Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • H7114 קָצַר (qatsar): To reap, harvest.
• H7105 קָצִיר (qatsir): Harvest, the act of reaping or the crop itself.

These Hebrew terms similarly convey the concept of reaping and harvesting, often used in the Old Testament to describe both physical and spiritual gathering processes. The connection between the Greek and Hebrew terms highlights the continuity of the harvest metaphor throughout the biblical narrative, emphasizing the importance of both physical sustenance and spiritual fulfillment.

Usage: The term θεριστής is used in the New Testament to describe individuals who gather or harvest crops, often metaphorically referring to those who gather souls or bring in a spiritual harvest.

Context: The Greek term θεριστής appears in the New Testament in contexts that emphasize the act of gathering or harvesting, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. In the agrarian society of the biblical world, reapers played a crucial role during the harvest season, gathering the produce of the fields. This imagery is employed in the New Testament to convey spiritual truths.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the concept of reaping to illustrate the spiritual harvest of souls. In John 4:35-38 (BSB), Jesus tells His disciples, "Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper may rejoice together." Here, θεριστής is used to describe those who participate in the spiritual work of bringing people to faith, highlighting the collaborative effort between those who sow the seeds of the Gospel and those who gather the resulting harvest.

The metaphor of reaping is also found in the eschatological teachings of Jesus, where the end times are depicted as a harvest, with angels serving as reapers who separate the righteous from the wicked (Matthew 13:39, BSB). This imagery underscores the finality and significance of the spiritual harvest at the end of the age.

The role of the θεριστής, therefore, is not only a practical one in the context of agriculture but also a profound spiritual metaphor for the work of evangelism and the ultimate gathering of believers into the kingdom of God.