### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **theristḗs**, represented by `{{G2327}}`, refers to a **harvester** or **reaper**. Though it appears only **2 times** in **2 unique verses**, its use is concentrated in a single, powerful parable where it takes on a significant symbolic meaning. The term is derived from the Greek verb for "to reap."
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical context, `{{G2327}}` appears exclusively in the Parable of the Tares. The **reapers** are first mentioned as the ones who, at the time of the harvest, will be instructed to gather the tares for burning before gathering the wheat into the barn [[Matthew 13:30]]. The meaning is made explicit later, where the **reapers** are identified as the angels who will act at the end of the world [[Matthew 13:39]], establishing their role as supernatural agents in the final judgment.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a fuller understanding of the context in which these reapers operate:
* `{{G2326}}` **therismós** (reaping, i.e. the crop:--harvest): This is the event during which the reapers work. The **harvest** is identified as the end of the world [[Matthew 13:39]] and is also used figuratively to describe fields that are ready for spiritual gathering [[John 4:35]].
* `{{G4687}}` **speírō** (to scatter, i.e. sow): This is the action that precedes the harvest. The enemy that **sowed** the tares among the wheat creates the need for the reapers' work of separation [[Matthew 13:39]].
* `{{G4863}}` **synágō** (to lead together, i.e. collect or convene): This defines a key task of the reapers, who are instructed to **gather** the wheat into the barn [[Matthew 13:30]]. This same word is used for the gathering of all nations for judgment [[Matthew 25:32]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G2327}}` is focused on eschatology, the study of end times.
* **Angelic Agents of Judgment:** The most crucial point is the direct identification of the **reapers** as angels [[Matthew 13:39]]. They are not human figures but celestial beings carrying out a divine command.
* **Executors of Divine Separation:** The primary function of the **reapers** is to separate the wicked (tares) from the righteous (wheat). They are the instruments that enact this final, decisive separation [[Matthew 13:30]].
* **Instruments of the Final Harvest:** The reapers bring the agricultural metaphor to its conclusion. They act under the authority of the "Lord of the harvest" [[Matthew 9:38]] to conclude the age, ensuring that what was sown is justly reaped.
### Summary
In summary, `{{G2327}}` is far more than a simple agricultural label. It is a term loaded with eschatological significance, used exclusively to describe the angels who will execute God's final judgment. The word **reaper** symbolizes a divine agent of separation, bringing the spiritual harvest to its ultimate conclusion at the end of the world.
TRV