Reference: Amos
American
1. The fourth of the minor prophets, was a herdsman of Tekoah, a small town of Judah, about twelve miles south of Jerusalem. He prophesied, however, concerning Israel, at Bethel, in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam II, king of Israel, about B. C. 787, and was thus a contemporary of Hosea, Joel, and Isaiah. The first two chapters contain predictions against the surrounding nations, enemies of the people of God. But the ten tribes of Israel were the chief subjects of his prophecies. Their temporary prosperity under Jeroboam led to gross idolatry, injustice, and corruption; for which sins he denounces the judgments of God upon them: but he closes with cheering words of consolation. His holy boldness in reproving sin drew on him the wrath of the priests, who labored to procure his banishment, Am 7:10-17. In regard to style, Amos takes a high rank among the prophets. He is full of imagery, concise, and yet simple and perspicuous.
2. One of the ancestors of our Lord, Lu 3:25.
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Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent [word] to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you [right here] in the house of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words, for Amos has said this: 'Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.' " read more. Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. Earn your living and give [your] prophecies there, but don't ever prophesy at Bethel again, for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple." So Amos answered Amaziah, "I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.' " Now hear the word of the Lord. You say: Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Your wife will be a prostitute in the city, your sons and daughters will fall by the sword, and your land will be divided up with a measuring line. You yourself will die on pagan soil, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.
Easton
borne; a burden, one of the twelve minor prophets. He was a native of Tekota, the modern Tekua, a town about 12 miles south-east of Bethlehem. He was a man of humble birth, neither a "prophet nor a prophet's son," but "an herdman and a dresser of sycomore trees," R.V. He prophesied in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and was contemporary with Isaiah and Hosea (Am 1:1; 7:14-15; Zec 14:5), who survived him a few years. Under Jeroboam II. the kingdom of Israel rose to the zenith of its prosperity; but that was followed by the prevalence of luxury and vice and idolatry. At this period Amos was called from his obscurity to remind the people of the law of God's retributive justice, and to call them to repentance.
The Book of Amos consists of three parts:
(1.) The nations around are summoned to judgment because of their sins (1:1-2:3). He quotes Joe 3:16.
(2.) The spiritual condition of Judah, and especially of Israel, is described (2:4-6:14).
(3.) In 7:1-9:10 are recorded five prophetic visions. (a) The first two (7:1-6) refer to judgments against the guilty people. (b) The next two (7:7-9; 8:1-3) point out the ripeness of the people for the threatened judgements. 7:10-17 consists of a conversation between the prophet and the priest of Bethel. (c) The fifth describes the overthrow and ruin of Israel (9:1-10); to which is added the promise of the restoration of the kingdom and its final glory in the Messiah's kingdom.
The style is peculiar in the number of the allusions made to natural objects and to agricultural occupations. Other allusions show also that Amos was a student of the law as well as a "child of nature." These phrases are peculiar to him: "Cleanness of teeth" [i.e., want of bread] (Am 4:6); "The excellency of Jacob" (Am 6:8; 8:7); "The high places of Isaac" (Am 7:9); "The house of Isaac" (Am 7:16); "He that createth the wind" (Am 4:13). Quoted, Ac 7:42.
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The Lord will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the Israelites.
The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa-what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
I gave you absolutely nothing to eat in all your cities, a shortage of food in all your communities, yet you did not return to Me- the Lord's declaration.
He is here: the One who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, the One who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth. Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name.
The Lord God has sworn by Himself-the declaration of Yahweh, the God of Hosts: I loathe Jacob's pride and hate his citadels, so I will hand over the city and everything in it.
Isaac's high places will be deserted, and Israel's sanctuaries will be in ruins; I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword."
So Amos answered Amaziah, "I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.' " read more. Now hear the word of the Lord. You say: Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.
You will flee by My mountain valley, for the valley of the mountains will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones with Him.
Then God turned away and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you bring Me offerings and sacrifices for 40 years in the desert, O house of Israel?
