### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qâmâh**, represented by `{{H7054}}`, refers to **something that rises, i.e. a stalk of grain**. It appears **10 times** across **8 unique verses**, typically translated as "(standing) corn" or something "grown up." This term describes mature grain in the field, often in the context of harvest, law, or divine judgment.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical law and narrative, `{{H7054}}` is used to describe agricultural assets. It sets the timetable for the Feast of Weeks, which begins when one first puts "the sickle to the **corn**" [[Deuteronomy 16:9]]. The law also made provisions for travelers, allowing them to pluck ears from a neighbor's **standing corn** by hand, but forbidding the use of a sickle [[Deuteronomy 23:25]]. As a symbol of a nation's livelihood, it is often a target of destruction, as when Samson let brands go into the **standing corn** of the Philistines [[Judges 15:5]] or when a fire consumes a field's **standing corn** [[Exodus 22:6]]. Prophetically, it is used as a metaphor for weakness and judgment, such as **corn blasted** before it is **grown up** ([[2 Kings 19:26]], [[Isaiah 37:27]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide agricultural and thematic context for `{{H7054}}`:
* `{{H2770}}` **chermêsh** (sickle): This is the tool used for harvesting the `{{H7054}}` **corn**, and its use is regulated by law, distinguishing between gleaning for personal need and systematic reaping [[Deuteronomy 23:25]].
* `{{H1430}}` **gâdîysh** (stack of sheaves): This refers to grain that has already been cut and bundled, often mentioned alongside **standing corn** `{{H7054}}` as part of a field's total wealth that is vulnerable to destruction by fire ([[Exodus 22:6]], [[Judges 15:5]]).
* `{{H7114}}` **qâtsar** (to reap): This verb describes the action of harvesting. It is used in contexts of both physical harvest, like a harvestman who **reapeth** the ears [[Isaiah 17:5]], and in metaphorical judgment where one will **reap** the whirlwind from sowing wind [[Hosea 8:7]].
* `{{H2682}}` **châtsîyr** (grass): This word is often used in parallel with frail crops to signify impermanence and weakness, such as the "grass on the housetops" which withers before it becomes mature **corn** `{{H7054}}` ([[2 Kings 19:26]], [[Isaiah 37:27]]).
### Theological Significance
The use of `{{H7054}}` carries significant theological weight, illustrating key principles of blessing and judgment.
* **Symbol of Provision and Law:** Healthy **standing corn** represents God's provision and the foundation of agricultural life. Its presence underpins laws regarding feasts [[Deuteronomy 16:9]] and social welfare [[Deuteronomy 23:25]].
* **Metaphor for Futility and Judgment:** The failure of **qâmâh** serves as a powerful illustration of wasted effort and divine judgment. A crop that produces no **stalk** [[Hosea 8:7]] or is **blasted** before it is grown up [[Isaiah 37:27]] symbolizes the fruitless outcome of disobedience.
* **Vulnerability of a Nation:** The destruction of **standing corn** represents an attack on the very lifeblood of a nation, as seen in the accounts of Samson's revenge on the Philistines [[Judges 15:5]] and in laws concerning restitution for fire [[Exodus 22:6]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7054}}` **qâmâh** is a term rooted in the agrarian world of ancient Israel that signifies far more than just a stalk of grain. It functions as a barometer of a nation's standing, representing divine blessing and provision in its health, and divine judgment or human conflict in its destruction. Whether defining the start of a religious festival or illustrating the consequences of sin, **standing corn** serves as a tangible symbol of life, wealth, and spiritual state.
TRV