Word Study for H625 (אֹסֶף) | Strong's Concordance

ʼôçeph /o'-sef/ Ask about this word

Meaninga collection (of fruits)

KJV usagegathering.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼôçeph — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʼôçeph, represented by H625, denotes a collection (of fruits) or a gathering. Derived from the root word אָסַף H622, which means "to gather," this specific noun appears only 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible. Its meaning is tightly focused on the result of a harvest or collection process.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H625 is used both literally and metaphorically to describe the act of collecting. In Isaiah, it speaks of a coming time of trouble where "the gathering shall not come," signifying a failed harvest and divine judgment Isaiah 32:10. The prophet Micah uses the term to express his sorrow and the spiritual barrenness of his people, comparing himself to the emptiness that exists after the gathering of summer fruits Micah 7:1. In another context, it is used as a simile to describe how an enemy's spoil will be collected, "like the gathering of the caterpiller" Isaiah 33:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the agricultural and conceptual context of ʼôçeph:

H622 ʼâçaph: As the primitive root, this word means "to gather for any purpose." It has a much broader application than H625, referring to the gathering of people at death Genesis 25:8, the assembly of saints Psalms 50:5, and the bringing together of nations for battle Zechariah 14:2.
H1210 bâtsîyr: This word for vintage or the grape crop is often used alongside H625. Its presence specifies the type of harvest, as seen in Micah 7:1, which mentions both the grapegleanings of the vintage and the gathering of summer fruits.
H5955 ʻôlêlâh: Meaning gleanings, this term refers to what is left behind after the main harvest is complete. It appears with H625 in Micah 7:1 to emphasize the feeling of scarcity and that nothing of value, not even a cluster of grapes, remains.

Theological Significance

Despite its infrequent use, the theological significance of H625 is pointed and impactful.

Sign of Judgment: The absence of the gathering is presented as a direct consequence of disobedience and a tangible sign of judgment. A failed harvest meant the withdrawal of divine blessing and provision Isaiah 32:10.
Metaphor for Emptiness: The word is used to create a powerful metaphor for spiritual desolation. The feeling of a completed or failed gathering, where nothing is left to collect, perfectly illustrates the prophet's despair over the state of his people Micah 7:1.
Image of Inevitability: When applied to the collection of spoil, the term evokes a sense of natural and thorough plunder, like a pest consuming a crop, highlighting the certainty of the enemy's ruin Isaiah 33:4.

Summary

In summary, H625 ʼôçeph is a precise term for a "gathering," specifically of an agricultural harvest. While appearing only three times, it is used to convey profound concepts. It functions as a literal measure of agricultural success or failure, and by extension, a symbol of divine blessing or judgment. Metaphorically, it serves to illustrate deep spiritual emptiness and the unstoppable nature of conquest, demonstrating how a simple agricultural word can articulate significant theological truths.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

אָסְפֵּי
אֹסֶף
אֹסֶף

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

Isaiah

Micah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.