Fausets
("a burden".) Of Tekoah, in Judah, six miles S.E. of Bethlehem. A shepherd (probably owning flocks) and dresser of sycamore fig trees; specially called of the Lord to prophesy, though not educated in the prophets' schools (Am 1:1; 7:14-15). These personal notices occur only as connected with the discharge of his prophetic function; so entirely is self put in the shade by the inspired men of God, and God is made the one all-absorbing theme. Though of Judah, he exercised his ministry in the northern kingdom, Israel; not later than the 15th year of Uzziah of Judah, when Jeroboam II. (son of Joash) of Israel died (compare 1Ki 14:23 with 1Ki 15:1), in whose reign it is written he prophesied "two years before the earthquake"; compare Zec 14:5. Allusions to the earthquake appear in 5/8/type/hcsb'>Am 5:8; 6:11; 8:8; 9:1,5.
The divine sign in his view confirmed his words, which were uttered before, and which now after the earthquake were committed to writing in an orderly summary. The natural world, being from and under the same God, shows a mysterious sympathy with the spiritual world; compare Mt 24:7; 27:50-54. Probably Amos prophesied about the middle of Jeroboam's reign, when his conquests had been achieved (Am 6:13-14; compare 2Ki 14:25-27), just before Assyria's first attack on Israel, for he does not definitely name that power: Am 1:5; 5:27 (Ho 10:6; 11:5). The two forces from God acted simultaneously by His appointment, the invading hosts from without arresting Israel's attention for the prophet's message from God within the land, and the prophets showing the spiritual meaning of those invasions, as designed to lead Israel to repentance.
This accounts for the outburst of prophetic fire in Uzziah's and his successors' reigns. The golden calves, the forbidden representation of Jehovah, not Baal, were the object of worship in Jeroboam's reign, as being the great grandson of Jehu, who had purged out Baal worship, but retained the calves. Israel, as abounding in impostors, needed the more true prophets of God from Judah to warn her. Her prophets often fled to Judah from fear of her kings. Oppression, luxury, weariness of religious ordinances as interrupting worldly pursuits, were rife: Am 8:4-5; 3:15. The king's sanctuary and summer palace were at Bethel (Am 7:13); here Amos was opposed by Amaziah for his faithful reproofs, and informed against to Jeroboam. (See AMAZIAH.) Like the prophet in 1 Kings 13, Amos went up from Judah to Bethel to denounce the idol calf at the risk of his life.
Calf worship prevailed also at Dan, Gilgal, and Beersheba, in Judah (Am 4:4; 5:5; 8:14), blended with Jehovah's worship (Am 5:14,21-26); 2Ki 17:32-33, compare Eze 20:39.
The book is logically connected, and is divisible into four parts. Am 1:1 to Am 2:13; the sins of Syria, Philistia, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, the neighbors of Israel and Judah Am 2:4 to Am 6:14; Israel's own state and consequent punishment; the same coasts "from the entering in of Hamath," which Jeroboam has just recovered from Syria, shall be "afflicted," and the people carried into "captivity beyond Damascus" (Am 5:27). Am 7:1-9:10; Amos's visions of grasshoppers devouring the grass, and fire the land and deep, both removed by his intercession; the plumb line marking the buildings for destruction; Amaziah's interruption at Bethel, and foretold doom; the basket of summer fruits marking Israel's end by the year's end; the Lord standing upon the altar, and commanding the lintel to be smitten, symbolizing Israel's destruction as a kingdom, but individually not one righteous man shall perish.
Am 9:11-15; David's fallen tabernacle shall be raised, the people re-established in prosperity in their own land, no more to be pulled out, and the conversion of the pagan shall follow the establishment of the theocracy finally; compare Am 9:12 with Ac 15:17. Reference to agricultural life and the phenomena of nature abounds, in consonance with his own former occupation, an undesigned propriety and mark of truth: Am 1:3; 2:13; 3:4-5; 4:2,7,9/type/hcsb'>9; 5:18-19/type/hcsb'>9; 6:12; 7:1; 9/type/hcsb'>9:3,9/type/hcsb'>9,13-14. The first six chapters are without figure; the last three symbolical, with the explanation subjoined. He assumes his readers' knowledge of the Pentateuch, and that the people's religious ritual (excepting the golden calves) accords with the Mosaic law, an incidental confirmation of the truth of the Pentateuch.
