כֶּרֶם (ke.rem)
ke.rem
vineyard
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 76 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun kerem refers to a vineyard, a cultivated plot of land dedicated to growing grapevines. In the Old Testament, it denotes both the physical agricultural site and the produce itself. This word appears frequently in legal texts, such as Deuteronomy 20:6, which protects a builder’s right to enjoy his new vineyard before being conscripted into war.
Beyond its literal sense, kerem carries significant metaphorical weight. Prophets often use the image of a vineyard to represent Israel or Judah. In Isaiah 5:1-7, God describes planting a beloved vineyard on a fertile hill, only to find it producing wild grapes. This passage establishes a powerful theological contrast between divine care and human failure.
The term also appears in wisdom literature and love poetry. Song of Solomon uses the image of vineyards to symbolize intimacy and beauty, as when the speaker mentions her own vineyard in Song 1:6. Translators typically render kerem simply as "vineyard" or "vines," preserving the concrete agricultural imagery that ancient readers would have immediately recognized.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kerem describes a carefully tended plot of land where grapevines grow. In ancient Israel, this was more than just agriculture; it represented stability, provision, and the fruit of honest labor. When Scripture mentions a vineyard, it often points to something valuable that requires patience and care to produce good results.
This image carries deep spiritual meaning for believers today. Just as a farmer waits through seasons of planting and pruning to harvest grapes, Christians trust that God is working in their lives even during difficult times. The Bible uses the vineyard to show how God cares for His people, inviting them to rest in His provision rather than striving on their own.
Whether reading about the laws of the Sabbath year or the poetic songs of love, the vineyard reminds us that God values both the process and the outcome. It invites us to look at our own lives with hope, knowing that the One who tends the vines also tends to our hearts.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 76 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- vineyards15×
- a vineyard10×
- vineyard/ your6×
- [the] vineyard of6×
- and/ vineyards5×
- vineyard/ my4×
- the/ vineyards4×
- and/ vineyards/ our4×
- the/ vineyard3×
- vineyards/ their2×
- and/ vineyards/ your2×
- and/ vineyard/ your2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כְרָמִ֔ים4×
- כֶּ֥רֶם3×
- כְּרָמִ֥ים3×
- כָּֽרֶם\׃2×
- כַּרְמִֽ/י\׃2×
- כַּרְמִ֥/י2×
- כַּרְמְ/ךָ֖2×
- כֶּ֛רֶם2×
- כֶּ֖רֶם2×
- כְּרָמִֽים\׃2×
- כְרָמִ֖ים2×
- וּ/כְרָמֵ֖י/נוּ2×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 20:6
What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not used its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use its fruit.
This verse protects a man's right to enjoy the fruit of his vineyard before going to war, highlighting its value as a source of personal joy and sustenance.
-
Leviticus 19:10
You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.
Here the command not to glean the vineyard shows that even the leftovers from this valuable crop were reserved for the poor, linking agricultural wealth to social responsibility.
-
Judges 9:27
They went out into the field, harvested their vineyards, trod the grapes, celebrated, and went into the house of their god and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
The people celebrating in their vineyards illustrates how these plots were central to community life and festivals, though this specific instance also shows how prosperity can lead to pride.