Bible Commentaries
Amos 7

Verse 1

7:1 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed {a} grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, [it was] the latter growth {b} after the king’s mowings.

(a) To devour the land: and he alludes to the invading of the enemies.

(b) After the public commandment for mowing was given: or as some read, when the kings sheep were shorn.

Verse 3

7:3 The LORD {c} repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.

(c) That is, stopped this plague at my prayer.

Verse 4

7:4 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, {d} and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.

(d) Meaning, that God’s indignation was inflamed against the stubbornness of this people.

Verse 7

7:7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall [made] by a plumbline, {e} with a plumbline in his hand.

(e) Signifying that this would be the last measuring of the people, and that he would defer his judgment no longer.

Verse 10

7:10 {f} 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.

(f) That is, when Amos had prophesied that the king would be destroyed: for the wicked priest more for hatred he had for the Prophet than for love toward the king, thought this accusation sufficient to condemn him. However, only what the Prophet said could take place.

Verse 12

7:12 Also {g} Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

(g) When this instrument of Satan was not able to accomplish his purpose by the king, he tried by another practice, that was, to scare the Prophet, that he might depart, and not reprove their idolatry there openly, and so hinder his profit.

Verse 14

7:14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I [was] no {h} prophet, neither [was] I a prophet’s son; but I [was] an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:

(h) Thus he shows by his extraordinary calling, that God had given him a charge, which he must necessarily execute.

Verse 17

7:17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; {i} 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.

(i) In this way God used to approve the authority of his Prophets, by his plagues and judgments against those who were malicious enemies as in Jer 28:12-17 29:21-26, as this day he does against those that persecute the ministers of his Gospel.