Stephen (Ac 7:42) quotes Am 5:25-27; and James (Ac 15:16) quotes Am 9:11. Philo, Josephus, the Talmud, Justin Martyr, the catalogues of Melito, Jerome, and the council of Laodicea, confirm the canonicity of Amos. His use of the names Adonai (Lord) and God of hosts marks that Jehovah, Israel's covenant God, is universal Lord. Characteristic and peculiar phrases occur: "cleanness of teeth," i.e., want of bread (Am 4:6); "the excellency of Jacob" (Am 6:8; 8:7); "the high places of Isaac" (Am 7:9), "the house of Isaac" (Am 7:16); "he that createth the wind" (Am 4:13). Hosea, his contemporary, survived him a few years.
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They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree;
They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree;
In the eighteenth year of [Israel's] King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah;
In the eighteenth year of [Israel's] King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah;
It was he who restored Israel's border from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word the Lord, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant, the prophet Jonah son of Amittai from Gath-hepher.
It was he who restored Israel's border from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word the Lord, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant, the prophet Jonah son of Amittai from Gath-hepher. For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel, neither bond nor free.
For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel, neither bond nor free. However, the Lord had not said He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so He delivered them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.
However, the Lord had not said He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so He delivered them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.
So they feared the Lord, but they also appointed from their number, priests to serve them in the shrines of the high places.
So they feared the Lord, but they also appointed from their number, priests to serve them in the shrines of the high places. They feared the Lord, but they also worshiped their own gods according to the custom of the nations where they had been deported from.
They feared the Lord, but they also worshiped their own gods according to the custom of the nations where they had been deported from.
"As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But afterwards you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.
"As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But afterwards you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.
The calf itself will be taken to Assyria as an offering to the great king. Ephraim will experience shame; Israel will be ashamed of its counsel.
The calf itself will be taken to Assyria as an offering to the great king. Ephraim will experience shame; Israel will be ashamed of its counsel.
Israel will not return to the land of Egypt and Assyria will be his king, because they refused to repent.
Israel will not return to the land of Egypt and Assyria will be his king, because they refused to repent.
The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa-what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa-what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa-what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa-what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Damascus for three crimes, even four, because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.
The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Damascus for three crimes, even four, because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.
I will break down the gates of Damascus. I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven, and the one who wields the scepter from Beth-eden. The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir. The Lord has spoken.
I will break down the gates of Damascus. I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven, and the one who wields the scepter from Beth-eden. The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir. The Lord has spoken.
The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept His statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray.
The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept His statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray.
Look, I am about to crush [you] in your place as a wagon full of sheaves crushes [grain].
Look, I am about to crush [you] in your place as a wagon full of sheaves crushes [grain].
Look, I am about to crush [you] in your place as a wagon full of sheaves crushes [grain].
Look, I am about to crush [you] in your place as a wagon full of sheaves crushes [grain].
Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl from its lair unless it has captured [something]?
Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl from its lair unless it has captured [something]? Does a bird land in a trap on the ground if there is no bait for it? Does a trap spring from the ground when it has caught nothing?
Does a bird land in a trap on the ground if there is no bait for it? Does a trap spring from the ground when it has caught nothing?
I will demolish the winter house and the summer house; the houses [inlaid with] ivory will be destroyed, and the great houses will come to an end- the Lord's declaration.
I will demolish the winter house and the summer house; the houses [inlaid with] ivory will be destroyed, and the great houses will come to an end- the Lord's declaration.
The Lord God has sworn by His holiness: Look, the days are coming when you will be taken away with hooks, every last [one] of you with fishhooks.
The Lord God has sworn by His holiness: Look, the days are coming when you will be taken away with hooks, every last [one] of you with fishhooks.
Come to Bethel and rebel; rebel even more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tenths every three days.
Come to Bethel and rebel; rebel even more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tenths every three days.
I gave you absolutely nothing to eat in all your cities, a shortage of food in all your communities, yet you did not return to Me- the Lord's declaration.
I gave you absolutely nothing to eat in all your cities, a shortage of food in all your communities, yet you did not return to Me- the Lord's declaration. I also withheld the rain from you while there were still three months until harvest. I sent rain on one city but no rain on another. One field received rain while a field with no rain withered.
I also withheld the rain from you while there were still three months until harvest. I sent rain on one city but no rain on another. One field received rain while a field with no rain withered.
