Amos 7

The seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters contain VISIONS, WITH THEIR EXPLANATIONS. The seventh chapter consists of two parts. First ( Amos 7:1-9 ): PROPHECIES ILLUSTRATED BY THREE SYMBOLS: (1) A vision of grasshoppers or young locusts, which devour the grass, but are removed at Amos' entreaty; (2) Fire drying up even the deep, and withering part of the land, but removed at Amos' entreaty; (3) A plumb-line to mark the buildings for destruction. Secondly ( Amos 7:10-17 ): NARRATIVE OF AMAZIAH'S INTERRUPTION OF AMOS IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE FOREGOING PROPHECIES, AND PREDICTION OF HIS DOOM.

1. showed . . . me; and, behold--The same formula prefaces the three visions in this chapter, and the fourth in Amos 8:1 .
grasshoppers--rather, "locusts" in the caterpillar state, from a Hebrew root, "to creep forth." In the autumn the eggs are deposited in the earth; in the spring the young come forth [MAURER].
the latter growth--namely, of grass, which comes up after the mowing. They do not in the East mow their grass and make hay of it, but cut it off the ground as they require it.
the king's mowings--the first-fruits of the mown grass, tyrannically exacted by the king from the people. The literal locusts, as in Joel, are probably symbols of human foes: thus the "growth" of grass "after the king's mowings" will mean the political revival of Israel under Jeroboam II ( 2 Kings 14:25 ), after it had been mown down, as it were, by Hazael and Ben-hadad of Syria ( 2 Kings 13:3 ), [GROTIUS].

2. by whom shall Jacob arise?--If Thou, O God, dost not spare, how can Jacob maintain his ground, reduced as he is by repeated attacks of the Assyrians, and erelong about to be invaded by the Assyrian Pul ( 2 Kings 15:19 2 Kings 15:20 )? Compare Isaiah 51:19 . The mention of "Jacob" is a plea that God should "remember for them His covenant" with their forefather, the patriarch ( Psalms 106:45 ).
he is small--reduced in numbers and in strength.

3. repented for this--that is, of this. The change was not in the mind of God ( Numbers 2:19 , 1:17 ), but in the effect outwardly. God unchangeably does what is just; it is just that He should hear intercessory prayer ( James 5:16-18 ), as it would have been just for Him to have let judgment take its course at once on the guilty nation, but for the prayer of one or two righteous men in it (compare Genesis 18:23-33 1 Samuel 15:11 Jeremiah 42:10 ). The repentance of the sinner, and God's regard to His own attributes of mercy and covenanted love, also cause God outwardly to deal with him as if he repented ( Jonah 3:10 ), whereas the change in outward dealing is in strictest harmony with God's own unchangeableness.
It shall not be--Israel's utter overthrow now. Pul was influenced by God to accept money and withdraw from Israel.

4. called to contend--that is with Israel judicially ( Job 9:3 , Isaiah 66:16 , Ezekiel 38:22 ). He ordered to come at His call the infliction of punishment by "fire" on Israel, that is, drought (compare Amos 4:6-11 ), [MAURER]. Rather, war ( Numbers 21:28 ), namely, Tiglath-pileser [GROTIUS].
devoured the . . . deep--that is a great part of Israel, whom he carried away. Waters are the symbol for many people ( Revelation 17:15 ).
did eat up a part--namely, all the land (compare Amos 4:7 ) of Israel east of Jordan ( 1 Chronicles 5:26 , Isaiah 9:1 ). This was a worse judgment than the previous one: the locusts ate up the grass: the fire not only affects the surface of the ground, but burns up the very roots and reaches even to the deep.

7. wall made by a plumb-line--namely, perpendicular.