to gather
la.qat is used for collecting food or harvest remnants, as well as stones, arrows, wood, money, and people assembling.
The dominant use is collecting edible provision, especially daily food, harvest produce, or remnants left in a field. The verb also describes collecting other tangible things such as stones, arrows, wood, silver, and wild gourds; in forms marked as reflexive or passive, it depicts people gathering themselves to someone or being gathered one by one.
Senses in use
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Collecting food, crops, or field remnants · dominant
In Exodus 16:16 the Qal imperative directs the people to collect the heavenly bread according to what each can eat, while Exodus 16:21 describes the repeated morning collection. In Ruth 2:17 the Piel forms describe Ruth's work in the field and the result she threshed; the APB renders the verse, "So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed what she had gathered." Leviticus 19:9 places the Piel imperfect in the prohibition against taking the gleaning of the harvest.
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Collecting tangible items · common
The Qal imperative in Genesis 31:46 tells Jacob's brothers to collect stones for a heap. Piel forms occur where Jonathan's youth collects arrows in 1 Samuel 20:38, where a man collects herbs and wild gourds in 2 Kings 4:39, and where Joseph collects silver in Genesis 47:14. Jeremiah 7:18 likewise places the Piel participle in the clause about children collecting wood.
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People assembling or being gathered · rare
In Judges 11:3 the Hithpael sequential imperfect describes worthless men gathering themselves to Jephthah and going out with him. Isaiah 27:12 uses a Pual imperfect in the address to the sons of Israel; the APB renders the clause, "you will be gathered one by one."
In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses the APB commonly uses "gathered" and, in field settings, "gleaned." It also renders the reflexive and passive clauses with "gathered themselves" and "will be gathered," but it is a whole-verse translation.