Amos7

Amos 7 presents three visions of divine judgment: a plague of locusts, a consuming fire, and a plumbline signifying Israel's irreversible destruction. Amos intercedes twice, averting the first two judgments, but the plumbline vision declares God will no longer spare Israel. The chapter concludes with Amaziah the priest confronting Amos, who defends his divine calling and pronounces judgment upon Amaziah for hindering his prophecy.
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The Vision of the Locusts

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. ​

The Vision of the Fire

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.

The Vision of the Plumbline

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. ​

Amos Confronts Amaziah at Bethel

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. ​

Amos Defends His Calling

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 Notes for Amos 7

Verse 1

This is the first of five visions concerning Israel’s impending judgment. The 'latter growth' was the critical second crop, vital for sustaining the people and livestock after the king had taken his tribute ('king's mowings').

Verse 2

Amos intercedes for Israel, pleading based on their weakness and small size ('Jacob... is small'). This demonstrates the prophet’s compassion and his role as an advocate for the people, even those he condemns.

Verse 3

God 'repented' (Hebrew: *niham*) meaning He changed His course of action regarding the threatened destruction. This shows that the initial judgments were warnings and that God is responsive to sincere prayer.

Verse 4

The fire likely symbolizes a devastating drought or a consuming military invasion. Its ability to 'devour the great deep' suggests a judgment that affects the very foundations of life and creation.

Verse 5

Amos’s second successful intercession reinforces the powerful role of prophetic prayer in mitigating divine wrath, though this pattern is about to change.

Verse 7

A plumbline is a tool used by builders to check for perfect vertical alignment. Here, God is measuring Israel’s moral and spiritual integrity against His absolute standard of justice.

Verse 8

The plumbline symbolizes God’s final, unyielding measurement of Israel’s sin. 'I will not again pass by them any more' marks the shift from conditional judgment (visions 1 and 2) to irreversible national destruction.

Verse 9

The judgment is targeted specifically at the religious centers ('high places') and the political dynasty of Jeroboam II, indicating that both state religion and leadership have failed the divine test.

Verse 10

Amaziah was the chief priest of the royal sanctuary at Bethel. He views Amos’s prophetic word as a direct act of political treason, attempting to suppress the message under the guise of loyalty to the king.

Verse 11

Amaziah deliberately misrepresents Amos's prophecy. While Amos predicted the fall of the dynasty (v. 9), Amaziah frames it as an immediate assassination plot to incite the king against the prophet.

Verse 12

Amaziah attempts to dismiss Amos as a hired, professional prophet, suggesting he should 'eat bread' (i.e., earn his living) elsewhere, specifically in his homeland of Judah.

Verse 13

Bethel was the primary center of state worship established by Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12). Amaziah’s reference to it as the 'king's chapel' emphasizes its political function over its spiritual one.

Verse 14

Amos powerfully refutes the professional accusation. He was a humble layman—a shepherd and sycamore fig farmer—meaning his authority derived solely from God, not from a prophetic guild or salary.

Verse 15

This verse establishes Amos’s divine mandate. He was ‘taken’ by the Lord directly from his mundane occupation, demonstrating that God chooses whom He wills, regardless of social status or training.

Verse 16

Amos transitions from defending his authority to delivering a specific oracle of judgment against Amaziah for attempting to silence the true word of God.

Verse 17

The judgment upon Amaziah is severe, involving personal disgrace, the death of his family, and his own death in exile. This emphasizes the great danger of opposing God’s prophet and polluting the sanctuary.

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