Amos 7:2-3

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Amos 7:1-9

We here see that God bears long, but that he will not bear always, with a provoking people, both these God here showed the prophet: Thus hath the Lord God showed me, Amos 7:1, 4, 7. He showed him what was present, foreshowed him what was to come, gave him the knowledge both of what he did and of what he designed; for the Lord God reveals his secret unto his servants the prophets, Amos 3:7. I. We have here two instances of God's sparing mercy, remembered in the midst of judgment, the narratives... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 7:2

And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land ,.... That is, the grasshoppers or locusts; when in the vision it seemed to the prophet that almost all the grass of the land was eaten up, and they were going to seize upon the corn, and other fruits of the earth: this signifies not Sennacherib's invasion of the land of Judea, but Pul's invasion of the land of Israel, whose army seemed like these locusts; and spreading themselves over the land, threatened... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 7:3

The Lord repented for this ,.... He heard the prayer of the prophet, and at his intercession averted, the threatened judgment; thus the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, James 5:16 ; this is spoken after the manner of men; as men, when they repent of a thing, desist from it, so the Lord desisted from going on with this judgment; he did not change his mind, but changed the dispensations of his providence according to his mind and will: it shall not be, saith the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:2

By whom shall Jacob arise? - The locusts, the symbols of the many enemies that had impoverished Jerusalem, having devoured much of the produce of the land, were proceeding, till, at the intercession of the prophet, they were removed. Then, seeing in the light of prophecy the nation in every sense brought low, he cries, "By whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small." Calmet justly remarks: "After the death of Jeroboam the second, the kingdom, so flourishing and powerful before, was reduced to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:3

The Lord repented - Changed his purpose of destroying them by the locusts. See Amos 7:6 . read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:2

Verse 2 But we must supply this prophecy or vision to its proper time. I doubt not, and I think that I can gather this from certain considerations, that the Prophet here compares the time which had preceded the reign of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, with the prosperous time which followed. For when Jeroboam the Second began to reign, the kingdom was laid waste, partly by hostile incursions, and partly by drought and heat, by inclement weather, or by pestilence. Since then the condition of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 7:1-3

§ 1. The first vision, of locusts, represents Israel as a field eaten down to the ground, but shooting up afresh, and its utter destruction postponed at the prophet's prayer. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 7:1-3

The vision of devouring locusts. The prophet is appropriately called a seer. He sees clear and he sees far. Not only has Amos foresight of what is coming; he has insight into what, in certain circumstances, would have come. He is taken as it were behind the scenes, and made a witness of the forging of Heaven's thunderbolts, to be laid up for use as occasion may require. In this case he is cognizant by spiritual intuition of the preparation of judicial measures which, as circumstances turn... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 7:1-6

Revelation and prayer. "Thus hath the Lord God showed unto me," etc. This portion of the Book of Amos ( Amos 7:1-17 and Amos 8:1-14 ) contains four symbolical visions respecting successive judgments that were to be inflicted on the kingdom of Israel. They were delivered at Bethel, and in all probability at the commencement of the prophet's ministry. Each of them, as it follows in the series, is more severe than the preceding. The first presented to the mental eye of the prophet a swarm... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 7:2

The grass of the land. The term includes vegetables of all sorts, the feed of man and beast ( Genesis 1:11 ; see note on Zechariah 10:1 ). O Lord,...forgive. The prophet is not concerned to obtain the fulfilment of his prophecy; his heartfelt sympathy for his people yearns for their pardon, as he knows that punishment and restoration depend upon moral conditions. By whom shall Jacob arise? better, How shall Jacob stand ? literally, as who ? If he is thus weakened, as the vision... read more

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