This was one of the earliest of the prophets, and contemporary with Hosea. The latter, however, confines his predictions to the ancient people only; whereas our prophet denounces judgment upon the surrounding nations, as well as upon Israel and Judah. The date of the prophecy—"two years before the earthquake" (Amos 1:1), which happened in the long reign of Uzziah, king of Judah—is regarded as an important epoch in the prophetic writings. We have no account of this earthquake—the fact only being recorded; but it must have been a truly dreadful calamity, as the terror inspired and hasty flight of the people from the awful catastrophe are symbolic to some extent of the flight of the Jews for shelter into the miraculously-opened valley on the yet future occasion of the Lord's descent from heaven to Mount Olivet for the deliverance of His earthly people (Zech. 14:5).
Amos prophesied in the country of Israel, and chiefly in Bethel, the southern seat of idolatry in that land (1 Kings 12; 13). He seems, however, to have been a Jew residing in Tekoa, a small town south-east of Bethlehem, and from thence Divinely called to prophesy in midst of Israel. The prophet's account of himself is told with charming simplicity. Amaziah, the apostate priest of Bethel, as well as all Israel (Amos 7:10-15), was so troubled by the plain, outspoken threatenings of judgment upon king and people, that the monarch was appealed to, and the apostate priest forced to own the true and Divine character and mission of the prophet; he said unto Amos, "O, thou seer, go flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there." The reply of Amos is striking for its very simplicity: "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman (or shepherd) and a gatherer of sycamore fruit; and the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me: Go, prophesy unto My people, Israel."
This pastoral prophet, therefore, has judgment as the great burden of his prophecy. The hypocrisy and wickedness of Israel are specially pointed out. Stephen, in Acts 7, and James, in Acts 15, quote from this prophet. Israel's blessed future, as in all the prophetic writings, is also unfolded, and expressed chiefly in symbols drawn from the quiet occupations of a pastoral life.
These prophecies of unsparing judgment upon Damascus, Syria, Gaza, Philistia, Tire, Ammon, Moab, also upon Judah and Israel (Amos 1, 2), were in measure fulfilled upon the nations bordering on Immanuel's land by the splendid victories and successes of Jeroboam II., who restored to Israel something of her ancient glory (2 Kings 14:23-29), and also Judah's magnificent conquests over the adjoining nations under Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:6-15). But these judgments were only an earnest or pledge on Jehovah's part of future retribution upon the troublers of His people.
Israel is threatened with "captivity beyond Damascus," and this after her guilt had been forcibly expressed and proved from the time of her departure out of Egypt. The captivity of the ten tribes to Assyria, and of the two tribes to Babylon, vindicated this Word of Jehovah (Amos 5.).
The last five verses of the prophecy are peculiarly rich and full in their anticipations of Israel's future blessedness under the sway of their Messiah.
GENERAL DIVISIONS.
I.-Judgment denounced upon various states, nations, and cities, including Israel and Judah. Amos 1-2.
2.-Idolatry and other wickednesses of Israel (or ten tribes) pointed out, and their captivity to Assyria predicted. Amos 3-6.
3.-Symbolic visions of judgment upon all Israel, with promises of future restoration and blessing. Amos 7-9.
NOTE.
Jewish tradition asserts that our prophet was badly used by the apostate priest Amaziah, on his refusal to leave the land of Israel for Judah, and, further, that the priest's son completed the work of his father by driving a nail into the prophet's temple, whose friends then removed him in a dying condition to his native place, where he died, and was buried in the sepulcher of his fathers, but, as we have already observed, this is merely tradition.