לָקַט (la.qat)
la.qat
to gather
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 34 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb laqat means to pick up or gather things that are lying on the ground. It describes the careful act of collecting scattered items, such as stones for a monument in Genesis 31:46 or flowers mentioned in Song of Solomon 6:2. The word carries a sense of purposeful retrieval, focusing on what remains after a main harvest or event.
In Scripture, this term is most closely associated with gleaning. It appears frequently in Leviticus and Ruth to describe the practice of leaving leftover grain for the poor and the foreigner. Ruth uses this language when she asks permission to glean behind the reapers in the fields (Ruth 2:2). The action is not about harvesting the crop itself, but about gathering what was missed.
The sources also note a rare usage where laqat refers to collecting money, as seen in Genesis 47:14 when Joseph gathers funds for Pharaoh. This shows the word can apply to any valuable item picked up from a pile. It emphasizes the value of small, scattered pieces that might otherwise be lost.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word laqat describes the quiet, deliberate act of gathering what remains after the main work is done. In ancient Israel, this often meant picking up scattered grain left behind by harvesters for the poor and the foreigner. It is a word that highlights the value of small, overlooked things. God’s law commanded landowners to leave these remnants, ensuring that no one went hungry simply because they had missed the main event.
For your faith life, this offers a gentle reminder that nothing in God’s care is truly wasted. Just as Ruth gathered grain in Boaz’s field, finding provision and protection in the margins, you can trust that God sees the small efforts and quiet moments of your journey. He collects the scattered pieces of your days with purpose.
Whether you are gathering resources for a household or seeking sustenance in difficult times, this word points to a God who provides through both the abundant harvest and the gleanings. It invites you to rest in the knowledge that your needs are known, even in the smallest details of your life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 34 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you will gather3×
- to/ glean3×
- she had gleaned2×
- gather2×
- and/ they gathered2×
- and/ she gleaned2×
- you will gather/ it1×
- you will be gathered1×
- to/ gather [it]1×
- to/ gather1×
- they will gather1×
- they had gathered1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְלַקֵּ֑ט2×
- לִקְט֣וּ2×
- תִּלְקְטֻ֑/הוּ1×
- תְּלֻקְּט֛וּ1×
- תְּלַקֵּ֖ט1×
- תְלַקֵּֽט\׃1×
- מְלַקְּטִים֙1×
- מְלַקְּטִ֣ים1×
- לָקָֽטוּ\׃1×
- לָֽקְט֥וּ1×
- לִקַּ֤טְתְּ1×
- לִקֵּ֔טָה1×
Key Verses
-
Ruth 2:7
She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she rested a little in the house.”
This verse captures the persistent effort of gathering from morning until evening, showing how laqat describes the daily labor of finding sustenance in what others left behind.
-
Leviticus 19:9
“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.
Here the command is not to gather the gleanings for oneself, but to leave them, establishing the word’s connection to social justice and care for the vulnerable.
-
Exodus 16:18
When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. They each gathered according to his eating.
In the context of manna, this occurrence shows that laqat involves measuring out exactly what is needed, demonstrating God’s provision tailored to individual consumption.
-
Genesis 31:46
Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.
This instance uses the word for gathering stones to build a heap, illustrating its broader application to collecting physical materials for a memorial or boundary marker.