A farming implement used for breaking up the earth. Biblical texts include both literal and figurative uses of the term. In the agricultural cycle of Palestine, plowing was a seasonal activity geared to preparation of the soil prior to planting. Figurative use of plowing includes its standing for marital abuse (Judg 14:18), cultivating sin (Job 4:8), a national fate (Hos 10:11), straightforward dedication (Luke 9:62), legitimate hope for compensation (1Cor 9:10), the absurdity of injustice (Amos 6:12), the aggravation of enemies (Ps 129:3), destruction (Jer 26:18; Mic 3:12), and the hoped-for time of peace (Isa 2:4; Joel 3:10; Mic 4:3). Except for recognition of uneven (therefore unfair and certainly awkward) pulling power, it is not clear why Israel’s law prohibited plowing with mixed teams (Deut 22:10). In some texts the “plowman” is teamed with vinedressers as a euphemism for farmers (2Kgs 25:12; Isa 61:5; Jer 52:16).
