Amos 7:1-3 · Bible study
Amos 7:1-3 Commentary: Locusts, Intercession, and God Relenting
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine the vision of locusts after the king's mowing, Amos' plea for forgiveness, and God's surprising mercy. Study social justice and intercessory prayer.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s judgment through locusts is averted by prophetic intercession, highlighting both divine sovereignty and the power of prayer.
- Key words: Gobay (locusts/grasshoppers), yotser (forming, as a potter), nicham (relented, had compassion), leqesh (spring crop after the king’s mowing).
- Main debate: Whether the locusts represent a literal plague or symbolise a foreign army (Assyria).
- Theological theme: Intercessory prayer as a means of staying God’s judgment; the “smallness” of God’s people as a ground for mercy.
- Best use: A model for teaching on prayer, social justice, and the character of God’s mercy in the Old Testament.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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?”
3So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen,” He said.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Thus 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.
2When they finished eating the grass of the land, then I said, “Lord Yahweh, forgive, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small.”
3Yahweh relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” says Yahweh.
KJV King James Version 1769
1Thus 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.
2And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
3The Lord repented for this: It shall not be, saith the Lord.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1Thus 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.
2And it came to pass that, when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small.
3Jehovah repented concerning this: It shall not be, saith Jehovah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1Thus 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;
2and it hath come to pass, when it hath finished to consume the herb of the land, that I say: `Lord Jehovah, forgive, I pray Thee, How doth Jacob arise--for he is small?'
3Jehovah hath repented of this, `It shall not be,' said Jehovah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1Thus did the Lord Jehovah shew unto me; and 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 mowings.
2And it came to pass, when they had wholly eaten the grass of the land, that I said, O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee! How shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
3Jehovah repented for this: It shall not be, said Jehovah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1These 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.
2And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, I said: O Lord God, be merciful, I beseech thee: who shall raise up Jacob, for he is very little?
3The Lord had pity upon this: It shall not be, said the Lord.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Amos 7:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this vision portrays a judgment that God suspends in response to Amos' intercession. The locusts, formed by God as a potter shapes clay (Barnes, citing the participle yotser), represent a devastating plague, either literal or symbolic of an invading army. The timing “after the king’s mowing” points to the monarchy's exploitation: the first grass was taken for royal use, leaving only the second growth for the people (Cambridge Bible, Keil & Delitzsch). Calvin sees this as proof that God delayed punishment to give Israel time to repent, a patience the people had abused. When Amos cries, “Forgive, I pray! How can Jacob stand? for he is small,” the nation's weakness becomes the ground of appeal (Vincent notes the force of na as urgent entreaty). God “relents”, a term all commentators handle as anthropomorphic: the change is in outward dealing, not in God's character (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Gill). The passage thus presents divine sovereignty, human suffering, and the power of prayer to alter the course of judgment.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal locust plague: The agricultural detail (latter growth, king's mowing) fits a natural disaster; the description mirrors Joel 1:4 and Exodus 10:12-15.
- Symbolic of foreign invasion: The locusts represent the Assyrian army (Pul/Tiglath-pileser), as indicated in 2 Kings 15:19-20 and supported by many commentators (Calvin, Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown).
- Both literal and figurative: The vision operates on two levels: a concrete judgment that also foreshadows a greater historical calamity; a common prophetic technique.
