called, &c. = was calling for fire, to contend [with Israel]. did eat up a part . would have eaten up the land. a part. Hebrew. hahelek, with 'eth = the very portion [of the earth given to Israel). Compare Micah 2:4 . read more
"Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, the Lord Jehovah called to contend by fire; and it devoured the great deep, and would have eaten up the land. Then said I, O Lord Jehovah, cease, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small. Jehovah repented concerning this: This shall not be, saith the Lord Jehovah."No matter how this vision is understood, the meaning of it is exactly that of the preceding vision, namely, great disasters threatening Israel, and yet being averted through... read more
Amos 7:4. The Lord God called to contend by fire— In many places of Scripture war is denoted by fire. We observed, that after the death of Jeroboam the kingdom of Israel was laid waste by civil, and perhaps by foreign wars; for we are not well acquainted with the history of that time. The fire here spoken of was to have dried up the sea, and consumed a great part of the earth, figuratively speaking, had it not been for the prophet, who interposes, and arrests the effect, Amos 7:5-6. The wars... read more
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 Ezekiel 38:22- :), [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 (Numbers 21:28- :). did eat up a part—namely, all the land (compare Amos 4:7) of Israel... read more
A. Three short visions of impending judgment 7:1-9The three visions in this section are similar and may have followed one another in quick succession. The first two describe methods of divine judgment from which Amos persuaded God to turn aside, and the last one the method He would not abandon to judge Israel. read more
Sovereign Yahweh also showed Amos a vision of a great fire that was burning up everything. Like a great drought it consumed all the water and all the farmland (or people) in Israel (cf. Amos 1:9-10). What he saw may have been a scorching heat wave that resulted in a drought.The "great deep" is a phrase that refers to subterranean waters that feed springs (cf. Genesis 1:2; Genesis 7:11; Genesis 8:2; Genesis 49:25; Deuteronomy 8:7; Ezekiel 31:4). So intense was the fire that Amos saw that it... read more
2. The devouring fire 7:4-6 read more
Three Visions and an Interruption1-9. The visions. 10-17. The interruption.There are two senses in which the word ’Vision’ may be used of one of the forms of Hebrew prophecy. In the first sense a state of mind closely akin to that of a dreamer is intended: ’I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream’ (Numbers 12:6). The prophet falls into a kind of ecstasy, and has no control over the pictures which pass before his mind. Every one will remember the... read more
(4) Fire.—The poetical description of a yet more terrible calamity. God announces His intention of judging, i.e., punishing by fire (the word in E.V., “contend,” is to be understood in this sense). For “a portion” read the portion. The image is that of a prairie fire, that should eat up the later grass spared by the locusts. The consuming of the “great deep” is a strong hyperbole, and can scarcely refer to the “heathen world,” as Keil maintains. The meaning rather appears to be that not only... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Amos 7:1-9
7:1-9:10 VISIONS OF JUDGMENTGod’s patience before judgment (7:1-9)Farmers paid their taxes by giving the king the first reaping of their harvest. After this a second crop grew up, which provided the main harvest for the people. It was this second crop that Amos, in his vision, saw threatened with destruction from a plague of locusts. If God judged Israel in this way, it might never recover. When Amos pleaded on Israel’s behalf for God’s mercy, God answered his prayer (7:1-3). God later answered... read more