I struck you with blight and mildew; the locust devoured your many gardens and vineyards, your fig trees and olive trees, yet you did not return to Me- the Lord's declaration.
I struck you with blight and mildew; the locust devoured your many gardens and vineyards, your fig trees and olive trees, yet you did not return to Me- the Lord's declaration.
He is here: the One who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, the One who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth. Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name.
He is here: the One who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, the One who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth. Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name.
Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal or journey to Beer-sheba, for Gilgal will certainly go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.
Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal or journey to Beer-sheba, for Gilgal will certainly go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.
The One who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the earth- Yahweh is His name.
The One who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the earth- Yahweh is His name.
Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord, the God of Hosts, will be with you, as you have claimed.
Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord, the God of Hosts, will be with you, as you have claimed.
Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord! What will the Day of the Lord be for you? It will be darkness and not light.
Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord! What will the Day of the Lord be for you? It will be darkness and not light. It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him. He goes home and rests his hand against the wall only to have a snake bite him.
It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him. He goes home and rests his hand against the wall only to have a snake bite him.
I hate, I despise your feasts! I can't stand the stench of your solemn assemblies.
I hate, I despise your feasts! I can't stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. Even if you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept [them]; I will have no regard for your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle.
Even if you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept [them]; I will have no regard for your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle. Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.
But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream. "House of Israel, was it sacrifices and grain offerings that you presented to Me during the 40 years in the wilderness?
"House of Israel, was it sacrifices and grain offerings that you presented to Me during the 40 years in the wilderness?
"House of Israel, was it sacrifices and grain offerings that you presented to Me during the 40 years in the wilderness?
"House of Israel, was it sacrifices and grain offerings that you presented to Me during the 40 years in the wilderness? But you have taken up Sakkuthyour king and Kaiwanyour star god, images you have made for yourselves.
But you have taken up Sakkuthyour king and Kaiwanyour star god, images you have made for yourselves.
But you have taken up Sakkuthyour king and Kaiwanyour star god, images you have made for yourselves.
But you have taken up Sakkuthyour king and Kaiwanyour star god, images you have made for yourselves. So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus." Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name. He has spoken.
So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus." Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name. He has spoken.
So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus." Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name. He has spoken.
So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus." Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name. He has spoken.
So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus." Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name. He has spoken.
So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus." Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name. He has spoken.
The Lord God has sworn by Himself-the declaration of Yahweh, the God of Hosts: I loathe Jacob's pride and hate his citadels, so I will hand over the city and everything in it.
The Lord God has sworn by Himself-the declaration of Yahweh, the God of Hosts: I loathe Jacob's pride and hate his citadels, so I will hand over the city and everything in it.
For the Lord commands: The large house will be smashed to pieces, and the small house to rubble.
For the Lord commands: The large house will be smashed to pieces, and the small house to rubble. Do horses run on rock, or does someone plow [it] with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood-
Do horses run on rock, or does someone plow [it] with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood- you who rejoice over Lo-debar and say, "Didn't we capture Karnaim for ourselves by our own strength?"
you who rejoice over Lo-debar and say, "Didn't we capture Karnaim for ourselves by our own strength?" But look, I am raising up a nation against you, house of Israel- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord, the God of Hosts- and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.
But look, I am raising up a nation against you, house of Israel- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord, the God of Hosts- and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.
But look, I am raising up a nation against you, house of Israel- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord, the God of Hosts- and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.
But look, I am raising up a nation against you, house of Israel- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord, the God of Hosts- and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.
The Lord God showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout-after the cutting of the king's hay.
The Lord God showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout-after the cutting of the king's hay.
The Lord God showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout-after the cutting of the king's hay.
The Lord God showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout-after the cutting of the king's hay. When the locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land, I said, "Lord God , please forgive! How will Jacob survive since he is so small?"
When the locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land, I said, "Lord God , please forgive! How will Jacob survive since he is so small?" The Lord relented concerning this. "It will not happen," He said.
The Lord relented concerning this. "It will not happen," He said. The Lord God showed me this: The Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land.
The Lord God showed me this: The Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land. Then I said, "Lord God , please stop! How will Jacob survive since he is so small?"
