H7641b H7641b
Ear or head of grain — the mature seed-bearing spike of cereal plants like wheat or barley
This שִׁבֹּלֶת (shibboleth II) denotes the ripe ear or head of grain, the seed-laden tip of cereal stalks. It dominates Pharaoh's famous dream in Genesis 41, where seven plump ears and seven withered ears symbolize years of abundance and famine. The term also appears in Ruth's gleaning narrative (Ruth 2:2) and Isaiah's harvest imagery (Isa 17:5). Zechariah 4:12 extends the word metaphorically to the 'spikes' or clusters at the tips of olive branches flanking the golden lampstand. Spanish 'espigas' and English 'ears of grain' both capture the agricultural specificity.
Senses
1. ear/head of grain — The mature, seed-bearing tip of grain stalks such as wheat and barley. Eleven of fifteen occurrences cluster in the Pharaoh's dream narrative (Gen 41:5-27), where the contrast between fat and thin ears drives Joseph's prophetic interpretation. Also found in gleaning contexts (Ruth 2:2) and harvest similes (Isa 17:5; Job 24:24). Zechariah 4:12 extends the image to olive-branch tips. Spanish 'espigas' and French 'têtes de grain' reflect the agricultural meaning faithfully. 15×
AR["الْ-سُّنْبُلَاتُ", "الْ-سُّنْبُلَاتِ", "سَنَابِلَ", "سَنَابِلُ", "سُنْبُلَاتٍ", "سُنْبُلَةٍ"]·ben["শস্যের", "শীষ", "শীষগুলি", "শীষের", "শীষের-মধ্যে"]·DE["[בשבלים]", "[שבלי]", "[שבלים]", "[שבלת]", "die-Ähren", "Ähren"]·EN["among-the-ears-of-grain", "clusters-of", "ear-of-grain", "ears-of-grain", "heads-of-grain", "the-heads-of-grain"]·FR["[שבלים]", "le-têtes-de-grain", "parmi-le-oreilles-de-grain", "têtes-de-grain", "épi", "שבלת"]·heb["ב-שיבולים", "ה-שבלים", "ה-שבלים", "שבלים", "שיבולים", "שיבולת", "שיבלי"]·HI["बालियां", "बाली", "बालें", "बालों", "बालों-ने", "बालों-में"]·ID["bulir-bulir", "bulir-bulir-gandum-itu", "bulir-gandum", "di-antara-bulir-bulir", "tangkai"]·IT["[שבלי]", "[שבלים]", "capi-di-grain", "fra-il-orecchie-di-grano", "il-capi-di-grain", "orecchio-di-grain"]·jav["gandum", "ing-wos", "uwoh", "winih", "wulèn-gandum", "wulèn-gandum-punika"]·KO["그-이삭들은", "그-이삭들을", "그-이삭들이", "에-이삭들", "이삭들을", "이삭들이", "이삭의"]·PT["as-espigas", "de-espiga", "entre-as-espigas", "espigas", "espigas-de"]·RU["ветви", "колоса", "колосьев", "колосья", "среди-колосьев"]·ES["entre-las-espigas", "espigas", "espigas-de", "la-espiga", "las-espigas"]·SW["mashuke-ya", "masuke", "nafaka", "wa-masuke"]·TR["-başak", "-başaklar", "-başaklardan", "-başakları", "basaki", "basaklari", "başak", "başakları-", "başağın"]·urd["بالی", "بالیوں", "بالیوں-میں-سے", "بالیوں-نے", "بالیں", "بالیں-نے", "بالیں-وہ", "سنبلیں"]
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
† II. שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת n.f. ear of grain;—שׁ׳ abs. Jb 24:24 +; pl. שִׁבֳּלִים Gn 41:5 +, cstr. שִׁבֳּלֵי Zc 4:12;—ear, Gn 41:5, 6, 7(×2), 22, 23, 24(×2), 26, 27; Is 17:5(×2); Ru 2:2; Jb 24:24; transf. spike (Pusey), end of olive bough Zc 4:12.