### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **telem**, represented by `{{H8525}}`, is a term for a **furrow** or **ridge**. It appears **5 times** across **5 unique verses** in the Bible. Based on an unused root meaning to accumulate, it denotes a bank, terrace, or furrow created in the soil for agriculture.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical imagery, `{{H8525}}` is used to illustrate both divine judgment and blessing. In a negative context, the prophet Hosea describes judgment springing up like "hemlock in the **furrows** of the field" as a result of false covenants [[Hosea 10:4]]. Similarly, he likens the altars of idolatrous Israel to "heaps in the **furrows** of the fields" [[Hosea 12:11]]. In contrast, the psalmist portrays God's provision by describing how He waters the earth's **ridges** and settles its **furrows** with showers [[Psalms 65:10]]. The word is also used to represent the boundary of human cultivation, as when Job asks if a wild unicorn can be bound to work "in the **furrow**" [[Job 39:10]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a broader agricultural context:
* `{{H1417}}` **gᵉdûwd** (a furrow (as cut); furrow): This word is used alongside `{{H8525}}` in [[Psalms 65:10]] to describe the furrows of a field being settled by rain. The root sense of being "cut" is also seen where it is translated as "cuttings" on the hands as a sign of mourning [[Jeremiah 48:37]].
* `{{H1418}}` **gᵉdûwdâh** (an incision; cutting): Also appearing in [[Psalms 65:10]], this word reinforces the idea that a furrow is an incision or cut made in the ground.
* `{{H7704}}` **sâdeh** (a field (as flat); country, field, ground, land, soil): This common term for a field is frequently paired with `{{H8525}}`, establishing the setting for the furrows. It appears in contexts of judgment [[Hosea 10:4]] and blessing [[Zechariah 10:1]], and can also refer to land or country in general [[Ruth 1:6]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H8525}}` is tied to its use as a powerful metaphor for human and divine interaction with the land.
* **Stage for Divine Action:** The furrow is depicted as the place where God's character is revealed. It is where judgment sprouts from sin [[Hosea 10:4]] but also where His abundant blessing is poured out in the form of rain [[Psalms 65:10]].
* **Symbol of Cultivated Order:** The furrow represents tamed, ordered land intended for productive agriculture. This is contrasted with the untamable wildness of the unicorn, which will not submit to being bound in the furrow [[Job 39:10]].
* **Witness to Justice:** The land itself, down to its very furrows, is personified as a witness to ethical conduct. Job declares his innocence by stating that if he acquired his land unjustly, its **furrows** would "complain" against him [[Job 31:38]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H8525}}` is more than a simple agricultural label. It is a cornerstone of biblical imagery that connects the physical act of plowing to profound spiritual truths. As a furrow or ridge, it serves as a canvas for displaying God's blessing and judgment, a symbol of humanity's role in ordering the land, and a powerful metaphor for the earth itself bearing witness to the righteousness or sin of mankind.
TRV