Concise Bible Dictionary:
Though Amos and Hosea were prophets at the same time, and both prophesied of the sins of Israel, there is much difference in the style of the two. Hosea is more fervent, stirred with righteous indignation at the sins of the people; whereas with Amos there is great calmness in declaring God’s judgments. Hosea’s prophecy is confined to the sins of Judah and Israel, whereas Amos tells of the judgments that should fall upon some of the surrounding nations that had molested Israel, especially upon those that retained any part of the land that had been promised to Abraham; and then he recounts the sins, not only of Judah to which he himself belonged, but also of Israel, indeed there is more concerning the latter than the former. In the heading we have the words, “The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem”; which are also in Joel 16; thus, as it were, taking up the theme where Joel leaves off.
In the first two chapters there are eight short denunciations of judgments, introduced by the words “for three transgressions and for four.” Three witnesses were adequate testimony; four is the cup running over, of which the four quarters of the earth can testify. The judgments are against
1. Syria under its chief city Damascus. 2. The Philistines under Gaza. 3. Tire. 4. Edom. 5. Ammon. 6. Moab. 7. Judah. 8. Israel.
Amos 3 speaks of both Judah and Israel, “the whole family,” thus counting it as one, though division had come in: then follows the momentous statement that this family was the only one God had known — had taken into relationship — therefore God would punish them for their iniquities: showing that responsibilities are measured by the privileges enjoyed. Though judgments would come there would be a remnant left, as when a shepherd recovers from a lion “two legs or a piece of an ear” — a small remnant indeed! (Amos 3:1212Thus saith the Lord; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. (Amos 3:12)).
Amos 4 is against Israel, and especially because they had oppressed the poor. God had brought minor judgments upon them, such as
1. Scarcity, “cleanness of teeth.”
2. Want of rain, which was sent on one city but not on another.
3. Blasting and mildew.
4. Pestilence and a stink, their young men being slain with the sword.
5. They were overthrown as Sodom and Gomorrah, some being saved as firebrands out of the burning. After each judgment is added the result, “Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord,” ending with “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel....the Lord, the God of hosts is his name.”
Amos 5 Israel is still denounced, but is exhorted to seek the Lord. Some desired the day of the Lord, but that will be very dark and with judgment. Such was their wickedness that God hated and despised their assemblies and their offerings: indeed they had turned to idolatry.
Amos 6 denounces those that are at ease in Zion, living in luxury and pleasure, in a false self-confidence notwithstanding all the warnings that had been given.
Amos 7, Amos 8 and Amos 9 are visions, and their applications. Amos 7 exhibits the patience of Jehovah. The prophet interceded for Jacob, and Jehovah repented of the evil he was bringing on them; still judgment must follow. The declaration of the doom of the high places was distasteful to Amaziah the priest of the king’s false religion at Bethel, who was dwelling at ease. He bade Amos flee to Judah. But Amos replied that he had been no prophet, nor prophet’s son, but only a herdman, and Jehovah had sent him. Judgments should fall upon Amaziah and Israel should go into captivity. Amos 8 again denounces Israel especially for self-ease and oppression of the poor.
Amos 9. None could escape the eye and judgment of God. He would destroy them from off the face of the earth, but not utterly: a remnant should be saved (Amos 9:99For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. (Amos 9:9)). Amos 9:11-1511In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this. 13Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. 14And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God. (Amos 9:11‑15) speak of restoration and blessing. The plowman shall overtake the reaper; the mountains shall drop wine. The captives shall return. God will plant them upon their land and they shall no more be pulled up. Promises still to be fulfilled, for no such things have yet been. May God hasten them in His own time!
Bible Handbook:
787 B.C. – 9 Chapters – 146 Verses
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” (ch. 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. 14:55And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 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 (ch. 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 sycomore 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, Tyre, Ammon, Moab, also upon Judah and Israel (chs. 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 14:23-2923In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. 24And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 25He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath-hepher. 26For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. 27And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. 28Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 14:23‑29)), and also Judah’s magnificent conquests over the adjoining nations under Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:6-156And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. 7And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Mehunims. 8And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly. 9Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them. 10Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry. 11Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains. 12The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valor were two thousand and six hundred. 13And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones. 15And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong. (2 Chronicles 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 (ch. 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
Chapters 1-2 — Judgment denounced upon various states, nations, and cities, including Israel and Judah.
Chapters 3-6 — Idolatry and other wickednesses of Israel (or ten tribes) pointed out, and their captivity to Assyria predicted.
Chapters 7-9 — Symbolic visions of judgment upon all Israel, with promises of future restoration and blessing.
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 sepulchre of his fathers, but, as we have already observed, this is merely tradition.
Related Books and Articles: