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“Silence!” is the Lord’s command to Amos.1 While previously Amos has interceded on behalf of Israel,2 in the midst of this vision the Lord expects silence as words of judgment thunder down upon Israel. The Lord’s judgment culminates in a divine silence — a famine of the words of the Lord in Israel.3 It is … Continue reading “Amos 8:1-12 Commentary by Samuel Giere”

“Amos was Israel’s first theologian,” says scholar John Barton. “As far as we know, no one before him had subjected the religious beliefs and practices of people in Israel to critical scrutiny.”[1] While Book of Amos is one of the last in the Old Testament, Amos was actually among the earliest ancient Israelite prophets and … Continue reading “Amos 8:1-12 Commentary by Karla Suomala”

The week’s reading from Amos contains two different units: a prose vision report in Amos 8:1-3 and a poetic announcement of judgment in Amos 8:4-12. (The second unit continues to the end of the chapter, but the lectionary leaves out the last two verses.) They are linked by the motif of turning festivity into lament … Continue reading “Amos 8:1-12 Commentary by Blake Couey”

Far from wishy washy is the judgment of the Lord that comes from the mouth of Amos. Rather, it is clear, to the point, biting…and surprising as it comes to Israel, the Northern Kingdom, in a time of peace and prosperity. Textual Horizons In the midst of five visions,1 today’s pericope begins with Amos’ third … Continue reading “Amos 7:7-17 Commentary by Samuel Giere”

Justice and judgment — are they an inseparable pair? Amos in context Scholars generally agree that Amos was a southerner, heralding from the village of Tekoa, about five miles from Bethlehem. He was likely active during the mid-8th century; during the period in which Jeroboam II ruled Israel and Uzziah was king in Judah. Both … Continue reading “Amos 7:7-17 Commentary by Karla Suomala”

Amos 7:7-17 describes two episodes in the prophetic career of Amos, set in the northern kingdom of Israel around 750 BCE. Verses 7-9 recount a vision of doom for Israel that he received. Verses 10-17 describe his encounter with the priest Amaziah, which results in Amos’ being banned from the temple at Bethel. These originally … Continue reading “Amos 7:7-17 Commentary by Blake Couey”

This brief passage consists of a vision (verses 7-9; the third of five visions in Amos), a report (verses 10-11), an eviction notice (verses 12-13), and a defense (verses 14-15). In the vision, God calls upon Amos to identify something in God’s hand. “What do you see?” is a rhetorical question. The object Amos ventures … Continue reading “Amos 7:7-15 Commentary by Elna K. Solvang”

“You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting,” mocks Prince Adhemar, as he admonishes William, a young squire posing as a knight in the 2001 movie adaptation of Chaucer’s A Knight’s Tale. When William defeats Prince Adhemar in the final jousting contest, he and his friends repeat these words … Continue reading “Amos 7:7-15 Commentary by David G. Garber Jr.”

Amos 7 as the First Reading on this Sunday in July complements the Gospel Reading from Mark 6:14-29. Both passages concern prophetic figures — Amos and John the Baptist — who are confronted because of their condemning, prophetic message. Amos is asked to leave the land of Judah; John is beheaded. Yet, their messages carry … Continue reading “Amos 7:7-15 Commentary by Tyler Mayfield”

When we think of the prophet Amos there is a tendency to emphasize the outsider nature of his prophetic calling.  Amos is a shepherd and a horticulturalist (a “herdsman and dresser of sycamore trees,” Amos 7:14), not a member of the prophetic families or guilds of Israel.There is, then, a disconnect, a jarring power and … Continue reading “Amos 6:1a, 4-7 Commentary by Karl Jacobson”