The Greek verb arotriaō means 'to plow' or 'to till the soil,' describing the fundamental agricultural activity of breaking up ground to prepare it for seed. The word appears twice in the New Testament, both in contexts about the dignity of labor and the spiritual economy of sowing and reaping.
Plowing in Scripture is a rich metaphor for spiritual work. In Luke 9:62, Jesus uses it to describe the single-minded commitment required for discipleship: 'No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.' The plow requires forward motion and focus — any turning back makes the furrow crooked. Paul uses plowing in 1 Corinthians 9:10 to argue that workers deserve their wages: 'the one who plows and the one who threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.' Kingdom work demands wholehearted, forward-looking devotion.