Bible Dictionary
Farm
A farm was cultivated land, though in ancient Palestine people generally lived in villages and went out to their fields. The land was understood as belonging ultimately to God, with Israelites holding and working their allotted portions.
Definition
A farm is cultivated land or a piece of ground. In biblical Palestine, farms were generally not isolated dwellings like those familiar in the West; people lived in villages and went out to fields that might lie some distance away.
Biblical Usage
Every Hebrew had an assigned portion of land, held from Jehovah as the ultimate possessor of the soil. Tithes of its produce were given to Jehovah for the priesthood, and the occupation of a husbandman was honored.
Historical Background
Palestinian villages provided protection from wild beasts and marauders. In contrast, the supplied material says that Egyptian lands belonged to the king, with husbandmen giving him a fifth of the produce.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(Matt. 22:5). Every Hebrew had a certain portion of land assigned to him as a possession (Num. 26:33-56). In Egypt the lands all belonged to the king, and the husbandmen were obliged to give him a fifth part of the produce; so in Palestine Jehovah was the sole possessor of the soil, and the people held it by direct tenure from him. By the enactment of Moses, the Hebrews paid a tithe of the produce to Jehovah, which was assigned to the priesthood. Military service when required was also to be rendered by every Hebrew at his own expense. The occuptaion of a husbandman was held in high honour (1 Sam. 11:5-7; 1 Kings 19:19; 2 Chr. 26:10). (See LAND LAWS; TITHE.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>farm: Mt 22:5 is the only passage where agros, has been rendered "farm." In the many other passages where the same word occurs it is rendered "field" or "piece of ground." Farms such as the Occidental is accustomed to see, namely, isolated dwellings with their groups of outbuildings, surrounded by walls or hedges and overlooking the planted fields, were probably unknown in Palestine. For protection against wild beasts and Arab marauders everyone lived in a village and went out to his fields, located perhaps miles away, only as occasion required.</p><p>James A. Patch</p>