# yoke, yoked, tied

## Definition:

A yoke is a piece of wood or metal attached to two or more animals to connect them for the purpose of pulling a plow or a cart. There are also several figurative meanings for this term.

* The term “yoke” is used figuratively to refer to something that joins people for the purpose of working together, such as in serving Jesus.
* Paul used the term “yokefellow” to refer to someone who was serving Christ as he was. This could also be translated as “fellow worker” or “fellow servant” or “coworker.”
* The term “yoke” is also often used figuratively to refer to a heavy load that someone has to carry, such as when being oppressed by slavery or persecution.
* In most contexts, it is best to translate this term literally, using the local term for a yoke that is used for farming.
* Other ways to translate the figurative use of this term could be, “oppressive burden” or “heavy load” or “bond,” depending on the context.

(See also: [bind](../kt/bond.md), [burden](../other/burden.md), [oppress](../other/oppress.md), [persecute](../other/persecute.md), [servant](../other/servant.md))

## Bible References:

* [Acts 15:10](rc://en/tn/help/act/15/10)
* [Galatians 05:01](rc://en/tn/help/gal/05/01)
* [Genesis 27:40](rc://en/tn/help/gen/27/40)
* [Isaiah 09:04](rc://en/tn/help/isa/09/04)
* [Jeremiah 27:04](rc://en/tn/help/jer/27/04)
* [Matthew 11:30](rc://en/tn/help/mat/11/30)
* [Philippians 04:03](rc://en/tn/help/php/04/03)

## Word Data:

* Strong’s: H3627, H4132, H4133, H5674, H5923, H6776, G2086, G2218
