Amos 7:15

15 Maar de HEERE nam mij van achter de kudde; en de HEERE zeide tot mij: Ga henen, profeteer tot Mijn volk Israel.

Amos 7:15 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 7:15

And the Lord took me as I followed the flock
Or "from behind" it ^F21; a description of a shepherd, such an one Amos was, and in this employ when the Lord called him, and took him to be a prophet; he did not seek after it, nor did he take this honour to himself; by which it appears that his mission was divine, and that he did not enter on this work with lucrative views: thus God took David in a like state of life, and made him king of Israel; and Elisha from the plough, and made him a prophet: and Christ several of his disciples from being fishermen, and made them fishers of men, or ministers of the word; and so their call appeared more clear and manifest; and the Lord said unto me;
in a vision or dream by night; or by an articulate voice he heard; or by an impulse upon his spirit, which comes from the Spirit of God: go, prophesy unto my people Israel;
for so they were by profession, and notwithstanding their apostasy; as yet they were not tallied "Loammi", ( Hosea 1:9 ) ; to these the prophet was bid to go out of the land of Judea, where he was a herdsman, and prophesy in the name of the Lord to them; wherefore what he did was in obedience to the command of God, and he did but his duty; and what he in this verse and ( Amos 7:14 ) declares, is a sufficient vindication of himself, his character, and conduct; and having done this, he has something to say to the priest, as follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (Nau yrtam) "de post pecus", Montanus; "de post gregem", Vatablus; "a post gregem", Liveleus.

Amos 7:15 In-Context

13 Maar te Beth-El zult gij voortaan niet meer profeteren; want dat is des konings heiligdom, en dat is het huis des koninkrijks.

14 Toen antwoordde Amos, en zeide tot Amazia: Ik was geen profeet, en ik was geen profetenzoon; maar ik was een ossenherder, en las wilde vijgen af.

15 Maar de HEERE nam mij van achter de kudde; en de HEERE zeide tot mij: Ga henen, profeteer tot Mijn volk Israel.

16 Nu dan, hoor des HEEREN woord: Gij zegt: Gij zult niet profeteren tegen Israel, noch druppen tegen het huis van Izak.

17 Daarom zegt de HEERE alzo: Uw vrouw zal in de stad hoereren, en uw zonen en uw dochteren zullen door het zwaard vallen, en uw land zal door het snoer uitgedeeld worden; en gij zult in een onrein land sterven, en Israel zal voorzeker uit zijn land gevankelijk worden weggevoerd.