Amos 7:15

15 And Hashem took me as I followed the tzon, and Hashem said unto me, Go, prophesy unto My people Yisroel.

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 But prophesy not again any more at Beit-El; for it is the Mikdash Melech, and it is the Bais Mamlachah.

14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amatzyah, I was no navi, neither was I a ben navi; but I was a herder, and a dresser of sycamore-fig trees;

15 And Hashem took me as I followed the tzon, and Hashem said unto me, Go, prophesy unto My people Yisroel.

16 Now therefore hear thou the Devar Hashem: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Yisroel, and drop not thy word against the Bais Yitzchak.

17 Therefore thus saith Hashem: Thy isha shall be a zonah in the city, and thy banim and thy banot shall fall by the cherev, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in an adamah temei’ah (unclean land); and Yisroel shall surely go forth of his land into golus (exile).