Then I said, "Lord God , please stop! How will Jacob survive since he is so small?" The Lord relented concerning this. "This will not happen either," said the Lord God .
The Lord relented concerning this. "This will not happen either," said the Lord God . He showed me this: The Lord was standing there by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand.
He showed me this: The Lord was standing there by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. The Lord asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" I replied, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will no longer spare them:
The Lord asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" I replied, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will no longer spare them: Isaac's high places will be deserted, and Israel's sanctuaries will be in ruins; I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword."
Isaac's high places will be deserted, and Israel's sanctuaries will be in ruins; I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword."
Isaac's high places will be deserted, and Israel's sanctuaries will be in ruins; I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword."
Isaac's high places will be deserted, and Israel's sanctuaries will be in ruins; I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword."
but don't ever prophesy at Bethel again, for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple."
but don't ever prophesy at Bethel again, for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple." So Amos answered Amaziah, "I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs.
So Amos answered Amaziah, "I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.' "
But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.' " Now hear the word of the Lord. You say: Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.
Now hear the word of the Lord. You say: Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.
Hear this, you who trample on the needy and do away with the poor of the land,
Hear this, you who trample on the needy and do away with the poor of the land, asking, "When will the New Moon be over so we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so we may market wheat? We can reduce the measure while increasing the price and cheat with dishonest scales.
asking, "When will the New Moon be over so we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so we may market wheat? We can reduce the measure while increasing the price and cheat with dishonest scales.
The Lord has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: I will never forget all their deeds. Because of this, won't the land quake and all who dwell in it mourn? All of it will rise like the Nile; it will surge and then subside like the Nile in Egypt.
Because of this, won't the land quake and all who dwell in it mourn? All of it will rise like the Nile; it will surge and then subside like the Nile in Egypt.
Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, "As your god lives, Dan," or "As the wayof Beer-sheba lives"- they will fall, never to rise again.
Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, "As your god lives, Dan," or "As the wayof Beer-sheba lives"- they will fall, never to rise again.
I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: Strike the capitals of the pillars so that the thresholds shake; knock them down on the heads of all the people. Then I will kill the rest of them with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of their fugitives will escape.
I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: Strike the capitals of the pillars so that the thresholds shake; knock them down on the heads of all the people. Then I will kill the rest of them with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of their fugitives will escape.
If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will track them down and seize them; if they conceal themselves from My sight on the sea floor, from there I will command the [sea] serpent to bite them.
If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will track them down and seize them; if they conceal themselves from My sight on the sea floor, from there I will command the [sea] serpent to bite them.
The Lord, the God of Hosts- He touches the earth; it melts, and all who dwell on it mourn; all of it rises like the Nile and subsides like the Nile of Egypt.
The Lord, the God of Hosts- He touches the earth; it melts, and all who dwell on it mourn; all of it rises like the Nile and subsides like the Nile of Egypt.
for I am about to give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, as one shakes a sieve, but not a pebble will fall to the ground.
for I am about to give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, as one shakes a sieve, but not a pebble will fall to the ground.
In that day I will restore the fallen booth of David: I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old,
In that day I will restore the fallen booth of David: I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old,
In that day I will restore the fallen booth of David: I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old,
In that day I will restore the fallen booth of David: I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that are called by My name- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration- He will do this.
so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that are called by My name- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration- He will do this.
so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that are called by My name- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration- He will do this.
so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that are called by My name- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration- He will do this. Hear this! The days are coming- the Lord's declaration- when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the one who treads grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and all the hills will flow [with it].
Hear this! The days are coming- the Lord's declaration- when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the one who treads grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and all the hills will flow [with it].
Hear this! The days are coming- the Lord's declaration- when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the one who treads grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and all the hills will flow [with it].
Hear this! The days are coming- the Lord's declaration- when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the one who treads grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and all the hills will flow [with it]. I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel. They will rebuild and occupy ruined cities, plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their produce.
I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel. They will rebuild and occupy ruined cities, plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their produce.
I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel. They will rebuild and occupy ruined cities, plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their produce.
I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel. They will rebuild and occupy ruined cities, plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their produce. I will plant them on their land, and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them. Yahweh your God has spoken.
