לָקַט
𐤋𐤒𐤈
lâqaṭ
H3950 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To pick up or gather (objects, produce, or remnants) from the ground or a surface, especially what is left behind, dropped, or scattered. Extends to the act of gleaning in fields after the harvest, referring to collecting remains of crops not gathered by primary harvesters. Used metaphorically in some contexts to indicate purposeful collection or assembling of items or people.
Semantic Range
to pick up from the ground, to gather together, to glean after reapers, to collect remnants or scattered items, to assemble or gather people (metaphorically)
Root / Etymology
Root: לקט (l-q-ṭ). The root conveys the idea of collecting, gathering, or picking up. The verb לָקַט derives directly from this root and usually refers to the physical act of gathering scattered items, particularly crops or remnants.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, לָקַט typically appears in agricultural contexts, especially regarding the practice of gleaning—collecting leftover produce after the harvest (e.g., Levitical instructions protecting the poor and resident foreigner in Lev 19:9-10; Ruth 2). While its basic meaning remains stable throughout the biblical period, gleaning became a significant social institution during the monarchic and later periods as a symbol of social justice. The verb also occasionally takes on broader senses of gathering objects, substances (e.g., manna in Exod 16:16-18), or people for specific purposes. Later translations (such as the Septuagint and Vulgate) often render it with terms for collecting or gathering, while English translations range from 'glean' (in agricultural context) to 'gather' (in more general settings). Context informs which nuance is intended, with 'glean' connoting specifically the post-harvest activity linked to social and legal customs in ancient Israelite society. Related roots such as אָסַף (’āsaf, to gather/assemble more generally) or קָצַר (qāṣar, to reap/harvest) are semantically adjacent but emphasize different aspects of the agricultural process.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to pick up, i.e. (generally) to gather; specifically, to glean; gather (up), glean.
Bantu Hebrew
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לקט (l-q-ṭ) — pick up, gather, glean
Word Forms
23 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3950-11 |
תְלַקֵּֽט | telaqet | HVpi2ms |
you shall gather | you will glean | 4 |
H3950-05 |
לְ/לַקֵּ֣ט | lelaqet | HR/Vpc |
to glean | to gather up | 3 |
H3950-16 |
וַ/יְלַקֵּ֣ט | vayelaqet | HC/Vpw3ms |
and gathered | and he gleaned | 3 |
H3950-19 |
וְ/לָֽקְטוּ֙ | velaqetu | HC/Vqq3cp |
and gathered | and they gleaned | 2 |
H3950-06 |
לִ/לְקֹ֑ט | lileqot | HR/Vqc |
to gather | to glean | 2 |
H3950-08 |
לִקֵּ֔טָה | liqetah | HVpp3fs |
she had gleaned | she gleaned | 2 |
H3950-10 |
מְלַקְּטִים֙ | melaqetim | HVprmpa |
are gathering | gleaning ones | 2 |
H3950-09 |
לִקְט֣וּ | liqetu | HVqv2mp |
gather | gather up, you (masc. pl.) | 2 |
H3950-15 |
וַ/תְּלַקֵּ֣ט | vatelaqet | HC/Vpw3fs |
and she gleaned | and she gleaned | 2 |
H3950-17 |
וַֽ/יִּלְקְט֔וּ | vayileqetu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and they gathered | and they picked up | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
37 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3950-09 |
Genesis 31:46 | לִקְט֣וּ | liqetu | HVqv2mp |
gather | gather up, you (masc. pl.) |
H3950-16 |
Genesis 47:14 | וַ/יְלַקֵּ֣ט | vayelaqet | HC/Vpw3ms |
And Joseph gathered | and he gleaned |
H3950-19 |
Exodus 16:4 | וְ/לָֽקְטוּ֙ | velaqetu | HC/Vqq3cp |
and they shall gather | and they gleaned |
H3950-22 |
Exodus 16:5 | יִלְקְט֖וּ | yileqetu | HVqi3mp |
they gather | they glean |
H3950-09 |
Exodus 16:16 | לִקְט֣וּ | liqetu | HVqv2mp |
Gather | gather up, you (masc. pl.) |
H3950-17 |
Exodus 16:17 | וַֽ/יִּלְקְט֔וּ | vayileqetu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and they gathered | and they picked up |
H3950-03 |
Exodus 16:18 | לָקָֽטוּ | laqatu | HVqp3cp |
they gathered | they gleaned |
H3950-17 |
Exodus 16:21 | וַ/יִּלְקְט֤וּ | vayileqetu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and they gathered | and they picked up |
H3950-04 |
Exodus 16:22 | לָֽקְט֥וּ | laqetu | HVqp3cp |
they gathered | they gleaned |
H3950-13 |
Exodus 16:26 | תִּלְקְטֻ֑/הוּ | tileqetuhu | HVqi2mp/Sp3ms |
you shall gather it | you will glean it |