Amos 7:1-9

Warning Visions

1 1This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, 2he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.
2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said, "O Lord GOD, please forgive! 3How can Jacob stand? He is so small!"
3 4The LORD relented concerning this: "It shall not be," said the LORD.
4 5This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, the Lord GOD was calling 6for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land.
5 Then I said, "O Lord GOD, please cease! 7How can Jacob stand? He is so small!"
6 8The LORD relented concerning this: "This also shall not be," said the Lord GOD.
7 9This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with 10a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand.
8 And the LORD said to me, 11"Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "Behold, I am setting 12a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; 13I will never again pass by them;
9 14the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against 15the house of Jeroboam with the sword."

Amos 7:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 7

In this and the two following chapters are the visions of Amos, in number five; three of which are contained in this chapter, and with which it begins. The first is of the grasshoppers or locusts eating up the later grass of the land, which are stopped at the intercession of the prophet, Am 7:1-3; the second is of fire the Lord called for to contend by, whose devouring flames are made to cease by the same interposition, Am 7:4-6; and the other is of the plumbline, signifying the utter destruction of the people of Israel, according to the righteous judgment of God, Am 7:7-9; upon the delivery of which prophecies and visions, the priest of Bethel forms a charge against the prophet to the king; and advises Amos to flee into Judea, and prophesy there, and not at Bethel, being willing to be rid of him at any rate, Am 7:10-13; next follows the prophet's vindication of himself showing his divine call to the prophetic office, and his mission and express order he had from the Lord to prophesy unto Israel, Am 7:14,15; and concludes with a denunciation of divine judgments on the priest's family, and upon the whole land of Israel, Am 7:16,17.

Cross References 15

  • 1. Amos 8:1
  • 2. [Joel 1:4]; See Exodus 10:4
  • 3. [Psalms 130:3]
  • 4. [Deuteronomy 32:36; Joel 2:13]
  • 5. [See ver. 1 above]
  • 6. [Revelation 8:7, 8]
  • 7. [See ver. 2 above]
  • 8. [See ver. 3 above]
  • 9. [See ver. 1 above]
  • 10. [ver. 17]; See 2 Kings 21:13
  • 11. Amos 8:2
  • 12. [See ver. 7 above]
  • 13. Amos 8:2
  • 14. Genesis 26:23, 25
  • 15. See 2 Kings 15:8-12
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.