Amos 7:1 This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king's harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up.

◄ Amos 7:1 ►

New International Version
This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up.

New Living Translation
The Sovereign LORD showed me a vision. I saw him preparing to send a vast swarm of locusts over the land. This was after the king’s share had been harvested from the fields and as the main crop was coming up.

English Standard Version
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.

Berean Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up.

King James Bible
Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.

New King James Version
Thus the Lord GOD showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings.

New American Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, He was forming a swarm of locusts when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing.

NASB 1995
Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, He was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing.

NASB 1977
Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, He was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus Lord Yahweh showed me, and behold, He was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to come up. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing.

Amplified Bible
Thus the Lord GOD showed me [a vision], and behold, He was forming a swarm of locusts when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing.

Christian Standard Bible
The Lord GOD showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout—after the cutting of the king’s hay.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Lord GOD showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout—after the cutting of the king’s hay.

American Standard Version
Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD God showed me that he is going to send locusts to attack your crops. It will happen after the king has already been given his share of the grain and before the rest of the grain has been harvested.

English Revised Version
Thus the Lord GOD shewed me: and, behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is what the Almighty LORD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts when the second crop was being harvested. It was the harvest that followed the harvest for the king.

Good News Translation
I had a vision from the Sovereign LORD. In it I saw him create a swarm of locusts just after the king's share of the hay had been cut and the grass was starting to grow again.

International Standard Version
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: Look! He was forming locust swarms as the latter plantings were just beginning to sprout. Indeed, the king had just taken his first fruit tax.

Majority Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up.

NET Bible
The sovereign LORD showed me this: I saw him making locusts just as the crops planted late were beginning to sprout. (The crops planted late sprout after the royal harvest.)

New Heart English Bible
This is what the LORD showed me: And look, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and look, it was the latter growth after the king's harvest.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thus hath the Lord GOD shown to me; and behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.

World English Bible
Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me: behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and behold, it was the latter growth after the king’s harvest.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Thus Lord YHWH has showed me, and behold, He is forming locusts at the beginning of the ascending of the latter growth, and behold, the latter growth [is] after the mowings of the king [[or King Gog]];

Young's Literal Translation
Thus hath the Lord Jehovah shewed me, and lo, He is forming locusts at the beginning of the ascending of the latter growth, and lo, the latter growth is after the mowings of the king;

Smith's Literal Translation
Thus the Lord Jehovah caused me to see; and behold, he will form locusts in the beginning of the coming up of the latter grass; and behold, the latter grass after the moorings of the king.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
These things the Lord God shewed to me: and behold the locust was formed in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter rain, and lo, it was the latter rain after the king's mowing.

Catholic Public Domain Version
These things the Lord God has revealed to me. And behold, the locust was formed at the beginning of the germination during the latter rains, and behold, the latter rains came after the thundering of the king.

New American Bible
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was forming a locust swarm when the late growth began to come up (the late growth after the king’s mowing ).

New Revised Standard Version
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: he was forming locusts at the time the latter growth began to sprout (it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings).

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
THUS has the LORD God showed me: behold, a plague of locusts coming up in the beginning of springing up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Thus showed me The Lord of Lords: a creation of locusts at the beginning of growth of late grass and that late grass after the mowing was the King’s

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thus the Lord GOD showed me; and, behold, He formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thus has the Lord God shewed me; and, behold, a swarm of locusts coming from the east; and, behold, one caterpillar, king Gog.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Locusts, Fire, and Plumb Line
1This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up. 2And when the locusts had eaten every green plant in the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Joel 1:4
What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.

Exodus 10:12-15
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.” / So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts. / The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be. ...

Jeremiah 51:14
The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.”

Isaiah 33:4
Your spoil, O nations, is gathered as by locusts; like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it.

Nahum 3:15-17
There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and consume you like a young locust. Make yourself many like the young locust; make yourself many like the swarming locust! / You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away. / Your guards are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where.

Revelation 9:3-7
And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. / They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. / The locusts were not given power to kill them, but only to torment them for five months, and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion. ...

Joel 2:25
I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you.

Deuteronomy 28:38
You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because the locusts will consume it.

1 Kings 8:37
When famine or plague comes upon the land, or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemy besieges them in their cities, whatever plague or sickness may come,

Psalm 105:34-35
He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number. / They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.

Revelation 8:7
Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass.

Jeremiah 46:23
They will chop down her forest, declares the LORD, dense though it may be, for they are more numerous than locusts; they cannot be counted.

Isaiah 7:18
On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria.

Judges 6:5
For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.

Revelation 16:13-14
And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. / These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.

Treasury of Scripture

Thus has the Lord GOD showed to me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, see, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.

shewed.

Amos 7:4,7
Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part…

Amos 8:1
Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit.

Jeremiah 1:11-16
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree…

he.

Amos 4:9
I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

Exodus 10:12-16
And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left…

Isaiah 33:4
And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

grasshoppers.

mowings.

Jump to Previous

Beginning Crop Cutting Formed Forming Grass Grasshoppers Growth Harvest Harvested King's Late Locusts Preparing Second Share Shew Shewed Shooting Showed Sovereign Spring Sprout Starting Swarms

Jump to Next

Beginning Crop Cutting Formed Forming Grass Grasshoppers Growth Harvest Harvested King's Late Locusts Preparing Second Share Shew Shewed Shooting Showed Sovereign Spring Sprout Starting Swarms

Amos 7

1. The judgments of the grasshoppers,
4. and of the fire are diverted by the prayer of Amos.
7. By the wall of a plumb line is signified the rejection of Israel.
10. Amaziah complains of Amos.
14. Amos shows his calling
16. and Amaziah's judgment.

