Two Bits Media of Kansas City: Amos Commentary

Updated: April 18, 2008

The Bible Commentary

[C]2000-08 by Richard L Zorek

Amos 1:1: The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concering Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israwel, two years before the wauake. The word Amos is derived from the Hebrew root amas, "to lift a burden, to carry." Thus, his name means "Burden" or "Burden-Bearer."
Amos 3:2: You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities." His loving knowledge of Israel had for its express purpose the training of Israel to moral excellence.

Amos 3:7: Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets The Lord gives the prophets advance notice, and they are to relate it to the people.
Amos 4:3: I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me, decalres the Lord An example of God using pain for a purpose.
Amos 4:7: And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city." Lots of rain in one part of the country and then drought in another. Sound familiar?
Amos 5:8: Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out on the face of the earth: the Lord is his name. Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.....It is he who will turn it to morning.
Amos 6:8: I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hat his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is within it." As is the case of all major strongholds through earthly history, they are eventually destroyed. They are conquered or destroyed from within. Their pride and ignorance of God made them violent, idolatrous and immoral.

Amos 7:14:" I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs." Amos is saying that he was "not a regular prophet nor have been trained at the school of the prophets." The fact that he would emphasize this suggests that he was the exception and not the rule. God called Amos in an extraordinary way. Normally the prophets came from the schools. Amos was a shepherd and heard the voice of God.

Amos 9:10: All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us Sin corrupts good judgment.