Harrow
is the rendering in the Eng. Vers. of the following Hebrew words: חָרַיוֹ, charits' (lit. a cutting, hence a slice of curdled milk, "cheese," 1Sa 17:18) 'a tribulum or threshing (q.v.) sledge (2Sa 12:31; 1Ch 20:3); elsewhere only the verb שָׂדִד, sadad' (lit. to level off), to harrow a field (Job 39:10; "break the clods," Isa 28:4; Ho 10:11). See Kitto, Daily Bible Illust. 3, 39, 6, 397. The form of the ancient Hebrew harrow, if any instrument properly corresponding to this term existed, is unknown. Probably it was, — as still in Egypt (Niebuhr, Trav. 1, 151), merely a board, which was dragged over the fields to level the lumps. Among the Romans it consisted of a hurtle (crates) of rods with teeth (Pliny, 18. 43; comp. Virg. Georg. 1, 94). See generally Ugolini, Comm. de re rustica vett. Hebr. 5, 21 (in his Thesaur. 29:p. 332 sq.); Paul-sen, Ackerb. p. 96. "In modern Palestine, oxen are sometimes turned in to trample the clods, and in some parts of Asia a bush of thorns is dragged over the surface; but all these processes, if used, occur (not after, but) before the seed is committed to the soil." SEE AGRICULTURE.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More