Amos (Amos 1:1–2; Amos 2:6; Amos 3:1–2; Amos 3:7–8; Amos 4:6; Amos 5:4; Amos 5:24; Amos 7:2; Amos 7:8; Amos 7:10–17; Amos 8:2; Amos 8:11–12; Amos 9:8; Amos 9:11; Amos 9:14–15)

Among the herdsmen of Tekoa

A herdsman of Tekoa and dresser of sycomore-trees whom the LORD took from following the flock, who saw words concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah and Jeroboam, pleaded for Jacob in the visions, and was told by Amaziah the priest of Beth-el to flee to Judah.

The book that bears his name opens: “The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake” (Amos 1:1). It begins, “Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem” (Amos 1:2), and goes on to word after word against the nations and then against Israel: “Hear this word that Jehovah hath spoken against you, O children of Israel” (Amos 3:1). Of his own speaking he says, “The Lord Jehovah hath spoken; who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:8).

In visions of locusts and fire he cries, “O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small” (Amos 7:2), and the LORD repents. In the third vision, of a plumb-line, the LORD says he will not again pass by his people Israel. Amaziah the priest of Beth-el then sends word to Jeroboam and tells Amos to flee to the land of Judah. Amos answers, “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees: and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel” (Amos 7:14-15).

The book closes with the vision of the Lord beside the altar, the word that he will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, and the promise, “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen” (Amos 9:11). Scripture does not record whether Amos left Beth-el, nor his death. In Acts, Stephen and James cite words found in this book as written “in the book of the prophets” (Acts 7:42) and as “the words of the prophets” (Acts 15:15), without naming Amos.

Strengths

• Pleaded for Jacob
• Prophesied as the LORD bade him
• Spoke on when told to prophesy not

Themes

• Taken from following the flock
• The word of the LORD against Israel
• Justice and righteousness
• Visions of judgment
• A remnant and a raised tabernacle

The words of Amos, herdsman of Tekoa (Amos 1:1–2; Amos 2:6–12)

Amos sees words concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah and Jeroboam, and the LORD charges Israel with selling the righteous for silver and telling the prophets not to prophesy.

Hear this word (Amos 3:1–8)

Amos calls the children of Israel to hear the word the LORD has spoken against them, and says that when the Lord has spoken, the prophet must prophesy.

Yet have ye not returned unto me (Amos 4:6–12; Amos 5:4; Amos 5:24)

Amos recounts the want of bread, the blasting and the pestilence the LORD sent, with the refrain that Israel did not return, and calls the house of Israel to seek and live.

Yet have ye not returned unto me

“And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah” (Amos 4:6). The same refrain follows the withholding of rain, the blasting and mildew, and the pestilence (Amos 4:7-10).

“I have overthrown cities among you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a brand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel; and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel” (Amos 4:11-12).

“For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live” (Amos 5:4), and “let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24).

The locust, the fire and the plumb-line (Amos 7:1–9)

The Lord shows Amos locusts, fire and a plumb-line; twice Amos pleads for Jacob and the LORD repents, and the third time the LORD will not again pass by Israel.

The locust, the fire and the plumb-line

“Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, he formed locusts” (Amos 7:1). Then Amos said, “O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small” (Amos 7:2), and “Jehovah repented concerning this: It shall not be, saith Jehovah” (Amos 7:3).

In the second vision the Lord “called to contend by fire” (Amos 7:4); Amos said, “O Lord Jehovah, cease, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small” (Amos 7:5), and again “Jehovah repented concerning this: This also shall not be” (Amos 7:6).

“Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand. And Jehovah said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb-line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more” (Amos 7:7-8).

Amos and Amaziah the priest of Beth-el (Amos 7:10–17)

Amaziah sends word to Jeroboam that Amos has conspired against him and tells Amos to flee to Judah; Amos answers that the LORD took him from following the flock, and speaks a word against Amaziah.

Amos and Amaziah the priest of Beth-el

“Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-el 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” (Amos 7:10). To Amos he said, “O thou seer, go, flee thou away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: but prophesy not again any more at Beth-el; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house” (Amos 7:12-13).

“Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees: and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel” (Amos 7:14-15).

He then bids Amaziah hear the word of the LORD (Amos 7:16): “Thy wife shall be a harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword” (Amos 7:17). The text does not say whether Amos went to Judah.

A basket of summer fruit (Amos 8:1–2; Amos 8:11–12)

Amos sees a basket of summer fruit and is told that the end is come upon the LORD's people Israel, and that a famine of hearing the words of the LORD is coming.

The altar, and the tabernacle of David (Amos 9:1–15)

Amos sees the Lord standing beside the altar; the LORD will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, and promises to raise up David's fallen tabernacle and bring back the captivity of Israel.

The altar, and the tabernacle of David

“I saw the Lord standing beside the altar” (Amos 9:1). “Behold, the eyes of the Lord Jehovah are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; save that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith Jehovah” (Amos 9:8).

“In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old” (Amos 9:11).

“And I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them” (Amos 9:14), and “I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, saith Jehovah thy God” (Amos 9:15).

The LORD (Amos 3:8; Amos 7:14–15)

Took Amos from following the flock and said to him, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

Amaziah the priest of Beth-el (Amos 7:10–13; Amos 7:16–17)

Sent word to Jeroboam against Amos and told him to flee to Judah and prophesy no more at Beth-el.

Jeroboam son of Joash (Amos 1:1; Amos 7:9–11)

King of Israel in whose days Amos saw his words; Amaziah reported Amos's words to him.

Uzziah (Amos 1:1)

King of Judah in whose days, with Jeroboam's, Amos saw his words.

Major sections

• Amos 1:1–2:16
• Amos 3:1–6:14
• Amos 7:1–9:15

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