Mowing

MOWING. In early Bible times, mowing of the ripe grain was done with a short sickle made of pieces of sharp flint set in wood or even bone. As the Hebrews became more technologically advanced, they made sickles made of metal—bronze and then iron. The farmer grasped the grain with his left hand and lopped off the stalks fairly high up. They were then bound into sheaves and taken to the threshing floor. The king’s mowings (Amos.7.1) were the portion of the spring harvest taken by the king as taxes. Only after the king’s agents had taken the tax-grain could the owner mow the rest of his field. See also Agriculture.

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MOWING (גֵּז, H1600). The “king’s mowings” in Amos 7:1 refers to the first cut of spring herbage which was to be given as tribute to the kings of Israel to feed their horses. After that the owner of the field could have his portion.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

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See Harvest; Reaping.