Lexical Summary leqesh: Latter growth, late crop, spring crop Original Word: לֶקֶשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance latter growth From laqash; the after crop -- latter growth. see HEBREW laqash NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition the after-growth, spring crop NASB Translation spring crop (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs לֶ֫קֶשׁ noun [masculine] probably after-growth, after-math, i.e. spring-crop (compare GASm12Proph. i. 109); — only (2 t.) Amos 7:1, בִּתְחִלַּת עֲלוֺת הַלָּ֑קֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה לֶקֶשׁ אַחַר נִּזֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃. — > Other interpretations are: late-rain growth (from מַלְקוֺשׁ q. v.), HoffmZAW iii. (1883) 116; leaf-and-herb-gathering in spring, We after KleinZPV iv. 1881, 83; Anderlindviii. 1886, 62. Topical Lexicon Agricultural Context in Ancient IsraelThe late crop that follows the first mowing of spring hay was a familiar feature of agrarian life in the land of Israel. Once the king’s mandatory portion was taken, the remainder of the fodder was left to mature for common use. Because it came after the early harvest and before the dry summer heat, its success was highly dependent on favorable weather and the absence of pests. A swarm of locusts descending at this stage spelled economic ruin for shepherds and small farmers, threatening both animal fodder and the wider food chain. Prophetic Symbolism in Amos 7:1 Amos records a vision in which the Sovereign LORD forms locusts “just after the king’s share had been harvested, and the late crop was coming up” (Amos 7:1). By targeting the residual growth, the judgment strikes the ordinary people rather than the royal coffers. The prophet’s intercession highlights divine mercy: “Sovereign LORD, please forgive! How can Jacob survive? For he is so small” (Amos 7:2). The LORD relents, underscoring His willingness to temper justice with grace when genuine intercession occurs. Thus, the late crop becomes a vivid picture of the precarious state of a nation that has already consumed its first harvest of covenant blessings and now stands to lose even the remainder. Covenant Theology and National Accountability Mosaic warnings linked locust plagues to covenant infidelity (Deuteronomy 28:38–42). In Amos, the threatened loss of the late crop signals that Israel has exhausted earlier divine forbearance; only the residual blessings remain, and those too are endangered. The imagery presses home the truth that persistent disobedience jeopardizes even the remnant of prosperity. Yet the episode also confirms God’s consistency: His readiness to avert disaster in response to repentance aligns with the covenant promise of mercy (Exodus 34:6–7). Socio-Economic Implications Because the late crop primarily served everyday households and herd owners, its destruction would have widened the gap between the ruling elite and the populace. Amos, as a shepherd and dresser of sycamore figs (Amos 7:14), would have felt the weight of such a loss personally. His vision exposes the social injustice that permeated Israel, where the king’s needs were already satisfied while the common people faced scarcity. The late crop, therefore, functions as a barometer of societal equity and moral health. Ministerial Applications 1. Intercessory Prayer: Amos’ plea models standing in the gap on behalf of a community, reminding believers that earnest prayer can restrain impending judgment (James 5:16). Echoes in Redemptive History While Amos looks forward to partial restraint of judgment, the ultimate preservation of a remnant finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who secures an everlasting harvest through His death and resurrection (John 12:24). The threatened destruction of the late crop prefigures the crucible through which the righteous Branch would emerge, ensuring that God’s purposes for His people cannot be finally devoured. Related Imagery • Locust swarms as divine discipline: Exodus 10, Joel 1. Summary In Scripture the late crop serves as a poignant snapshot of God’s dealings with His people at a moment of critical vulnerability. It reminds readers that even the “second growth” of blessings can disappear under divine judgment, yet intercession and repentance remain powerful means by which mercy triumphs over ruin. Forms and Transliterations הַלָּ֑קֶשׁ הלקש לֶ֔קֶשׁ לקש hal·lā·qeš halLakesh hallāqeš le·qeš Lekesh leqešLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Amos 7:1 HEB: בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת עֲל֣וֹת הַלָּ֑קֶשׁ וְהִ֨נֵּה־ לֶ֔קֶשׁ NAS: a locust-swarm when the spring crop KJV: of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, [it was] the latter growth INT: began to sprout the spring and behold crop Amos 7:1 2 Occurrences |