Amos 7 15

Amos 7:15 kjv

And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

Amos 7:15 nkjv

Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, And the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.'

Amos 7:15 niv

But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

Amos 7:15 esv

But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

Amos 7:15 nlt

But the LORD called me away from my flock and told me, 'Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.'

Amos 7 verses

Amos 7 15 Meaning

This verse signifies God's direct intervention in the affairs of Israel through His prophet Amos. It demonstrates God appointing Amos, a shepherd and dresser of sycamore trees from Judah, to prophesy against Israel. This divine appointment emphasizes that Amos's message originates from God, not his own will or social standing, highlighting the authority and divine source of prophetic pronouncements against perceived national or religious disobedience.

Amos 7 15 Context

Amos chapter 7 depicts a confrontation between the prophet Amos and Amaziah, a priest at the royal sanctuary in Bethel. Amaziah accuses Amos of treason for his prophecies against the prosperity and leadership of Israel during Jeroboam II's reign. Amos, despite facing opposition and being ordered to cease his prophetic activity, asserts that his commission is not self-appointed but directly from God. This particular verse underscores Amos's identity not as a professional religious leader, but as someone chosen and authorized by the Lord Himself, which lent him unique divine authority.

Amos 7 15 Word Analysis

• And (Hebrew: וְ‎, ve): A conjunctive particle, linking this statement to the previous dialogue, showing continuity.
• Amos (Hebrew: עָמֹ֫וֹס, Amos): The prophet's name, meaning "burden" or "borne." This name itself carries symbolic weight for his message.
• said (Hebrew: וַיֹּ֜אמֶר, vayyoʾmer): A standard verb for speaking, indicating a declaration.
• to (Hebrew: אֶל‎, ʾel): A preposition indicating the recipient of the speech.
• Amaziah (Hebrew: אֲמַצְיָ֫ה, ʾămaṣyāh): The name of the priest, meaning "strength of Yahweh." A significant irony given his opposition to God's prophet.
• priest (Hebrew: כֹּהֵ֣ן, koḥēn): A religious official.
• of (Hebrew: לְ‎, lə): Preposition showing belonging or origin.
• Bethel (Hebrew: בֵּֽית־אֵל, bêṯ-ʾêl): A significant religious site in the northern kingdom of Israel, often associated with idolatry.
• the (Hebrew: הַ‎, ha): Definite article.
• king (Hebrew: מֶ֣לֶךְ, méleḵ): The ruling sovereign.
• of (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל, yiśrāʾēl): Belonging to Israel.
• For (Hebrew: כִּ֣י, kî): Causational conjunction, introducing the reason for Amos's words.
• I (Hebrew: אָנֹ֔כִי, ʾānōḵî): First-person pronoun, emphasizing Amos's personal testimony.
• was (Hebrew: הָיִ֙יתִי֙, hāyîṯî): Verb indicating existence or state.
• no (Hebrew: לֹא‎, lō): Negation.
• prophet (Hebrew: נָבִיא֙, nāḇîʾ): A speaker for God.
• nor (Hebrew: וְלֹא‎, wəloʾ): And not.
• was (Hebrew: הָיִ֙יתִי֙, hāyîṯî): Again, existence or state.
• a (Hebrew: בֶּן־, ben-): Son of.
• prophet (Hebrew: נָבִיא֙, nāḇîʾ): Repeated for emphasis.
• nor (Hebrew: וְלֹא‎, wəloʾ): And not.
• was (Hebrew: הָיִ֙יתִי֙, hāyîṯî): Existence or state.
• a (Hebrew: בֶּן־, ben-): Son of.
• son (Hebrew: בְּנֵ֣י, bəne): Children.
• of (Hebrew: הַנְּבִיאִים֙, hanneḇîʾîm): The prophets.
• prophets (Hebrew: נְבִיאִ֑ים, nəḇîʾîm): Plural form of prophet.
• but (Hebrew: כִּ֣י, kî): But/rather, contrasting the prior negations.
• I (Hebrew: אָנֹ֔כִי, ʾānōḵî): First-person pronoun.
• was (Hebrew: הָיִ֙יתִי֙, hāyîṯî): Verb of being.
• a (Hebrew: בַּעַל‎, baʿal): Owner.
• shepherd (Hebrew: בַּ֠עַל הַבָּקָר, baʿal habbāqār): Literally "owner of cattle" or herdsman.
• and (Hebrew: וְ‎, ve): Conjunction.
• a (Hebrew: וְ‎, ve): Conjunction.
• dresser (Hebrew: מְכֹ֥נֵס, məḵōnēs): One who prunes, cultivates, or grafts.
• of (Hebrew: הַשִּׁקְמִֽים, haššîqmîm): The sycamore-figs.
• sycamore-figs (Hebrew: שִׁקְמִ֑ים, šîqmîm): A type of tree that produced fruit resembling figs, which required cultural intervention to ripen properly.

Words-Group Analysis:The repetition of "I was not a prophet nor was I a son of a prophet" emphasizes a distinction from the established, perhaps corrupt, prophetic guilds of Israel. Amos’s identity is rooted in a common, practical occupation – a shepherd and sycamore dresser – and his calling is attributed solely to the Lord, positioning him as a direct, unadulterated mouthpiece of God. This contrast with the institutional religious structure represented by Amaziah at Bethel is stark. His calling as a "dresser of sycamore-figs" implies manual labor and a connection to the land, skills God chose to refine and empower for prophetic utterance.

Amos 7 15 Bonus Section

The task of a "dresser of sycamore-figs" involved a process called "pinching" or "incising" the fruit. This action facilitated the ripening process, indicating a hands-on agricultural skill. The choice of this analogy for Amos's prophetic ministry suggests that God called him to perform a similar 'pruning' or 'cutting' action within the spiritual and national life of Israel, forcing a ripening towards judgment or repentance. The fact that he was from Judah, and sent to the northern kingdom of Israel, highlights God’s reach across tribal and national divisions and also speaks to a divine judgment upon Israel that transcended its borders. The message was an indictment of social injustice, economic exploitation, and religious hypocrisy, which Amos, as an outsider appointed by God, was uniquely positioned to deliver without being compromised by the very system he was condemning.

Amos 7 15 Commentary

Amos boldly clarifies his spiritual credentials to Amaziah, the priest at Bethel. He refutes any suggestion that he belongs to an order or guild of professional prophets, which could potentially carry with them established interpretations or alliances. Instead, Amos asserts a unique, personal calling directly from God. He highlights his ordinary vocational background as a shepherd and dresser of sycamore-figs (a humble, manual labor), which further contrasts him with the privileged religious establishment. This emphasizes that his prophetic authority is not derived from education, lineage, or ecclesiastical position, but solely from God’s sovereign selection and commission. This also serves to validate the content of his message – that it is God's word and judgment, not personal grievance or political ambition.