אִכָּר
𐤀𐤊𐤓
ʼikkâr
H406 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person engaged in agriculture; specifically, a farmer or ploughman—one who tills, cultivates, or prepares land for sowing. In biblical usage, the term denotes someone whose primary occupation is working the soil, contrastive to nomadic shepherds or herders. The meaning encompasses individuals involved in fieldwork, particularly plowing and crop cultivation, rather than animal husbandry.
Semantic Range
ploughman, tiller, cultivator, farmer (one who works the soil), agricultural worker specializing in ploughing, fieldworker
Root / Etymology
Root: אכר, whose base meaning is 'to dig over, plough, break up soil.' The noun formation אִכָּר (ikkār) is derived as an agent noun, denoting 'one who ploughs' or 'one who tills.' The verbal root is not attested in the Hebrew Bible itself, but related Semitic forms, such as Ugaritic and Aramaic, confirm the root meaning of agricultural activity related to soil preparation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, אִכָּר refers to farmers as a social and occupational group, typically those who work the land in sedentary agricultural settings. This contrasts with other terms for shepherds or those engaged in herding, highlighting a fundamental economic and social distinction in ancient Israelite society. The term is rare in the biblical text (e.g., Jeremiah 14:4; 2 Chronicles 26:10), attesting to contexts involving drought or royal land management. In post-biblical Hebrew, the word persists as a general term for farmer, especially in rabbinic and later contexts. While some older English translations use 'husbandman,' this word does not always fully reflect the word's technical association with ploughing and soil cultivation. Care should be taken not to extend אִכָּר to mean any landowner or agricultural laborer without connection to tillage. In the patriarchal period, the distinction between אִכָּר, רֹעֶה (shepherd), and related terms is significant for understanding ancient Israelite settlement and economy. Later, especially in post-exilic and Second Temple contexts, the word aligns more broadly with local land-based agriculture, particularly within Judean rural life.
Translation Consistency
Most natural and common English equivalent for a person who tills or cultivates the soil; matches the typical Biblical sense and P2 corpus (’farmers’ is the most frequent rendering). 'Farmer' is modern, widely understood, and covers ploughing/tilling without the archaic tone of 'ploughman'.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to dig; a farmer; husbandman, ploughman.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אכר (ʾ-k-r) — to dig, break up soil, plough
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H406-03 |
אִכָּרִ֖ים | ikarim | HNcmpa |
farmers | ploughmen | farmers | 4 |
H406-01 |
אִכָּ֣ר | ikar | HNcmsa |
farmer | ploughman | farmer | 2 |
H406-02 |
אִכָּרֵי/כֶ֖ם | ikareykhem | HNcmpc/Sp2mp |
your plowmen | your ploughmen | your ploughmen | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H406-02 |
Isaiah 61:5 | אִכָּרֵי/כֶ֖ם | ikareykhem | HNcmpc/Sp2mp |
your plowmen | your ploughmen | your ploughmen |
H406-03 |
Jeremiah 14:4 | אִכָּרִ֖ים | ikarim | HNcmpa |
the farmers | ploughmen | farmers |
H406-03 |
Jeremiah 31:24 | אִכָּרִ֕ים | ikarim | HNcmpa |
farmers | ploughmen | farmers |
H406-01 |
Jeremiah 51:23 | אִכָּ֣ר | ikar | HNcmsa |
farmer | ploughman | farmer |
H406-03 |
Joel 1:11 | אִכָּרִ֗ים | ikarim | HNcmpa |
O farmers | ploughmen | farmers |
H406-01 |
Amos 5:16 | אִכָּר֙ | ikar | HNcmsa |
the farmer | ploughman | farmer |
H406-03 |
2 Chronicles 26:10 | אִכָּרִ֣ים | ikarim | HNcmpa |
plowmen | ploughmen | farmers |