I will plant them on their land, and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them. Yahweh your God has spoken.
You will flee by My mountain valley, for the valley of the mountains will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones with Him.
You will flee by My mountain valley, for the valley of the mountains will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones with Him.
For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit.
Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split.
Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had gone to their rest were raised.
The tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had gone to their rest were raised. And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.
And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many. When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, "This man really was God's Son!"
When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, "This man really was God's Son!"
Then God turned away and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you bring Me offerings and sacrifices for 40 years in the desert, O house of Israel?
Then God turned away and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you bring Me offerings and sacrifices for 40 years in the desert, O house of Israel?
After these things I will return and will rebuild David's tent, which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins and will set it up again,
After these things I will return and will rebuild David's tent, which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins and will set it up again, so that those who are left of mankind may seek the Lord- even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does these things,
Hastings
AMOS
1. The man.
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Now the king of Aram's servants said to him, "Their gods are gods of the hill country. That's why they were stronger than we. Instead, we should fight with them on the plain; then we will certainly be stronger than they.
Jehu said to Bidkar his aide, "Pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember when you and I were riding side by side behind his father Ahab, and the Lord uttered this oracle against him:
In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory:
Jehoahaz did not have an army left, except for 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them, making them like dust at threshing.
The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa-what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. He said: The Lord roars from Zion and raises His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers.
The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals. They trample the heads of the poor on the dust of the ground and block the path of the needy. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning My holy name. read more. They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and they drink in the house of their God wine obtained through fines.
They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and they drink in the house of their God wine obtained through fines.
Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not prevail by his strength, and the brave will not save his life. The archer will not stand [his ground], the [one who is] swift of foot will not save himself, and the one riding a horse will not save his life. read more. Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day- the Lord's declaration.
Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day- the Lord's declaration.
I have known only you out of all the clans of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.
A lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who will not prophesy?
The people are incapable of doing right- the Lord's declaration- those who store up violence and destruction in their citadels.
The Lord says: As the shepherd snatches two legs or a piece of an ear from the lion's mouth, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be rescued with [only] the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch.
The Lord says: As the shepherd snatches two legs or a piece of an ear from the lion's mouth, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be rescued with [only] the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch. Listen and testify against the house of Jacob- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord God , the God of Hosts. read more. I will punish the altars of Bethel on the day I punish Israel for its crimes; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. I will demolish the winter house and the summer house; the houses [inlaid with] ivory will be destroyed, and the great houses will come to an end- the Lord's declaration.
I will demolish the winter house and the summer house; the houses [inlaid with] ivory will be destroyed, and the great houses will come to an end- the Lord's declaration.
I will demolish the winter house and the summer house; the houses [inlaid with] ivory will be destroyed, and the great houses will come to an end- the Lord's declaration.
Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan who are on the hill of Samaria, women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, who say to their husbands, "Bring us something to drink." The Lord God has sworn by His holiness: Look, the days are coming when you will be taken away with hooks, every last [one] of you with fishhooks. read more. You will go through breaches in the wall, each woman straight ahead, and you will be driven along toward Harmon. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration. Come to Bethel and rebel; rebel even more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tenths every three days. Offer leavened bread as a thank offering, and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings, for that is what you Israelites love [to do]! [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration.
He is here: the One who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, the One who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth. Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name.
Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal or journey to Beer-sheba, for Gilgal will certainly go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.
Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact a grain tax from him, you will never live in the houses of cut stone you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted. For I know your crimes are many and your sins innumerable. They oppress the righteous, take a bribe, and deprive the poor of justice at the gates.
I hate, I despise your feasts! I can't stand the stench of your solemn assemblies.
I hate, I despise your feasts! I can't stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. Even if you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept [them]; I will have no regard for your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle.
Even if you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept [them]; I will have no regard for your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle. Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. read more. But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream. "House of Israel, was it sacrifices and grain offerings that you presented to Me during the 40 years in the wilderness?
So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus." Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name. He has spoken.
So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus." Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name. He has spoken.
They drink wine by the bowlful and anoint themselves with the finest oils but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
They drink wine by the bowlful and anoint themselves with the finest oils but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore, they will now go into exile as the first of the captives, and the feasting of those who sprawl out will come to an end.
