This is what He showed me:This phrase introduces a vision given to the prophet Amos. Visions were a common way God communicated with His prophets, providing them with divine insight and messages for His people. Amos, a shepherd and fig tree farmer from Tekoa, was called by God to prophesy to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of prosperity and moral decline. This vision is one of several in the book of Amos, each revealing God's judgment and expectations.
Behold, the Lord was standing by a wall true to plumb:
The imagery of a wall "true to plumb" suggests a structure built with precision and integrity. In ancient construction, a plumb line was used to ensure that walls were perfectly vertical, symbolizing righteousness and justice. The wall represents Israel, initially built according to God's standards. The presence of the Lord by the wall indicates His authority and the impending evaluation of Israel's faithfulness to His covenant.
with a plumb line in His hand:
The plumb line symbolizes God's standard of righteousness and justice. It is a tool for measurement, indicating that God is assessing Israel's moral and spiritual alignment with His laws. This imagery underscores the idea that God is not arbitrary in His judgments; He measures His people against His divine standards. The plumb line also foreshadows the coming judgment, as Israel is found to be out of alignment with God's expectations. This concept of divine measurement is echoed in other scriptures, such asIsaiah 28:17, where justice and righteousness are described as the measuring line and plumb line. The plumb line can also be seen as a type of Christ, who embodies the perfect standard of righteousness and through whom believers are measured.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The LordThe sovereign God of Israel, who is revealing His judgment and standards to the prophet Amos.
2.
AmosA prophet from Tekoa, called by God to deliver messages of judgment and repentance to Israel.
3.
The WallSymbolizes the nation of Israel, built according to God's standards but now subject to His judgment.
4.
The Plumb LineA tool used to ensure structures are vertically true, symbolizing God's standard of righteousness and justice.
5.
IsraelThe Northern Kingdom, which is being measured against God's standards and found wanting.
Teaching Points
God's Standard of RighteousnessThe plumb line represents God's unchanging standard of righteousness. Just as a wall must be straight, so must our lives align with God's Word.
Divine JudgmentGod's use of the plumb line signifies His impending judgment. It serves as a warning that deviation from His standards will lead to consequences.
Call to RepentanceThe vision is a call for Israel to recognize their moral and spiritual failings and return to God's ways.
Personal ReflectionBelievers are encouraged to examine their own lives against God's standards, seeking areas where they may need to realign with His will.
Community AccountabilityJust as Israel was measured as a community, the church today must hold itself accountable to God's standards, promoting righteousness and justice.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Amos 7:7?
2.What does the "plumb line" symbolize in Amos 7:7 for our lives today?
3.How can we ensure our actions align with God's standards as in Amos 7:7?
4.How does Amos 7:7 connect with God's judgment in other Bible passages?
5.In what ways can we apply the lesson of Amos 7:7 daily?
6.How does understanding Amos 7:7 deepen our relationship with God and His Word?
7.What is the significance of the plumb line in Amos 7:7 for God's judgment?
8.How does Amos 7:7 reflect God's standards for righteousness and justice?
9.Why does God use a plumb line as a metaphor in Amos 7:7?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Amos 7?
11.Amos 7:7–9 – How can the vision of the plumb line be reconciled with the lack of physical artifacts or direct records of such an event?
12.What does "plumb line" mean in the Bible?
13.What symbols convey themes in the Book of Amos?
14.Amos 7:3, 6 - If God is 'unchanging,' why does He appear to change His decision in answer to Amos's plea?What Does Amos 7:7 Mean
This is what He showed meGod initiates the vision. Amos does not conjure it; the Lord reveals it.
•Amos 3:7 underscores that “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets,” highlighting divine transparency.
• Jeremiah receives similar divine visuals (Jeremiah 1:11–13), showing a consistent pattern: God lets His servants see what He intends to do.
The phrase assures us the coming image carries heaven’s authority, not Amos’s imagination.
BeholdThe word pulls the reader to attention—“Look closely, don’t miss this.”
• John the Baptist uses the same urgency inJohn 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” signaling something weighty.
•Revelation 4:1 also begins a heavenly scene with “behold,” inviting awe.
God’s “behold” moments are never filler; they mark pivotal truth.
