amos-1:1-10-esv

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:1

Heading. The words. So Jeremiah begins his prophecy ( Jeremiah 1:1 ), and the writer of Ecclesiastes ( Ecclesiastes 1:1 ). That the words am not those of Amos, but of Jehovah, is shown by the succeeding clause, "which he saw." Herdmen . The Hebrew word noked used here is found in 2 Kings 3:4 , applied to Mesha King of Moab, a great "sheepmaster;" hence some have considered that Amos was not a mere mercenary, but a rich possessor of flocks. His own words, however ( Amos 7:14 , ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:1

A voice from the sheepcotes. The Jewish nation is almost seven centuries old. A wayward nonage had passed into a maturity incorrigibly perverse. Alarmed by prophetic thunders, and riven by the lightning bolts of judgment ( Amos 4:6-11 ), Israel clung to its iniquities in spite of all ( Amos 2:4 ; Amos 5:11 ; Isaiah 1:5 ). Yet God had not cast off his people whom he foreknew. There were other arrows in his quiver still, and he would shoot them against national obduracy with a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:1

Amos the herdsman. There must be some special reason why this prophet putts upon record the employments in which he spent his earlier years, and from which he was called to assume the office of the Lord's messenger to Israel. On the barren hills to the south of Bethlehem, where there is no tillage, and where the population must always have been scanty, Amos tended flocks of sheep or of goats, and at certain seasons of the year gathered the fruit from the wild sycamore trees. I. RURAL ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:1

The true teacher. "The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa." In the little village of Tekoa, six miles south of Bethlehem, the young peasant Amos lived. He was a lad of humble birth and lowly occupation. Sometimes be trimmed the sycamore trees, and sometimes drove the cattle to and from their pasture. But he heard the voice of God everywhere, and saw his works in all the scenes around him; for he was devout, and feared the Lord exceedingly. Although he lived in Judah, his... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:1-2

Heading of the book, with short summary of its contents. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:2

And he said. This is the commencement of "the words" of Amos (verse 1); and herein the prophet gives a short summary of the judgment which he has to pronounce. The following clause is a repetition of Joel 3:16 ; and Amos thus connects his prophecy with that of his predscessor, to show the unity of prophetic mission, and to warn the Jews that God's punishments are not directed exclusively on heathen nations. To the nations denounced by Joel, Amos adds others of Israel's enemies, viz. Syria,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:2

The thunder that both frights and smites. These words are an echo of Joel 3:16 . We hence infer the continuity of the two prophetic messages. The one strikes the keynote, and the other takes up and continues the strain. I. DIVINE INTERVENTION . This is to end a period of quiescence. It is: 1 . Intervention. "Utters his voice." The silence of God is often treated as equivalent to inaction ( Psalms 28:1 ; Psalms 50:21 ). So his speech would mean his becoming active,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:2

The voice of terror. This imagery is evidently derived from the prophet's own experience. In the southeast of Palestine the lion was a frequent and formidable visitor, which every herdsman had reason to dread. The majestic roar of the king of beasts is here employed to denote the judgments of the Lord upon the disobedient and rebellious, especially of Israel. I. OBSERVE WHENCE THE VOICE OF THREATENING PROCEEDS . 1 . It is the voice of the Lord—that voice which assumes... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:3

For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four. This form of expression is repeated in each of the following strophes, and some critics have taken the terms literally, and have tried to identify that particular number of transgressions in each case; but this is trifling. The phrase and others similar to it are not uncommon, and are used to signify a great number, the last mentioned being supposed to fill up the measure and make it overflow. Thus Job 5:19 , "He shall deliver thee in six... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:3-5

Before announcing the judgment on Israel, Amos proclaims the punishment on neighbouring heathen nations for their injurious treatment of the chosen people, thus showing God's care for his elect, and leading them to fear vengeance for their own greater sins towards him. The order observed in denouncing these nations is not geographical, but is regulated by the nature of each people's relation to Israel, and the degree in which they have sinned against her. The denunciation begins with Syria,... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:1

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:1

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:1

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:1

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:1-2

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:2

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:2

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:2

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:3

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 1:3-5

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