But look, I am raising up a nation against you, house of Israel- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord, the God of Hosts- and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.
But look, I am raising up a nation against you, house of Israel- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord, the God of Hosts- and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.
But look, I am raising up a nation against you, house of Israel- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord, the God of Hosts- and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.
But look, I am raising up a nation against you, house of Israel- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord, the God of Hosts- and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.
The Lord God showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout-after the cutting of the king's hay. When the locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land, I said, "Lord God , please forgive! How will Jacob survive since he is so small?" read more. The Lord relented concerning this. "It will not happen," He said. The Lord God showed me this: The Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land. Then I said, "Lord God , please stop! How will Jacob survive since he is so small?" The Lord relented concerning this. "This will not happen either," said the Lord God . He showed me this: The Lord was standing there by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. The Lord asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" I replied, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will no longer spare them: Isaac's high places will be deserted, and Israel's sanctuaries will be in ruins; I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword." Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent [word] to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you [right here] in the house of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words,
Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent [word] to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you [right here] in the house of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words, for Amos has said this: 'Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.' "
for Amos has said this: 'Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.' " Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. Earn your living and give [your] prophecies there,
Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. Earn your living and give [your] prophecies there,
Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. Earn your living and give [your] prophecies there, but don't ever prophesy at Bethel again, for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple."
but don't ever prophesy at Bethel again, for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple." So Amos answered Amaziah, "I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs.
So Amos answered Amaziah, "I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.' "
But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.' " Now hear the word of the Lord. You say: Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.
Now hear the word of the Lord. You say: Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Your wife will be a prostitute in the city, your sons and daughters will fall by the sword, and your land will be divided up with a measuring line. You yourself will die on pagan soil, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.
Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Your wife will be a prostitute in the city, your sons and daughters will fall by the sword, and your land will be divided up with a measuring line. You yourself will die on pagan soil, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.
Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Your wife will be a prostitute in the city, your sons and daughters will fall by the sword, and your land will be divided up with a measuring line. You yourself will die on pagan soil, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.
The Lord God showed me this: A basket of summer fruit. He asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" I replied, "A basket of summer fruit." The Lord said to me, "The end has come for My people Israel; I will no longer spare them. read more. In that day the temple songs will become wailing"-the Lord God 's declaration. "Many dead bodies, thrown everywhere! Silence!"
asking, "When will the New Moon be over so we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so we may market wheat? We can reduce the measure while increasing the price and cheat with dishonest scales. We can buy the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and even sell the wheat husks!"
Because of this, won't the land quake and all who dwell in it mourn? All of it will rise like the Nile; it will surge and then subside like the Nile in Egypt.
I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: Strike the capitals of the pillars so that the thresholds shake; knock them down on the heads of all the people. Then I will kill the rest of them with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of their fugitives will escape.
I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: Strike the capitals of the pillars so that the thresholds shake; knock them down on the heads of all the people. Then I will kill the rest of them with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of their fugitives will escape. If they dig down to Sheol, from there My hand will take them; if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. read more. If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will track them down and seize them; if they conceal themselves from My sight on the sea floor, from there I will command the [sea] serpent to bite them. And if they are driven by their enemies into captivity, from there I will command the sword to kill them. I will fix My eyes on them for harm and not for good. The Lord, the God of Hosts- He touches the earth; it melts, and all who dwell on it mourn; all of it rises like the Nile and subsides like the Nile of Egypt.
The Lord, the God of Hosts- He touches the earth; it melts, and all who dwell on it mourn; all of it rises like the Nile and subsides like the Nile of Egypt. He builds His upper chambers in the heavens and lays the foundation of His vault on the earth. He summons the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth. Yahweh is His name. read more. Israelites, are you not like the Cushites to Me? [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration. Didn't I bring Israel from the land of Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir?
Israelites, are you not like the Cushites to Me? [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration. Didn't I bring Israel from the land of Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir?
Israelites, are you not like the Cushites to Me? [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration. Didn't I bring Israel from the land of Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir? Look, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. However, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob- the Lord's declaration- read more. for I am about to give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, as one shakes a sieve, but not a pebble will fall to the ground. All the sinners among My people, who say: Disaster will never overtake or confront us, will die by the sword. In that day I will restore the fallen booth of David: I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that are called by My name- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration- He will do this. Hear this! The days are coming- the Lord's declaration- when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the one who treads grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and all the hills will flow [with it]. I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel. They will rebuild and occupy ruined cities, plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their produce. I will plant them on their land, and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them. Yahweh your God has spoken.