What is clear: God sends judgment through locusts, and at the prophet’s intercession He relents from carrying it to completion.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Locusts: literal vs. symbolic | All interpreters see the locusts as representing a real calamity, either agricultural or military, sent by God. | Some (e.g., Keil & Delitzsch, Barnes) read the vision as depicting an actual locust plague; others (e.g., Calvin, Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) see them as symbols of the Assyrian army (Pul) that later invaded. |
| The king's mowing: historical practice or metaphor? | Almost all agree the phrase refers to the king asserting a first claim on the harvest, leaving the people the second growth. | A few (e.g., Wesley, Poole) suggest the first mowing was simply a practical method of managing the crop, while others (e.g., Cambridge Bible, Keil & Delitzsch) stress it as an example of royal oppression that exposed the poor. |
| Nature of God's relenting | All agree God does not change in His essential character or will. | Reformed tradition (Calvin, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) emphasises that the change is only in outward dispensations, God unchangeably wills to respond to prayer. Others (Gill, Matthew Henry) speak more simply of God “changing His purpose” in response to intercession, while still affirming His immutability. |
| Effectiveness of intercession | Every tradition sees Amos’ prayer as the direct cause of God relenting from the threatened judgment. | No significant debate: all affirm that God listens to and acts on the prayers of His servants, though some note that this does not mean God is coerced. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The agricultural setting of Amos 7:1-3 is precise. In ancient Israel, the king had the right to the first mowing of the spring grass, probably for fodder for the royal horses and chariot horses (Poole, Keil & Delitzsch). The leqesh, or “latter growth,” was the second crop that the common people relied on for their own harvest. If locusts devoured that, the ordinary farmer faced famine. This practice reflects the oppressive taxation and land policies of the northern kingdom under Jeroboam II, a time of military success and economic prosperity for the elite (2 Kings 14:25), but also of deep social injustice (Amos 2:6-8; 4:1).
The locust plague itself would have been terrifying, in the ancient Near East, swarms could darken the sky and strip fields bare (Exodus 10:12-15; Joel 1:4). Many commentators read the vision as a foreshadowing of the Assyrian invasion: Pul king of Assyria extracted tribute from Menahem (2 Kings 15:19-20), just as locusts consumed the land (Gill, Calvin). The “grass of the land” being eaten echoes Exodus 10:12, linking this judgment to the plagues of Egypt. Yet the vision stops short of total destruction because one man, a herdsman and dresser of sycamore trees, dares to stand in the gap.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Amos 7:1-3. Some early manuscripts (e.g., Septuagint) render “locusts” (gobay) as “grasshoppers,” but the meaning is unchanged. The Cambridge Bible suggests the Hebrew of verse 2 may be slightly corrupt (“the Hebrew of… is peculiar, and can scarcely be right”), but most modern translations follow the Masoretic text without substantial dispute. The word for “repent” (nicham) is consistently attested across traditions.
Reception History
Amos’ vision has been read across church history as a classic example of intercessory prayer turning away judgment. Early Christian writers (not named in supplied sources) saw the locusts as types of destructive powers overcome by the prayers of the righteous. Reformation-era commentators like Calvin and Matthew Henry focused on the tension between divine sovereignty and human freedom in prayer: God ordains both the judgment and the intercession that averts it. In the Wesleyan and Methodist traditions (Adam Clarke, Wesley), the passage has been used to encourage persistent prayer for national repentance. Modern readers often highlight the social dimension: the king’s mowing as an image of systemic injustice, and the prophet’s identification with the “small” as a model for advocacy on behalf of the vulnerable. The vision continues to be sung in hymns and cited in sermons on mercy and the power of one faithful voice.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God forms the judgment: The participle yotser (“forming”) shows God personally shaping calamity as a potter shapes clay. Judgment is not random; it is purposeful, aimed at a people who have forgotten the poor.
- Amos intercedes: Seeing the devastation, the prophet cries “Forgive!” (selach) and pleads Jacob’s smallness. He uses the nation’s vulnerability as a claim on God’s mercy, a model of bold, compassionate prayer.
- God relents: The word nicham (“relented”) is anthropomorphic language for a change in outward circumstances. God does not change His character, but He does change His course, because prayer moves the hand of the unchanging God.
Five-point outline
- The vision, Amos sees locusts formed at a specific, vulnerable time (the second crop).
- The timing, The “king’s mowing” highlights how the monarchy has already taken the best; the poor are left exposed.
- The destruction, The locusts eat every green plant; the land is stripped bare.
- The intercession, Amos cries out, not for himself but for the nation, appealing to God’s covenant love.
- The relenting, God says “It shall not be,” showing that prayer can avert even deserved judgment.
Illustration hooks
- Harvest insurance: Farmers today know the feeling of watching a hailstorm or drought destroy months of work. The locusts represent that total loss, and the question “How can we survive?”
