Matthew Poole and continuators on Amos 7:1

1 THus hath the LORD God shewed unto me, and behold , he formed grashoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth, and lo, it was the latter growth after the kings mowings .

Sometime this refers to what went before, here it refers to what the Prophet saw and is about to declare.

This is the first of five Visions or Prophetick Representations of what was coming upon this People for their sins. The Lord gave Amos a clear sight of the future calamity by this Vision.

I could not but observe, and it is worthy your observance too.

It is not said he called for them, but he formed, or created them, probably intimating somewhat extraordinary in them, either in their bigness or number, or rather sudden appearing of them. So the plague signified by them should suddenly come upon them.

In our Countrey grashoppers are not hurtful, but these in our Text were Locusts and so rendred, Isa. 33.4. and N[illegible: 1 letter]h. 3..17. and the word used by Amos here is Paraphras'd by the Heb. Criticks by a word that properly Notes Locust.

The shooting up of the first growth being too luxuriant they did either mow off the tops, or eat it down with Cattel, and this was done for preserving the Corn and increase of the Harvest, but if the second growth were cut off or eat up, it marred the whole Harvest, and these devouring Locusts were formed in such time as to do this, and so to bring a famine upon the land.

It is supposed that the first mowing of the luxuriant Corn in the blade was for the Kings use, and after this the second springing grew up to the Harvest. It may possibly intimate, that though the Kings of Israel did as 'twere mow the luxuriant Riches, yet they grew again, but when Assyrian Locusts come all is devour'd.

Marginal references: Or, green worms.