Amos 7:1-11

1 Thus the Lord GOD showed me: and, behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, behold, it was the latter growth after the king's harvest.

2 It happened that, when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, "Lord GOD, forgive, I beg you! How could Ya`akov stand? For he is small."

3 The LORD relented concerning this. "It shall not be," says the LORD.

4 Thus the Lord GOD showed me and, behold, the Lord GOD called for judgment by fire; and it dried up the great deep, and would have devoured the land.

5 Then I said, "Lord GOD, stop, I beg you! How could Ya`akov stand? For he is small."

6 The LORD relented concerning this. "This also shall not be," says the Lord GOD.

7 Thus he showed me and, behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand.

8 The LORD said to me, "`Amos, what do you see?" I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "Behold, I will set a plumb line in the midst of my people Yisra'el. I will not again pass by them any more.

9 The high places of Yitzchak will be desolate, the sanctuaries of Yisra'el will be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Yarov`am with the sword."

10 Then Amatzyah the Kohen of Beit-El sent to Yarov`am king of Yisra'el, saying, "`Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Yisra'el. The land is not able to bear all his words.

11 For `Amos says, 'Yarov`am will die by the sword, and Yisra'el shall surely be led away captive out of his land.'"

Amos 7:1-11 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.