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Amos

      AMOS (meaning in Hebrew "a burden") was (Am 1:1) a shepherd of Tekoa, a small town of Judah, six miles southeast from Beth-lehem, and twelve from Jerusalem, on the borders of the great desert (2Ch 20:20; compare 2Ch 11:6). The region being sandy was more fit for pastoral than for agricultural purposes. Amos therefore owned and tended flocks, and collected sycamore figs; not that the former was a menial office, kings themselves, as Mesha of Moab (2Ki 3:4), exercising it. Amos, however (from Am 7:14,15), seems to have been of humble rank.

      Though belonging to Judah, he was commissioned by God to exercise his prophetical function in Israel; as the latter kingdom abounded in impostors, and the prophets of God generally fled to Judah through fear of the kings of Israel, a true prophet from Judah was the more needed in it. His name is not to be confounded with that of Isaiah's father, Amoz.

      The time of his prophesying was in the reigns of Uzziah king of Judea, and Jeroboam II, son of Joash, king of Israel (Am 1:1), that is, in part of the time in which the two kings were contemporary; probably in Jeroboam's latter years, after that monarch had recovered from Syria "the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath to the sea of the plain" (2Ki 14:25-27); for Amos foretells that these same coasts, "from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of the wilderness," should be the scene of Israel's being afflicted (Am 6:14); also his references to the state of luxurious security then existing (Am 6:1,4,13), and to the speedy termination of it by the Assyrian foe (Am 1:5 3:12,15 5:27 8:2), point to the latter part of Jeroboam's reign, which terminated in 784 B.C., the twenty-seventh year of Uzziah's reign, which continued down to 759 B.C. He was contemporary with Hosea, only that the latter continued to prophesy in reigns subsequent to Uzziah (Ho 1:1); whereas Amos ceased to prophesy in the reign of that monarch. The scene of his ministry was Beth-el, where the idol calves were set up (Am 7:10-13). There his prophecies roused Amaziah, the idol priest, to accuse him of conspiracy and to try to drive him back to Judah.

      The first six chapters are without figure; the last three symbolical, but with the explanation subjoined. He first denounces the neighboring peoples, then the Jews, then Israel (from the third chapter to the end), closing with the promise or restoration under Messiah (Am 9:11-15). His style is thought by JEROME to betray his humble origin; but though not sublime, it is regular, perspicuous, and energetic; his images are taken from the scenes in nature with which he was familiar; his rhythms are flowing, his parallelisms exact, and his descriptions minute and graphic. Some peculiar expressions occur: "cleanness of teeth," that is, want of bread (Am 4:6); "the excellency of Jacob" (Am 6:8 8:7); "the high places of Isaac" (Am 7:9); "the house of Isaac" (Am 7:16); "he that createth the wind" (Am 4:13).

      HENGSTENBERG draws an able argument for the genuineness of the Mosaic records from the evidence in Amos, that the existing institutions in Israel as well as Judah (excepting the calves of Jeroboam), were framed according to the Pentateuch rules.

      Two quotations from Amos occur in the New Testament (compare Ac 7:42,43, with Am 5:25,26; and Ac 15:16,17, with Am 9:11).

      PHILO, JOSEPHUS, MELITO'S catalogue, JEROME, JUSTIN MARTYR (Dialogue with Trypho, 22, quoting the fifth and six chapters of Amos as "one of the twelve minor prophets"), and the sixtieth canon of the Laodicean council support the canonicity of the book of Amos.

