a yoke or team (i.e. pair); hence, an acre (i.e. day's task for a yoke of cattle to plough); acre, couple, [idiom] together, two (donkeys), yoke (of oxen).
### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsemed**, represented by `{{H6776}}`, refers to a **yoke or team** and is often used to mean a pair. It appears **15 times** across **15 unique verses** in the Bible. By extension of its agricultural connection, it can also signify an **acre**, the amount of land a yoke of cattle could plow in a day. The term's usage encompasses concepts of pairing, agricultural labor, and measurement.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H6776}}` is frequently used to quantify agricultural wealth and labor. Job's substance before and after his trials is measured in part by his "thousand **yoke** of oxen" ([[Job 42:12]]; [[Job 1:3]]). Elisha is introduced while plowing with twelve **yoke** of oxen, highlighting his significant agricultural background before his call to ministry [[1 Kings 19:19]]. The word also denotes a pair of animals for transport, such as a "**couple** of asses" ([[2 Samuel 16:1]]; [[Judges 19:3]]) or a "**couple** of horsemen" [[Isaiah 21:9]]. Furthermore, it serves as a standard unit of land measurement, as in a prophecy of judgment where "ten **acres** of vineyard shall yield one bath" [[Isaiah 5:10]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide context for the agricultural and social settings where `{{H6776}}` is used:
* `{{H1241}}` **bâqâr** (beef cattle or an animal of the ox family): This word specifies the most common animal paired in a **yoke**. The wealth of figures like Job is directly tied to the number of **yoke** of **oxen** they possess [[Job 1:3]].
* `{{H2543}}` **chămôwr** (a male ass): This term identifies another animal often grouped in pairs using `{{H6776}}`. For instance, Ziba met David with a "**couple** of asses" saddled for transport [[2 Samuel 16:1]].
* `{{H2790}}` **chârash** (to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to engrave, plough): This verb describes the primary activity associated with a yoke of oxen. Elisha was found **plowing** with twelve **yoke** when Elijah called him [[1 Kings 19:19]].
* `{{H406}}` **ʼikkâr** (a farmer; husbandman, ploughman): This word describes the person who works with a yoke. In a prophecy of judgment against Babylon, the Lord declares he will break in pieces "the **husbandman** and his yoke of oxen" [[Jeremiah 51:23]].
### Theological Significance
The conceptual weight of `{{H6776}}` is tied to its role in daily life, wealth, and divine action.
* **A Standard of Wealth and Provision:** A "yoke of oxen" was a fundamental unit of agricultural power. Owning many, as Job did, signified immense wealth and substance [[Job 1:3]]. Similarly, Naaman requested "two mules' burden" of earth, using a related concept of a team's capacity to measure his request [[2 Kings 5:17]].
* **The Context of Divine Calling and Sacrifice:** Elisha's call to ministry is set against the backdrop of him plowing. He decisively leaves his former life by taking "a **yoke** of oxen, and slew them" as a meal for the people, symbolizing a complete transition to his new role [[1 Kings 19:21]].
* **A Measure of Divine Judgment:** The term is used to illustrate the severity of God's judgment. The curse on a fruitful vineyard is measured in **acres** that produce almost nothing [[Isaiah 5:10]], and the destruction of a nation includes the shattering of its agricultural foundation, symbolized by the husbandman and his "**yoke of oxen**" [[Jeremiah 51:23]].
* **An Idiom for Partnership:** The word can describe a pair of men acting in concert, as when Jehu and Bidkar "rode **together**" after Ahab [[2 Kings 9:25]], illustrating a sense of teamwork or shared purpose.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6776}}` is a versatile term rooted in the agrarian world of ancient Israel. While its core meaning is a "yoke" or "pair," it functions as a critical indicator of economic status, a symbol of diligent labor, a unit of land measurement, and a metaphor for partnership and divine judgment. Its usage demonstrates how a practical, everyday concept could carry significant social and theological meaning.
TRV