Berean Study Bible

This is what the Lord GOD showed me
The phrase emphasizes the divine origin of the vision. "Lord GOD" in Hebrew is "Adonai Yahweh," underscoring God's sovereign authority and covenant relationship with Israel. The use of "showed" indicates a revelation, a common prophetic experience where God communicates His will or impending actions. This sets the stage for understanding the vision as a direct message from God, not merely a human interpretation.

He was preparing swarms of locusts
The imagery of "swarms of locusts" is significant in the ancient Near Eastern context. Locusts were a symbol of devastating judgment, often used by God as a tool of discipline (Exodus 10:12-15). The Hebrew word for locusts, "arbeh," suggests a multitude, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of the impending disaster. This preparation by God indicates His control over nature and His ability to use it to fulfill His purposes.

just after the king’s harvest
This phrase situates the vision in a specific agricultural and economic context. The "king’s harvest" likely refers to the first harvest, which was often claimed by the monarchy as a form of tax or tribute. This timing highlights the severity of the judgment, as it would affect the nation’s sustenance and economic stability. It underscores the message that God’s judgment can impact even the highest authorities and their resources.

as the late spring crop was coming up
The "late spring crop" refers to the second harvest, which was crucial for the sustenance of the people. In Hebrew, this is the "lekesh," the latter growth that follows the early rains. The timing of the locusts' arrival, just as this crop was emerging, signifies a complete and devastating loss. This detail emphasizes the thoroughness of God’s judgment and serves as a call to repentance, as the people would be left without their expected provision.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(1) Each of the visions is introduced with closely resembling words. For "grasshopper," read locusts. The phrase "king's mowings" suggests that the king claimed tyrannically the first-fruits of the hay harvest, which was ordinarily followed by the early "rain upon the mown grass." (Comp. 1Kings 18:5.)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 1-ch. 9:10. - Part III. FIVE VISIONS, WITH EXPLANATIONS, CONTINUING AND CONFIRMING THE PREVIOUS PROPHECY. The afflictions are climactic, increasing in intensity. The first two symbolize judgments which have been averted by the prophet's intercession; the third and fourth adumbrate judgments which are to fall inevitably; and the fifth proclaims the overthrow of the temple and the old theocracy. Verses 1-3. - § 1. The first vision, of locusts, represents Israel as a field eaten down to the ground, but shooting up afresh, and its utter destruction postponed at the prophet's prayer. Verse 1. - Thus hath the Lord God showed unto me. By an inward illumination (comp. vers. 4, 7; and Amos 8:1; Jeremiah 24:1-3). He formed grasshoppers; rather, locusts (Nahum 3:17). This points to the moral government of God, who uses nature to work his purposes, "wind and storm fulfilling his word." In the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; when the aftermath was beginning to grow under the influence of the latter rains. If the herbage was destroyed then, there would be no hope of recovery in the rest of the year. After the king's mowings. It is deduced from this expression that the first crop on certain grounds was taken for the king's use - a kind of royal perquisite, though there is no trace of such a custom found in Scripture, the passage in 1 Kings 18:5, where Ahab sends Obadiah to search for pasture, having plainly nothing to do with it; and in this case, as Keil remarks, the plague would seem to fall upon the people only, and the guilty king would have escaped. But to interpret the expression entirely in a spiritual sense, with no substantial basis, as "Jehovah's judgments," destroys the harmony of the vision, ignoring its material aspect altogether. It is quite possible that the custom above mentioned did exist, though it was probably limited to certain lands, and did not apply to the whole pasturage of the country. It is here mentioned to define the time of the plague of locusts - the time, in fact, when its ravages would be most irremediable. The LXX., by a little change of letters, render, ἰδοὺ βροῦχος εῖς Γὼν ὁ βασιλεύς, by which they imply that the locusts would be as innumerable as the army of Gog. The whole version is, "Behold, a swarm of locusts coming from the East; and behold, one caterpillar, King Gog." The vision is thought to refer to the first invasion by the Assyrians, when Pul was bribed by Menahem to withdraw.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

This is what
כֹּ֤ה (kōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD
יְהוִ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

showed me:
הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ (hir·’a·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

He was preparing
יוֹצֵ֣ר (yō·w·ṣêr)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3335: To mould into a, form, as a, potter, to determine

swarms of locusts
גֹּבַ֔י (gō·ḇay)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1462: The locust

just after
אַחַ֖ר (’a·ḥar)
Adverb
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

the king's
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

harvest,
גִּזֵּ֥י (giz·zê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1488: A fleece, mown grass

as the late spring crop
עֲל֣וֹת (‘ă·lō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

was coming up.
בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת (biṯ·ḥil·laṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8462: A commencement, rel, original

Links

Amos 7:1 NIV
Amos 7:1 NLT
Amos 7:1 ESV
Amos 7:1 NASB
Amos 7:1 KJV

Amos 7:1 BibleApps.com
Amos 7:1 Biblia Paralela
Amos 7:1 Chinese Bible
Amos 7:1 French Bible
Amos 7:1 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Amos 7:1 Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me: (Amo. Am)