לֶקֶשׁ
the after crop
Definition
The Hebrew noun לֶקֶשׁ (leqesh) refers specifically to the 'after crop' or 'latter growth' that appears after the main harvest. This term describes the secondary growth of crops, particularly in the context of ancient Israel's agricultural cycles. In its sole biblical occurrence in Amos 7:1, it is the 'latter growth' that follows the king's mowing, likely referring to a late-season regrowth of grass or grain. The word emphasizes a specific, timed phase in the farming year, distinct from the primary harvest.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Amos 7:1, within the context of a prophetic vision. The prophet Amos sees a locust swarm devouring the 'latter growth' (leqesh) that comes up after the king's harvest. The usage here is purely agricultural, serving as a vivid image in a vision of judgment, where even the secondary, late-season produce is consumed, symbolizing total devastation.
Etymology
לֶקֶשׁ (leqesh) is a noun derived from the root verb לָקַשׁ (laqash, H3953), which means 'to take the aftermath' or 'to glean.' The noun form thus directly carries the sense of that which is taken or grows afterward. It is related to the concept of gathering what remains following the main harvest.
Semantic Range
While לֶקֶשׁ itself is a mundane agricultural term, its single use in Amos 7:1 is theologically significant. It appears in a divine vision of judgment, where God shows Amos a swarm of locusts destroying the 'latter growth,' representing a comprehensive calamity that spares nothing, not even the secondary hope of a late crop. This underscores the totality of God's coming judgment, which consumes all provisions and security, a theme central to Amos's prophecies against Israel's complacency.
In ancient Israel's agrarian society, the 'after crop' was a known but less reliable source of food and fodder, growing after the main harvest (often the king's portion was taken first). Its destruction by locusts, as in Amos's vision, would mean the loss of a critical buffer against famine, impacting both the people and their livestock. This context makes the image one of profound vulnerability and complete loss.
קָצִיר (qatsir, H7105) — The main 'harvest' or reaping, as opposed to the secondary growth. תְּבוּאָה (tevu'ah, H8393) — General term for 'produce' or 'yield' of the land, encompassing all crops.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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