Morish
A'mos
One of the minor Prophets, a native of Tekoa in Judah, possibly the father of the prophet Isaiah. He told Amaziah, "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdsman and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: and the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel." Am 7:14-15. His language indicates an acquaintance with things that would be familiar to one leading an agricultural life: cf. Am 2:13; 3:12; 4:9; 5:8; 6:12; 7:1-2. He tells us that his prophecy was given in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and of Jeroboam II, son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake; or at least began at that time. Am 1:1. For about 25 years these two kings were contemporaneous: B.C. 810-785.
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The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa-what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
Look, I am about to crush [you] in your place as a wagon full of sheaves crushes [grain].
The Lord says: As the shepherd snatches two legs or a piece of an ear from the lion's mouth, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be rescued with [only] the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch.
I struck you with blight and mildew; the locust devoured your many gardens and vineyards, your fig trees and olive trees, yet you did not return to Me- the Lord's declaration.
The One who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the earth- Yahweh is His name.
Do horses run on rock, or does someone plow [it] with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood-
The Lord God showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout-after the cutting of the king's hay. When the locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land, I said, "Lord God , please forgive! How will Jacob survive since he is so small?"
So Amos answered Amaziah, "I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.' "
Smith
A'mos
(burden), native of Tekoa in Judah, about six miles south of Bethlehem, originally a shepherd and dresser of sycamore trees, who was called by God s Spirit to be a prophet, although not trained in any of the regular prophetic schools.
He travelled from Judah into the northern kingdom of Israel or Ephraim, and there exercised his ministry, apparently not for any long time. (His date cannot be later than B.C. 808 for he lived in the reigns of Uzziah king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel; but his ministry probably took place at an earlier date, perhaps about the middle of Jeroboam's reign Nothing is known of the time or manner of his death.--ED.)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa-what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
So Amos answered Amaziah, "I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.' "
Watsons
AMOS, the fourth of the minor prophets, who in his youth had been a herdsman in Tekoa, a small town about four leagues southward of Jerusalem. He was sent to the people of Samaria, to bring them back to God by repentance, and reformation of manners. Hence it is natural to suppose that he must have been born within the territories of Israel, and that he only retired to Tekoa, on being expelled from Bethel by Amaziah, the priest of the calves at Bethel. He frequently complains of the violence offered him by those who endeavoured to impose silence on him. He boldly inveighs against the crying sins of the Israelites, such as idolatry, oppression, wantonness, and obstinacy. Nor does he spare the sins of Judah, such as their carnal security, sensuality, and injustice. He utters frequent threatenings against them both, and predicts their ruin. It is observable in this prophecy, that, as it begins with denunciations of judgment and destruction against the Syrians, Philistines, Tyrians, and other enemies of the Jews, so it concludes with comfortable promises of the restoration of the tabernacle of David, and the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. Amos was called to the prophetic office in the time of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel.
Some writers, in adverting to the condition of Amos, have, with a minute affectation of criticism, pretended to discover a certain rudeness and vulgarity in his style; and even Jerom is of opinion that he is deficient in magnificence and sublimity. He applies to him the words which St. Paul speaks of himself, that he was rude in speech, though not in knowledge; and his authority, says Bishop Lowth, "has influenced many commentators to represent him as entirely rude, and void of elegance; whereas it requires but little attention to be convinced that he is not a whit behind the very chiefest of the prophets;" equal to the greatest in loftiness of sentiment, and scarcely inferior, to any in the splendour of his diction, and in the elegance of his composition. Mr. Locke has observed, that his comparisons are chiefly drawn from lions, and other animals, because he lived among, and was conversant with, such objects. But, indeed, the finest images and allusions, which adorn the poetical parts of Scripture, in general are drawn from scenes of nature, and from the grand objects that range in her walks; and true genius ever delights in considering these as the real sources of beauty and magnificence. The whole book of Amos is animated with a fine and masculine eloquence.