Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Amos 7:5
Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he [is] small.
5, 6. Again the prophet intercedes, in the same words as before, except that he does not pray that God would forgive His people, but that He would cease, desist, from His work of judgement. And, once more, the intercession of Amos obtains a mitigation of the punishment.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
As our Lord repeated the same words in the Garden, so Amos interceded with God with words, all but one, the same, and with the same plea, that, if God did not help, Israel was indeed helpless. Yet a second time God spared Israel. To human sight, what so strange and unexpected, as that the Assyrian and his army, having utterly destroyed the kingdom of Damascus, and carried away its people, and having devoured, like fire, more than half of Israel, rolled back like an ebb-tide, swept away to ravage other countries, and spared the capital? And who, looking at the mere outside of things, would have thought that that tide of fire was rolled back, not by anything in that day, but by the prophets prayer some 47 years before? Man would look doubtless for motives of human policy, which led Tiglath-pileser to accept tribute from Pekah, while he killed Rezin; and while he carried off all the Syrians of Damascus, to leave half of Israel to be removed by his successor.
Humanly speaking, it was a mistake. He scotched his enemy only, and left him to make alliance with Egypt, his rival, who disputed with him the possession of the countries which lay between them. If we knew the details of Assyrian policy, we might know what induced him to turn aside in his conquest. There were, and always are, human motives. They do not interfere with the ground in the mind of God, who directs and controls them. Even in human contrivances, the wheels, interlacing one another, and acting one on the other, do but transmit, the one to the other, the motion and impulse which they have received from the central force. The revolution of the earth around its own center does not interfere with, rather it is a condition of its revolving round the center of our system, and, amidst the alternations of night and day, brings each several portion within the influence of the sun around which it revolves. The affairs of human kingdoms have their own subordinate centers of human policy, yet even thereby they the more revolve in the circuit of Gods appointment. In the history of His former people God gives us a glimpse into a hidden order of things, the secret spring and power of His wisdom, which sets in motion that intricate and complex machinery which alone we see, and in the sight of which people lose the consciousness of the unseen agency. While man strives with man, prayer, suggested by God, moves God, the Ruler of all.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee,…. From destroying the land; suffer not this calamity to proceed any further; using the same argument as before:
by whom shall Jacob arise? for he [is] small; [See comments on Am 7:2].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(5, 6) Instead of forgive, the prophet now only ventures to say cease, a cry for arrest of judgment. Yet the same plea for pity is urged as before. Jeroboam II. and his house are spared for awhile. But another awful vision comes to the prophet.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Amo 7:5 Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he [is] small.
Ver. 5. Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee ] See Amo 7:2 ; and persevering in prayer for the public remember to plead, not merit, but misery, Psa 79:8-9 , and with all humility to acknowledge that “it is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not,” Lam 3:22 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
cease: Amo 7:2, Psa 85:4, Isa 10:25
for: Amo 7:2, Amo 7:3, Isa 1:9, Jer 30:19
Reciprocal: Deu 9:19 – But the Eze 11:13 – Ah Joe 2:17 – Spare
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
WEAKNESS AND STRENGTH
By whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
Amo 7:5
As uttered by the prophet, this may be regarded as the language of complaint, of sorrow, of despondency; and yet also of inquiry, of hope, and of prayer.
I. Jacob symbolises the Church; and there may be in the Church certain elements of weakness.A church may be weak because its members are few, poor, and scattered, and without much worldly influence; but there are other elements of weakness, which render the most numerous, and wealthy, and compact Church weak indeed. One of these is inactivity; an inactive Church must be weak.
Another element of weakness is worldliness; and the inactive Church is sure to be worldly. And then follows illiberality; when nothing is done little is given. Then prayer is restrained; the family altar is deserted; and the social circle of prayer is not frequented.
The Church may be weakened, too, by the neglect of discipline. Thus the standard of piety becomes low, and there is but little difference between the Church and the world. In view of these things, we may ask, By whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. And we may use these words as expressive of complaint, of sorrow, of despondency; and yet, too, of inquiry, of hope, and of prayer, as did Amos.
II. And the prayer is for strength, that Jacob may arise and be strong.And strength does not consist wholly in numbers, nor wealth, nor influence; we may be few, and poor, and scattered, and yet be strong. The elements of strength are these: Uniona united people are strong, for union is strength; lovelove to Christ, to each other, to the souls of mena loving people are strong; faithconfidence in God as the founder and Saviour of Ziona faithful, confiding people are strong; zeala zealous people are strong; activity, effortan active, laborious people are strong; liberalitya giving people are strong; prayera prayerful people are strong, for prayer prevails with God; it moves the hand that moves the world.
III. But by whom shall Jacob arise and become strong?By God only; and yet He will use the Churchs instrumentality in this work. He may raise up some special leader for the work; but usually He employs her present clergy and people. He arouses them to a sense of their personal responsibilities and duties. He leads every one to feel that there is a work for him to do, and He constrains each one to do his own proper work; to repent of his deadness and worldliness, and return unto God. And then He pours out a spirit of grace and of supplication, and leads to earnestness and importunity in prayer. Then He blesses His Word and ordinances; and He answers prayer; revives His work; souls are converted; and Zion arises and puts on strength, she arises and shines, because the glory of Christ rises upon her. Thus it is that Jacob, though small, is made strong; and he shall thus wax stronger and stronger.
IV. Let us remember that every one who is connected with this Church also adds either to its weakness or its strength.If we are inactive, worldly, illiberal, prayerless, then we take just so much from the strength of the Church and add just so much to its weakness. Alas! were all like us, how small and weak must Jacob be! But if we abound in love, and faith, and zeal, and effort, and liberality, and prayer, and also keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, then we add to the strength of the Church. How strong and vigorous would Zion be did all possess and manifest this spirit! Let us so live that this Church shall be stronger, and better, and purer for our connection with it. And let us never despair. Jacob shall arise! And, with Gods help, whatever is needful to be done can be done. Though numbers may be few, and wealth not abundant, yet what ought to be done can be done! Where there is a will there is a way!
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Amo 7:5, Again the prophet pleads on behalf of the people.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Amos prayed virtually the same prayer again asking the sovereign Lord not to send such a judgment because Jacob was small (cf. Amo 7:2). Again the Lord relented and determined that it would not come then (cf. Amo 7:3). He would not discipline Israel with a locust plague or with a raging "fire."