Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G Message—yielding nothing to fill a reaper's hand, nothing to fill a harvester's arms for a single sheaf;
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.G—the reaper fills not his hand with it, nor does the sheaf-binder fill his arms;
KJV
King James VersionWherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.
BSB
Berean Standard Bibleunable to fill the hands of the reaper, or the arms of the binder of sheaves.
Footnotes
*Kap* (כַּף) is the cupped palm of the hand—the smallest conceivable unit of harvest measure. *Hetsen* (חֵצֶן) refers to the fold or bosom of a garment, used to cradle a gathered bundle of cut grain against the chest. Together these two images capture the bare minimum of harvest: one handful, one armful. The rooftop grass yields not even this. The futility is absolute—not a poor harvest, but a harvest that cannot begin. The detail also sets up the devastating contrast of verse 8: not only does no harvest come, but even the customary harvest blessing is withheld. FOG uses "sheaf-binder" to name the role with precision; FOG Message broadens to "harvester's arms" for smoother rhythmic flow.