- The unfair first cut: Imagine a landlord taking the first harvest while the tenant farmer struggles with what remains. The king’s mowing mirrors systemic injustice where the powerful skim the cream and the vulnerable bear the risk.
- One voice in prayer: Amos stands alone. His prayer changes the outcome, a picture of intercessors who plead for mercy on behalf of a community in crisis.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really change His mind? Many struggle with the idea of an unchanging God relenting. This passage opens up how God’s relational responses do not contradict His nature.
- Why does God send disasters? The locusts are not random; they are the Lord’s forming. But the vision also shows that disaster is not the final word, prayer matters.
- How can one person’s prayer make a difference? Amos’ intercession shows that faithful prayer can pull back judgment. What if our prayers for our nation are more powerful than we imagine?
Leading a Discussion
This vision is the first of three that Amos sees, each more severe. In this one, God relents, but the next two move toward irreversible judgment. The group can explore how intercession works in a world of injustice and how smallness (Jacob is small) can become a claim on God’s mercy.
Discussion questions
- What do the locusts and the “king’s mowing” tell you about the social situation in Israel? (Read Amos 2:6-8 as background.)
- Why does Amos cry “Forgive” and not “Stop the locusts”? What does his prayer assume about the cause of the disaster?
- How does Amos use the nation’s smallness as an argument? In prayer, when have you felt small enough to depend completely on God?
- God “relents.” How do you understand this without making God changeable or capricious? (Consider Exodus 32:14, Jeremiah 18:8.)
- What does this passage teach about the relationship between human sin, divine judgment, and intercessory prayer?
- If one man’s prayer can shift the course of a nation, what implications does that have for your small group or church prayer life?
- How does the fact that God Himself “formed” the locusts (v.1) shape your view of suffering? Can God be both the source of judgment and the one who relents?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 10:12 | Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left.” |
| Exodus 10:16 | Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you. |
| Isaiah 33:4 | Your plunder will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap. |
| Jeremiah 1:11 | Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” |
| Jeremiah 1:16 | I will utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. |
| Jeremiah 24:1 | Yahweh showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before Yahweh’s temple, after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. |
| Ezekiel 11:25 | Then I spoke to the captives all the things that Yahweh had shown me. |
| Joel 1:4 | What the swarming locust has left, the great locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the grasshoppers symbolize many enemies who destroyed Israel’s crops. He says the prophet asked by whom Jacob could rise because the nation was very weak after losing so much.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes God personally formed both tiny creatures and the whole universe and created them for a specific purpose related to judging sinners. He also explains that God later repented of the further evil that was planned after the initial judgments.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes God showed patience by delaying punishment so Israel would repent. He believes the locust plague was a sign that God’s final wrath was near even though he had given them time to turn back.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that God forms Israel like a potter shaping clay, showing his ongoing work in visions. The locusts represent sudden destruction that comes after crops are expected to grow, leaving the people unable to recover.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes points out that the Lord showed Amos grasshoppers appearing after kings had cut the fields. The Lord then said it would not happen and that Jacob would not be raised because he was small.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that God showed Amos a vision of locusts appearing at the time new grass grew after the first harvest was cut. This image symbolized the Assyrian army ready to destroy Israel. You are loved by God who hears prayer and turns away judgment.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
The commentary sees the locusts as symbols of human enemies and the grass growing after they are gone as Israel’s future political revival under Jeroboam II. It also views Jacob’s question as a plea for God to remember his covenant with the patriarch.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue the locust plague is not a historical event but a spiritual vision produced by God’s Spirit. They say the king represents God and the second crop symbolizes Israel’s later recovery after divine judgment.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the first two visions show actual plagues of locusts and fire that are stopped at the prophet’s prayer. He believes these events happened truly rather than being symbols.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that the prophet saw God first show him grasshoppers eating the crops and then fire consuming the sea as signs of judgment against Israel. He also sees God using a plumb-line to declare he will no longer punish the people.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes these five visions describe different stages of future punishment for the people. He also says the word repented here is used like ordinary human speech.