Amos 7 Commentary

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Amos 7:1 Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, He was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing.

• showed (KJV): Am 7:4,7 8:1 Jer 1:11-16 24:1 Eze 11:25 Zec 1:20 
• he (KJV): Am 4:9 Ex 10:12-16 Isa 33:4 Joe 1:4 2:25 Na 3:15-17 
• grasshoppers (KJV): or, green worms, {Govai,} in Arabic {gabee,} "locusts," probably in their caterpillar state, in which they are most destructive.  This is supposed to have been an emblem of the first invasion of the Assyrians.
• mowings (KJV): Or rather, feedings or grazings, as the people of the East make no hay.  This was probably in the month of March, which is the only time of the year that the Arabs to this day feed their horses with grass.

Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, He was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing.

Amos 7:2 And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, “Lord GOD, please pardon! How can Jacob stand, For he is small?”  

• when (KJV): Ex 10:15 Rev 9:4 
• O Lord (KJV): Am 7:5 Ex 32:11,12 34:9 Nu 14:17-19 Jer 14:7,20,21 Da 9:19 Jas 5:15,16 
• by whom shall Jacob arise (KJV): or, who of (or for) Jacob shall stand, Isa 51:19 Eze 9:8 11:13 
• for (KJV): Ps 12:1 44:24-26 Isa 37:4 Jer 42:2 Zec 4:10 

And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, “Lord GOD, please pardon! How can Jacob stand, For he is small

Amos 7:3 The LORD changed His mind about this. “It shall not be,” said the LORD.  

• Am 7:6 De 32:36 1Ch 21:15 Ps 106:45 Ho 11:8 Joe 2:14 Jon 3:10 Jas 5:16 

The LORD changed His mind about this. “It shall not be,” said the LORD

Amos 7:4 Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, the Lord GOD was calling to contend with them by fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farm land.

• showed (KJV): Am 7:1,7 Rev 4:1 
• called (KJV): This is supposed to denote the invasion of Tiglathpileser, which threatened entire destruction. Am 1:4,7 4:11 5:6 Ex 9:23,24 Lev 10:2 Nu 16:35 Isa 27:4 66:15,16 Jer 4:4 21:12 Joe 2:30 Mic 1:4 Na 1:6 Heb 1:7 

Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, the Lord GOD was calling to contend with them by fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farm land

Amos 7:5 Then I said, “Lord GOD, please stop! How can Jacob stand, for he is small?”  

• cease (KJV): Am 7:2 Ps 85:4 Isa 10:25 
• for (KJV): Am 7:2,3 Isa 1:9 Jer 30:19 

Then I said, “Lord GOD, please stop! How can Jacob stand, for he is small

Amos 7:6 The LORD changed His mind about this. “This too shall not be,” said the Lord GOD.  

• Judges 2:18 10:16 Ps 90:13 135:14 Jer 26:19 Jon 4:2 

The LORD changed His mind about this. “This too shall not be,” said the Lord GOD

Amos 7:7 Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand.

• a wall (KJV): 2Sa 8:2 2Ki 21:13 Isa 28:17 34:11 La 2:8 Eze 40:3 Zec 2:1,2 Rev 11:1 21:15 

Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand

Amos 7:8 The LORD said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer.  

• Amos (KJV): Jer 1:11-13 Zec 5:2 
• a plumbline (KJV): This was an emblem of strict justice; and intimated that God would now visit them according to their iniquities.
• I will set (KJV): La 2:8 
• I will not (KJV): Am 8:2 Jer 15:6 Eze 7:2-9 Mic 7:18 Na 1:8,9 

The LORD said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer

Amos 7:9 “The high places of Isaac will be desolated And the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste. Then I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

• the high (KJV): Am 3:14 5:5 8:14, Beer-sheba, Ge 26:23-25 46:1 Lev 26:30,31 
• I will (KJV): "Fulfilled, ", 2Ki 15:8-10 

The high places of Isaac will be desolated And the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste. Then I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword

Amos 7:10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words.

• the priest (KJV): 1Ki 12:31,32 13:33 2Ki 14:23,24 2Ch 13:8,9 Jer 20:1-3 Jer 29:26,27 Mt 21:23 This was truly a lying prophet; there was not one word of truth in his message to Jeroboam.
• hath (KJV): 1Ki 18:17 Jer 26:8-11 37:13-15 38:4 Lu 23:2 Ac 5:28 24:5 
• not (KJV): Ge 37:8 Jer 18:18 Ac 7:54 

Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words

Amos 7:11 “For thus Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’”

• thus (KJV): Jer 26:9 28:10,11 Ac 6:14 
• Jeroboam (KJV): Am 7:9 Ps 56:5 Mt 26:61 
• and Israel (KJV): Am 6:7,8 2Ki 17:6 

For thus Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile

Amos 7:12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying!

• O thou (KJV): 1Sa 9:9 2Ch 16:10 Isa 30:10 
• go (KJV): Am 2:12 Mt 8:34 Lu 8:37,38 13:31 Ac 16:39 
• eat (KJV): 1Sa 2:36 Isa 56:11 Eze 13:19 Mal 1:10 Ro 16:18 1Co 2:14 1Pe 5:2 

Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying

Amos 7:13 “But no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence.”  

• prophesy (KJV): Am 2:12 Ac 4:17,18 5:28,40 
• for (KJV): 1Ki 12:29,32 13:1 
• chapel (KJV): or, sanctuary
• king's court (KJV): Heb. house of the kingdom

But no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence

Amos 7:14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs.

• neither (KJV): 1Ki 20:35 2Ki 2:3,5,7 4:38 6:1 2Ch 16:7 19:2 20:34 
• an herdman (KJV): Am 1:1 Zec 13:5 1Co 1:27 
• a gatherer (KJV): Rather, as {bolais} is rendered by the LXX. and Vulgate, [knizon,] {vellicans,} "a scraping," or a scraper of sycamores; for the fruit does not ripen till it is rubbed with iron combs.
• sycamore fruit (KJV): or, wild figs

Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs

Amos 7:15 “But the LORD took me from following the flock and the LORD said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’

• took (KJV): 2Sa 7:8 Ps 78:70-72 Mt 4:18,19 9:9 
• as I followed (KJV): Heb. from behind
• Go (KJV): Jer 1:7 Eze 2:3,4 Lu 24:46-48 Ac 1:8 4:20 5:20,29-32 

But the LORD took me from following the flock and the LORD said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel

Amos 7:16 “Now hear the word of the LORD: you are saying, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac.’

• hear (KJV): 1Sa 15:16 1Ki 22:19 Jer 28:15-17 
• Prophesy (KJV): Am 7:13 Isa 30:10 Mic 2:6 
• and drop (KJV): De 32:2 Eze 20:46 21:2 

Now hear the word of the LORD: you are saying, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac

Amos 7:17 “Therefore, thus says the LORD, ‘Your wife will become a harlot in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line and you yourself will die upon unclean soil. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’”

• Thy wife (KJV): Isa 13:16 Jer 20:6 28:12,16 29:21,25,31,32 La 5:11 Ho 4:13,14 Zec 14:2 
• thy land (KJV): Ps 78:55 
• die (KJV): 2Ki 17:6 Eze 4:13 Ho 9:3 
• and Israel (KJV): Am 7:11 Lev 26:33-39 Jer 36:27-32 

Therefore, thus says the LORD, ‘Your wife will become a harlot in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line and you yourself will die upon unclean soil. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile