor deserve to partake of the harvest. The ox's freedom to eat while working illustrates the justice of supporting gospel workers. Multilingual glosses use standard threshing vocabulary (Spanish 'trillar,' French 'battre le blé,' German 'dreschen'), maintaining the agricultural metaphor's clarity. 3×
AR["الدّائِسُ", "دائِساً", "يَدْرُسُ"]·ben["মাড়াইকারী", "মাড়াইকারী,", "মাড়াইকারী।"]·DE["dreschen"]·EN["threshing"]·FR["battre-le-blé", "ἀλοῶντα"]·heb["דָּשׁ"]·HI["दअन्ते-हुए", "दावते-हुए", "दावने-वाला"]·ID["mengirik", "yang-mengirik"]·IT["aloōnta", "trebbiare"]·jav["ingkang-ngirik,", "ingkang-ngirik.", "nutu"]·KO["타작하는", "타작하는-자가"]·PT["debulhando,", "debulhando.", "que-debulha"]·RU["молотящего", "молотящего.", "молотящий,"]·ES["que-trilla", "trillando"]·SW["anayepura,", "anayepura.", "apuraaye"]·TR["döven", "o-", "öküzün"]·urd["گاہتا-ہوا", "گاہتے-ہوئے", "گاہنے-والا"]
Related Senses
H3754 1. vineyard, cultivated grape plot (92×)H0730 1. cedar tree or wood (73×)H1612 1. vine, grapevine (55×)H3293a 1. forest, wood, thicket (55×)H5560 1. fine flour (53×)H5193 1. plant vegetation (48×)H2232 1. sow seed, plant crops (41×)H1715 1. grain, cereal crop (40×)H7114b 1. reap, harvest grain (36×)H2132 1. olive tree (34×)H8184 1. barley (34×)H2406 1. wheat (grain crop) (30×)H7070 1. reed, cane (plant) (30×)H7848 1. acacia (28×)H8328 1. root of a plant (28×)H8384 1. fig tree (25×)H5488 1. reeds, rushes (in 'Sea of Reeds') (24×)G0290 1. a vineyard (23×)G2325 1. reap, harvest a crop (21×)G4687 1. sow seed, plant (21×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀλοάω, Epic dialect ἀλοιάω Refs 3rd c.BC+: Epic dialect imperfect ἀλοίαRefs 8th c.BC+: future -ήσωLXX, Doric dialect ἀλοιησέωRefs 7th c.BC+: aorist ἠλόησαRefs 5th c.BC+participle ἀλοάσας [ᾱς] Refs 5th c.BC+; Epic dialect ἠλοίησα (ἀπ-) Refs 8th c.BC+, (συν-) Refs 3rd c.BC+:—passive, future -ηθήσομαιLXX: aorist ἠλοήθηνRefs 4th c.BC+: perfect ἠλόημαιRefs 4th c.BC+ — poetry aorist participle ἀλοίσας…