ἀμάω (amaō)
amaō
to mow
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb amao means to reap or cut down a crop, a sense it shares with the more common New Testament word for harvesting. In classical Greek this term was largely poetic, but it appears in the New Testament with sharp, concrete force. It is used only once, in James 5:4, where the laborers’ wages cry out against those who withheld them.
Its root connection suggests a cutting or shearing action, emphasizing the physical act of gathering the harvest by cutting the stalks. This imagery underscores the finality and inevitability of divine judgment. The word paints a vivid picture of agricultural work, linking human injustice to the natural consequences that follow, much like a field ready for the sickle.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word amao describes the specific action of cutting down crops, a task that requires physical effort and marks the end of the growing season. In James 5:4, this term highlights the injustice faced by those who worked hard only to have their pay withheld. It reminds us that God sees the labor behind every harvest and values the dignity of those who toil.
When we face unfair treatment or feel our efforts are overlooked, this verse offers a sobering truth: no action goes unseen. The cry of the oppressed reaches God directly. We can trust that justice is not delayed but carefully weighed, offering comfort to those who suffer silently while warning those who exploit others.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- having harvested1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀμησάντων1×
Key Verses
-
James 5:4
Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Armies.
This single occurrence uses the word to describe laborers cutting grain, emphasizing that their unpaid wages actively 'cry out' for justice before God.