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 1:11The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen 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)), 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 (Amos 7:10-1510Then 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. 11For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land. 12Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: 13But prophesy not again any more at Beth-el: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court. 14Then 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: 15And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people 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 16Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom: 7But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: 8And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God. 9Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant: 10But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof. 11Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever: 12But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. 13Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border: 14But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind: 15And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the Lord. (Amos 1:6‑15), 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 (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.