The Lord was standingThe Lord Himself is firmly positioned beside the wall. He is not distant or abstract; He is present, inspecting.
• Isaiah “saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1), another vision of God personally overseeing His realm.
•Exodus 34:5 shows the Lord descending to stand with Moses, revealing character before judging Israel.
A standing Lord pictures readiness to act—both to affirm what aligns with Him and to correct what doesn’t.
A wall true to plumbThe wall is already “true to plumb,” perfectly vertical, built to standard. It represents God’s covenant expectations for Israel—originally straight, stable, reliable.
•1 Kings 6:7 notes Solomon’s temple stones were prepared precisely, illustrating God values exactness in His dwelling.
•Proverbs 14:11 contrasts the righteous house that stands with the wicked’s that is destroyed, echoing the straight-versus-crooked theme.
•Ephesians 2:20–22 applies the image to the church: “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.”
God once found Israel “true,” but the plumb line will prove whether they remain so.
With a plumb line in His handThe plumb line is a builder’s tool to test vertical integrity. In God’s grip, it becomes a moral standard.
•Isaiah 28:17 declares, “I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line.”
•2 Kings 21:13 pictures God stretching “the measuring line of Samaria” in judgment, showing the tool shifts from construction to assessment.
•Zechariah 4:10 speaks of the plumb line rejoicing in the hand of Zerubbabel as he finishes the temple—proof that God measures both to build and to judge.
When the Lord holds the plumb line, His assessment is perfect; what leans must be corrected or removed (Matthew 21:42).
summaryAmos 7:7 presents a vivid scene: the Lord reveals (He showed), commands attention (Behold), stands personally involved (the Lord was standing), beside what He once established straight (a wall true to plumb), and now measures it with flawless precision (a plumb line in His hand). The verse teaches that God sets the standard, inspects by that standard, and will not ignore deviations. For every believer and every nation, alignment with His righteous plumb line is non-negotiable, because the same Lord who built the wall now stands ready to judge its integrity.
(7)
Wall made by a plumbline--i.e., a perpendicular wall, the stability of the kingdom being represented by the closely-fitting well-jointed stones of a lofty wall. Right in the heart of this strong-built city, the Lord Himself marks the extent of the desolation, the plumb-line being used in dismantling buildings, as well as erecting them (
2Kings 21:13;
Isaiah 34:11).
Verses 7-9. - § 3
. The third vision, the plumb line, represents the Lord himself as coming to examine the conduct of Israel, and finally deciding on its entire ruin.Verse 7. -
Upon (rather, over)
a wall made by a plumb line. The word translated "plumb line" (
anakh) occurs only here. Septuagint
ἀδάμας: so the Syriac; Vulgate,
trulla caementarii; Aquila,
γάνωσις, "brightening," "splendor;" Theodotion,
τήκομενον. As the word in other dialects means tin or lead, it is usually taken here to mean the plumb line which builders use to ascertain that their work is even and perpendiculur (see a very different explanation in Knabenbauer, p. 314, etc.). The "wall" is the kingdom of Israel, once carefully built up, solidly constructed, accurately arranged. God had made it upright; how was it now?
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
This is whatכֹּ֣ה(kōh)Adverb
Strong's 3541:Like this, thus, here, nowHe showed me:הִרְאַ֔נִי(hir·’a·nî)Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7200:To seeBehold,וְהִנֵּ֧ה(wə·hin·nêh)Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009:Lo! behold!the Lordאֲדֹנָ֛י(’ă·ḏō·nāy)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136:The Lordwas standingנִצָּ֖ב(niṣ·ṣāḇ)Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5324:To take one's stand, standbyעַל־(‘al-)Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, againsta wallחוֹמַ֣ת(ḥō·w·maṯ)Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2346:A wall of protectiontrue to plumb,אֲנָ֑ךְ(’ă·nāḵ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 594:A plumb-line, a hookwith a plumb lineאֲנָֽךְ׃(’ă·nāḵ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 594:A plumb-line, a hookin His hand.וּבְיָד֖וֹ(ū·ḇə·yā·ḏōw)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027:A hand
Links
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OT Prophets: Amos 7:7 Thus he showed me and behold (Amo. Am) 
