Original Word: מִגְרָפָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: migraphah
Pronunciation: mig-raw-faw'
Phonetic Spelling: (mig-raw-faw')
KJV: clod
NASB: clods
Word Origin: [from H1640 (גָּרַף - swept them away)]

1. something thrown off (by the spade), i.e. a clod

clod

From garaph; something thrown off (by the spade), i.e. A clod -- clod.

see HEBREW garaph

Word Origin
from garaph
Definition
a shovel
NASB Translation
clods (1).

[מֶגְרָפָה] noun feminine shovel (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic מַגְרוֺפִיתָא; Arabic (see Lane)) only plural מֶגְרְפֹתֵיהֶם Joel 1:17 (Thes clods, after Jewish interpreters, so AV RV, compare however Mei^{Joel 100 f}; ᵐ5 Me ארותיהם their cribs, of cattle; meaning of clause dubious).

Agricultural Setting

מִגְרָפָה refers to an implement used for gathering or scraping loose soil, clods, or refuse from a threshing floor or field. In ancient Near Eastern agriculture, such a tool followed plowing and harrowing, leveling the ground and clearing it for seed or for storage of harvested grain. Because threshing floors were normally exposed, the implement’s purpose was both practical (maintaining a smooth, clean surface) and preventative (guarding produce from mold, pests, and moisture).

Literary Context in Joel 1:17

Joel 1:17: “The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; the storehouses are in ruins, the granaries are broken down, for the grain has dried up.”

Here מִגְרָפָה appears in the plural, picturing seed that should be scattered and covered by the hoe now lying “shriveled” under hardened, unproductive soil. In Joel’s lament, every normal stage of production—seedtime, cultivation, storage, and consumption—has been disrupted by divine judgment. The mention of the hoe underscores the irony: the very tool designed to facilitate fertility testifies instead to futility.

Historical and Cultural Background

1. Dependence on seasonal rains made Israel’s agriculture acutely vulnerable to drought (Deuteronomy 11:14–17).
2. Farming tools were often fashioned locally from wood and metal; the hoe could double as a rake, reflecting the resourcefulness of agrarian households.
3. In covenant theology, agricultural success or failure served as a barometer of the nation’s spiritual condition (Leviticus 26:3–5, 18–20).

Theological Insights

• Symbol of Judgment: The silent hoe lying idle while seed decays graphically portrays the outcome of sin—effort without blessing (Haggai 1:6).
• Call to Repentance: By highlighting agricultural collapse, Joel urges priests and people to assemble, fast, and cry out to the LORD (Joel 1:13–14).
• Restoration Anticipated: The same prophetic book promises that once repentance occurs, “the threshing floors will be filled with grain” (Joel 2:24). The hoe, emblem of desolation, becomes implicit evidence of renewed productivity.

Connections to Broader Biblical Imagery

• Harvest Motif: Scripture often equates spiritual response with agricultural yield (Isaiah 5:1–7; Matthew 13:3–23). A useless hoe anticipates the New Testament image of branches that bear no fruit being cut off (John 15:6).
• Tools in Divine Hands: As the winnowing fork is in the hand of the Messiah (Matthew 3:12), so the hoe in Joel reminds readers that every instrument of livelihood ultimately falls under the sovereignty of God.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Preaching and Teaching: Joel 1:17 provides a vivid illustration for sermons on the consequences of neglecting God’s word and the necessity of heartfelt repentance.
2. Stewardship Emphasis: The passage encourages believers to view tools, talents, and resources as gifts that prosper only under divine favor (James 4:13–15).
3. Prayer and Intercession: Congregations in drought-stricken or economically depressed regions may draw comfort and motivation from Joel’s sequence—lament, repentance, restoration.

Conclusion

Though מִגְרָפָה appears only once in Scripture, its single occurrence is dense with meaning. The humble hoe becomes a silent preacher, warning against spiritual barrenness and pointing toward the hope of renewed harvest when God’s people humble themselves and seek His face.

מֶגְרְפֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם מגרפתיהם meḡ·rə·p̄ō·ṯê·hem megreFoteiHem meḡrəp̄ōṯêhemInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts