firstfruits

Firstfruits is a term used for the first portion of a harvest offered to God as an acknowledgment of divine provision. In biblical Hebrew it is called bikkurim, meaning "first sprouts" or "first fruits."

In ancient Israel, the firstfruits offering was prescribed in Leviticus and Numbers. The first ripe barley was brought to the temple and, with a priest waving the sheaf before the Lord, marked the beginning of the harvest calendar. The ritual functioned as an expression of gratitude and recognition that the land belonged to God; it also served as a link between agricultural life and temple worship. The accompanying omer counting connected the barley harvest to the wheat harvest and Shavuot.

In Jewish and Christian thought, the concept persisted beyond the temple period as a symbol of first success and dependence on God; some modern Jewish communities observe symbolic firstfruits during harvest season. In Christianity, Paul uses "the firstfruits" to refer to Christ's resurrection as the "firstfruits" of those who have died, and the term appears in liturgical and theological contexts to denote the initial harvest that anticipates the full harvest of salvation.

In modern usage, "firstfruits" may refer to the first harvested crops in agricultural contexts and is sometimes used metaphorically for the earliest results of any enterprise. The concept remains a touchstone for discussions of gratitude, stewardship, and eschatological hope.