Lux Domini

Amos 7

Chapter context

What is happening in Amos 7?

justicefalse worshipjudgmentpoverty

Amos 7 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as closing promise of restoration. Amos is a relentless prophetic book of justice, judgment, false worship, and the remnant hope that survives divine shaking. Read this chapter with the wider themes of justice, false worship, and judgment in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

1 Thus 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.   2 And 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.   3 The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.   4 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.   5 Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.   6 The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.   7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the LORD stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.   8 And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the LORD, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:   9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.   10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.   11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.   12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:   13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.   14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:   15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.   16 Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.   17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.  

Study helps

Glossary

Amos Person v. 8, 10-12, 14

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.

Isaac Person v. 9, 16

Laughter. (1) Israel, or the kingdom of the ten tribes ( Amos 7:9 , 16). (2. ) The only son of Abraham by Sarah. He was the longest lived of the three patriarchs ( Gen. 21:1-3 ).

Jeroboam Person v. 9-11

Increase of the people. (1. ) The son of Nebat ( 1 Kings 11:26-39 ), “an Ephrathite,” the first king of the ten tribes, over whom he reigned twenty-two years (B. C. 976-945).

Amaziah Person v. 10, 12, 14

Strengthened by Jehovah. (1. ) A Levite, son of Hilkiah, of the descendants of Ethan the Merarite ( 1 Chr. 6:45 ). (2. ) The son and successor of Joash, and eighth king of the separate kingdom of Judah ( 2 Kings 14:1-4 ).

Bethel Place v. 10, 13

House of God. (1. ) A place in Central Palestine, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz ( Gen. 28:19 ). Modern identification: Beitin.

City People v. 17

The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).