Lexical Summary
Amos: Amos
Original Word:עָמוֹס
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:`Amowc
Pronunciation:ah-MOHS
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-moce')
KJV: Amos
NASB:Amos
Word Origin:[fromH6006 (עָמַס עָמַשׂ - loaded)]
1. burdensome
2. Amos, an Israelite prophet
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Amos
Fromamac; burdensome; Amos, an Israelite prophet -- Amos.
see HEBREWamac
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
amasDefinitionan Isr. prophet
NASB TranslationAmos (7).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; —
Amos 1:1;
Amos 7:8,10,11,12,14;
Amos 8:2, .
Topical Lexicon
Identity and Canonical PresenceAmos is the Judaean shepherd-prophet through whom the Lord delivered the Book of Amos. His name appears seven times, all within that book:Amos 1:1; 7:8; 7:10; 7:11; 7:12; 7:14; 8:2.
Geographical Origin
A native of Tekoa in the hill country of Judah (Amos 1:1), Amos was called away from his southern homeland to prophesy chiefly in the northern kingdom of Israel.
Occupation Before His Call
He tended flocks and cared for sycamore-fig trees (Amos 7:14). These modest vocations highlight the Lord’s pattern of raising ordinary people for extraordinary service (cf.1 Corinthians 1:27-29).
Historical Setting
His ministry occurred “two years before the earthquake” during the reigns of Uzziah king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel (Amos 1:1). This places him in the prosperous mid-eighth century BC, just decades before Assyria’s conquest of Israel in 722 BC. Outward affluence masked inward corruption—idolatry, moral decay, and oppression of the poor.
Prophetic Commission
Amos testified, “I was not a prophet nor was I a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel’” (Amos 7:14-15). His authority rested solely on divine appointment, not institutional lineage.
Message and Themes
1. Judgment on the nations—including Judah and Israel—for violence, covenant unfaithfulness, and social injustice (Amos 1–2).
2. The Lord’s demand for righteousness: “Let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24).
3. Imminent exile: “Israel will surely go into exile, away from her homeland” (Amos 7:17).
4. The Day of the Lord as darkness for the unrepentant (Amos 5:18-20).
5. Future restoration: the fallen booth of David rebuilt and Gentile nations called by God’s name (Amos 9:11-12; echoed inActs 15:16-17).
Opposition Encountered
Amaziah, priest of the Bethel sanctuary, denounced Amos before King Jeroboam II and ordered, “Go, you seer, flee to the land of Judah… but do not prophesy anymore at Bethel” (Amos 7:12-13). Amos remained resolute, pronouncing judgment on Amaziah and Bethel (Amos 7:16-17).
Symbolic Visions
The prophet’s name frames pivotal visions:
• Plumb line (Amos 7:8) – divine standard exposing Israel’s crookedness.
• Basket of summer fruit (Amos 8:2) – the end ripened for Israel, “The time is ripe for My people Israel; I will spare them no longer”.
Legacy in Scripture and Theology
Amos stands as Scripture’s foremost herald of social justice grounded in covenant fidelity to God. His preaching affirms:
• The Lord’s universal sovereignty over all nations.
• The inseparability of worship and ethics.
• Hope of messianic restoration after judgment.
New Testament writers recognize his relevance, notably at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). His clarion call continues to summon believers to lives of holiness, compassion, and confident expectation of the kingdom of God.
Forms and Transliterations
עָמ֔וֹס עָמ֗וֹס עָמוֹס֙ עמוס ‘ā·mō·ws ‘āmōws aMos
Links
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