### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **drépanon**, represented by `{{G1407}}`, is defined as **a gathering hook (especially for harvesting):--sickle**. Derived from a word meaning "to pluck," it appears **8 times** across **7 unique verses**. This term is a potent symbol for the act of harvesting, both in a literal and a profoundly eschatological sense.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{G1407}}` is used exclusively as an instrument of divine harvest and judgment. In Mark, it appears in a parable where the sickle is put to use immediately when the fruit is brought forth because "the harvest is come" [[Mark 4:29]]. Its most significant usage is in Revelation 14, where it is wielded by celestial beings. One "like unto the Son of man" is seen on a cloud with a "sharp **sickle**" [[Revelation 14:14]], and an angel later cries for him to "Thrust in thy **sickle**, and reap" [[Revelation 14:15]]. Another angel also possesses a "sharp **sickle**" to "gather the clusters of the vine of the earth" [[Revelation 14:17-18]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the function and context of the **sickle**:
* `{{G2325}}` **therízō**: Defined as "to harvest:--reap," this verb is the action for which the **sickle** is the instrument. The command is given to "Thrust in thy sickle, and **reap**" when the time for harvest has come [[Revelation 14:15]].
* `{{G2326}}` **therismós**: Meaning "reaping, i.e. the crop:--harvest," this noun describes the event that necessitates the use of the **sickle**. The tool is brought out because "the **harvest** of the earth is ripe" [[Revelation 14:15]].
* `{{G3992}}` **pémpō**: This verb, meaning "to dispatch... send, thrust in," is used to command the wielding of the **sickle**. An angel instructs the figure on the cloud, "**Thrust in** thy sharp sickle" [[Revelation 14:18]].
* `{{G5166}}` **trygáō**: Meaning "to collect the vintage:--gather," this action is specifically associated with the harvest of grapes. An angel with a **sickle** is commanded to "**gather** the clusters of the vine of the earth" [[Revelation 14:18]].
* `{{G906}}` **bállō**: A verb meaning "to throw... thrust," it describes the physical action of using the **sickle**. The angel "thrust in his **sickle** into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth" [[Revelation 14:19]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G1407}}` is centered on themes of divine judgment and appointed timing.
* **Instrument of Eschatological Harvest:** The **sickle** functions as a tool for executing God's final harvest. It is used by a figure "like unto the Son of man" to reap the earth ([[Revelation 14:14]], 14:16) and by an angel to gather the vine of the earth, which is then cast "into the great winepress of the wrath of God" [[Revelation 14:19]].
* **Symbol of Divine Command:** The deployment of the **sickle** is not arbitrary but occurs at a specific, divinely appointed moment. An angel proclaims that "the time is come for thee to reap" [[Revelation 14:15]], emphasizing that the final judgment is carried out according to a divine schedule.
* **Duality of Judgment:** The imagery in Revelation 14 portrays two distinct harvests using a **sickle**. One is a grain harvest where "the harvest of the earth is ripe" [[Revelation 14:15]], while the other is a grape harvest where the clusters are gathered because "her grapes are fully ripe" [[Revelation 14:18]], signifying different aspects or phases of the final judgment.
### Summary
In summary, `{{G1407}}` transcends its simple definition as a gathering hook. While rooted in the agricultural reality of harvesting, its biblical usage, particularly in the book of Revelation, transforms it into a powerful symbol of end-times judgment. It represents the decisive and divinely commanded action of separating and gathering at the end of the age, carried out by celestial agents at the precise moment the harvest is declared ready.
TRV