Amos

The Written Prophecy of Amos

By H. A. (Buster) Dobbs 
I.  Introduction.
    A.  The man.
        1.  Herdsman of Tekoa.
            a.  Tekoa was about 12 miles south of Jerusalem.
            b.  Amos was a wilderness man, as were many prophets.
            c.  He tended sheep and dressed sycamore-trees.
        2.  Amos had a good understanding of world problems.
            a.  He delivered the message he "saw concerning Israel."
            b.  His knowledge of the conditions of surrounding nations, 
                and what was going to happen to them, came by revelation.
    B.  The background.
        1.  Amos prophesied when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II
            was king of Israel.
            a.  Jeroboam II guided the people into drunkenness, sexual 
                license, and religious perversion.
            b.  During the reign of Jeroboam, Syria had been crushed by 
                Assyria.
            c.  Assyria had immediately fallen on hard times and her 
                military might dissipated.
            d.  Israel was at peace.
        2.  Jeroboam II began a building program, bringing wealth to 
            the nation.
            a.  The people lived in idleness and luxury.
            b.  They indulged in gross immorality.
            c.  The poor were ignored or robbed.
II.  The book.
     A.  Punishment of the nations.
         1.  Damascus (Syria), because of excessive cruelty, would be 
             defeated and carried captive to Kir (1:3-5).
         2.  Gaza (Philistia), because of slave trade, would be destroyed 
             (1:6-8).
         3.  Tyre, because of slavery and covenant breaking, would be 
             burned (1:9-10).
         4.  Edom, for pitiless treatment of others, would be destroyed 
             by fire (1:11-12).
         5.  Ammon, for brutality in war, would be taken captive (1:13-
             15).
         6.  Moab, for vindictive hatred, would be burned (2:1-3).
         7.  Judah to be punished for her rejection of Jehovah (2:4-5).
     B.  Israel's sins (2:6 to 3:3).
         1.  Bribed to betray the righteous and the poor (2:6).
         2.  Sexual immorality (2:7).
         3.  Drunkenness (2:8).
         4.  Ingratitude (2:9-11).
         5.  Attempted to corrupt the righteous (2:12).
         6.  Refused to listen to the prophets (2:12).
         7.  Coming punishment (2:13-16).
         8.  Not in step with God (3:1-3).
     C.  Prediction of Israel's doom (3:4 to 6:14).
         1.  Jehovah roared and thundered against the wickedness of 
             Israel (3:4-7).
         2.  The prophet is God's voice (3:8).
         3.  Heathens spectators of Israel's sinfulness (3:9).
         4.  Prosperity and pride to be destroyed (3:10-11).
         5.  A remnant to be redeemed (3:12-14).
         6.  Sin and cruelty of the women of Samaria (4:1-3).
         7.  Golden calves could not save them (4:4-13).
             a.  The idols of Bethel and Gilgal could not provide for 
                 the people.
             b.  Lack of rain, blasting, and mildew did not produce 
                 repentance.
             c.  Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
         8.  Amos' lamentation (5:1-27).
         9.  Israel's condition summarized (6:1-6).
        10.  The rulers would be the first to go into captivity (6:7).
        11.  All would suffer in the terrible destruction (6:8-13).
        12.  Pestilence would come first and then the Assyrians to 
             punish, destroy, and capture the people (6:14).
III.  Coming Judgments.
      A.  Visions (7:1-9).
          1.  Vision of locusts (7:1-3).
          2.  Vision of fire (7:4-6).
          3.  Vision of plumb-line (7:7-9).
      B. Attempt to silence the prophet (7:10-17).
          1.  Amaziah, the priest of Beth-el, complained to Jeroboam 
              (7:10).
          2.  Amaziah told Amos to go back to Judah, but the prophet 
              refused and pronounced a judgment on Amaziah's house 
              (7:11-17).
      C.  Doom and destruction (8:1 to 9:10).
          1.  Vision of the basket of summer fruit (8:1-14).
          2.  The nation ripe for harvest (judgment).
              a.  The greed and sin of the people.
              b.  Judgment cannot be avoided.
              c.  A famine of hearing the word of God to come.
              d.  Idols will not save and are of no value.
          3.  God's judgment on Beth-el's idol altar (9:1-10).
              a.  There is no escape.
              b.  Judah will be spared, but Israel will be sifted like 
                  grain and the least kernel shall not  fall to the earth.
IV.  Promise of restoration (9:11-15).
Amos

Amos - borne; a burden, one of the twelve minor prophets. He was a native of Tekota, the modern Tekua, a town about 12 miles south-east of Bethlehem. He was a man of humble birth, neither a "prophet nor a prophet's son," but "an herdman and a dresser of sycomore trees," R.V. He prophesied in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and was contemporary with Isaiah and Hosea (Amos 1:1; 7:14, 15; Zech. 14:5), who survived him a few years. Under Jeroboam II. the kingdom of Israel rose to the zenith of its prosperity; but that was followed by the prevalence of luxury and vice and idolatry. At this period Amos was called from his obscurity to remind the people of the law of God's retributive justice, and to call them to repentance.
The Book of Amos consists of three parts:

(1.) The nations around are summoned to judgment because of their sins (1:1-2:3). He quotes Joel 3:16.

(2.) The spiritual condition of Judah, and especially of Israel, is described (2:4-6:14).

(3.) In 7:1-9:10 are recorded five prophetic visions. (a) The first two (7:1-6) refer to judgments against the guilty people. (b) The next two (7:7-9; 8:1-3) point out the ripeness of the people for the threatened judgements. 7:10-17 consists of a conversation between the prophet and the priest of Bethel. (c) The fifth describes the overthrow and ruin of Israel (9:1-10); to which is added the promise of the restoration of the kingdom and its final glory in the Messiah's kingdom.

The style is peculiar in the number of the allusions made to natural objects and to agricultural occupations. Other allusions show also that Amos was a student of the law as well as a "child of nature." These phrases are peculiar to him: "Cleanness of teeth" [i.e., want of bread] (4:6); "The excellency of Jacob" (6:8; 8:7); "The high places of Isaac" (7:9); "The house of Isaac" (7:16); "He that createth the wind" (4:13). Quoted, Acts 7:42.

The time of his prophesying was in the reigns of Uzziah king of Judea, and Jeroboam II, son of Joash, king of Israel (Am 1:1), that is, in part of the time in which the two kings were contemporary; probably in Jeroboam's latter years, after that monarch had recovered from Syria "the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath to the sea of the plain" (2Ki 14:25-27); for Amos foretells that these same coasts, "from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of the wilderness," should be the scene of Israel's being afflicted (Am 6:14); also his references to the state of luxurious security then existing (Am 6:1,4,13), and to the speedy termination of it by the Assyrian foe (Am 1:5 3:12,15 5:27 8:2), point to the latter part of Jeroboam's reign, which terminated in 784 B.C., the twenty-seventh year of Uzziah's reign, which continued down to 759 B.C. He was contemporary with Hosea, only that the latter continued to prophesy in reigns subsequent to Uzziah (Ho 1:1); whereas Amos ceased to prophesy in the reign of that monarch. The scene of his ministry was Beth-el, where the idol calves were set up (Am 7:10-13). There his prophecies roused Amaziah, the idol priest, to accuse him of conspiracy and to try to drive him back to Judah.