Amos 7 17

Amos 7:17 kjv

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.

Amos 7:17 nkjv

"Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; Your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by survey line; You shall die in a defiled land; And Israel shall surely be led away captive From his own land.' "

Amos 7:17 niv

"Therefore this is what the LORD says: "?'Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan country. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.'?"

Amos 7:17 esv

Therefore thus says the LORD: "'Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.'"

Amos 7:17 nlt

But this is what the LORD says:
'Your wife will become a prostitute in this city,
and your sons and daughters will be killed.
Your land will be divided up,
and you yourself will die in a foreign land.
And the people of Israel will certainly become captives in exile,
far from their homeland.'"

Amos 7 verses

Amos 7 17 Meaning

The prophecy of Amos 7:17 announces divine judgment upon Amaziah, the priest of Bethel. God declares that Amaziah's wife will become a harlot in the city, his sons and daughters will fall by the sword, and his land will be divided by measuring lines. This signifies total destruction, shame, and dispossession for Amaziah and his household.

Amos 7 17 Context

Amos 7 presents a series of visions and a confrontation that reveals God's impending judgment on Israel due to their sin and the corruption within its religious leadership. Specifically, in chapter 7, Amos intercedes for Israel against locusts and fire, but when faced with Amaziah, a priest who tries to silence God's prophet, the message shifts to a direct condemnation of Amaziah. This verse follows God's command to Amos to prophesy against the house of Amaziah. The historical context is the reign of Jeroboam II, a time of outward prosperity for Israel but also significant social injustice, idolatry, and religious corruption, particularly at the shrine of Bethel. Amaziah, representing this corrupt religious establishment, challenges Amos, viewing his prophecies as treasonous and a threat to the established order.

Amos 7 17 Word Analysis

• "and": Connects this prophecy to the previous divine command to Amos.
• "thy": Possessive pronoun, indicating ownership and relation to Amaziah.
• "wife": Refers to Amaziah's spouse, whose fate will be one of extreme degradation.
• "shall be": Indicates a future certainty of the declared event.
• "a harlot": Implies severe dishonor, disgrace, and moral compromise for Amaziah's wife.
• "in": Locative preposition, specifying the place of her shame.
• "the city": Refers to Samaria or Bethel, the centers of worship and political power, making the shame public.
• "and": Connects the fate of his wife to that of his children.
• "thy": Possessive pronoun, referring to Amaziah's children.
• "sons": Male offspring.
• "and": Connects sons and daughters.
• "daughters": Female offspring.
• "shall fall": Signifies violent death.
• "by the sword": Indicates death by warfare and execution, a brutal end.
• "and": Links the death of his family to the loss of his land.
• "thy": Possessive pronoun, indicating Amaziah's property.
• "land": Refers to his inheritance and possessions.
• "shall be": Future certainty.
• "measured": A preliminary act to dividing and distributing the conquered land.
• "and": Connects measuring to dividing.
• "divided": Signifies confiscation and redistribution by the conquerors, implying complete loss.
• "thy": Possessive pronoun, referring to Amaziah himself.
• "self": Emphasizes the individual fate of Amaziah.
• "thou": Pronoun, directly addressing Amaziah.
• "shalt die": Certainty of death.
• "in": Locative preposition.
• "a land": General term for territory.
• "that is unclean": Suggests the land will be defiled by the coming destruction, or that Amaziah's lineage will be tainted and disqualified from participation in covenant blessings. It might also imply exile to foreign, impure lands.
• "and": Connects his death to the fate of Israel.
• "Israel": Refers to the Northern Kingdom.
• "shall surely": Emphasizes the inescapable nature of the deportation.
• "be": Future certainty.
• "led away captive": Refers to exile, deportation from their homeland.
• "from": Source of the captivity.
• "his": Possessive pronoun, referring to Israel.
• "own": Emphasizes the severity of leaving their homeland.
• "soil": The land itself, their homeland.

Group of words analysis:

• "thy wife shall be a harlot in the city": This is a curse of public disgrace and humiliation, representing the complete breakdown of societal and familial order due to God's judgment.
• "your sons and daughters will fall by the sword": This signifies the annihilation of his lineage and the severing of his family line through violent means.
• "your land will be measured and divided": This illustrates the utter dispossession of his property and inheritance, to be taken and parceled out by others, marking complete ruin.
• "you yourself will die in a defiled land": This pronounces a personal death in a place considered ritually unclean or associated with the consequences of sin, underscoring a fate separate from the promised land and its blessings.
• "And Israel will surely be exiled from its native land": This broadens the judgment to encompass the entire nation, confirming that the individual destruction of Amaziah is a microcosm of the larger national exile.

Amos 7 17 Bonus Section

The term "unclean land" (Hebrew: 'erets tum'ah) used for where Amaziah will die is significant. It carries both ritualistic and moral connotations. Ritually, it signifies a land not under God's blessing, perhaps associated with foreign paganism. Morally, it points to a land corrupted by sin, a place where God's favor does not rest. This contrasts sharply with the "promised land," which was to be holy. Amaziah's defiance, as a priest meant to uphold holiness, led to a fate of ultimate spiritual impurity and separation. This highlights the severity of the sin committed by those who suppress prophetic voices and lead the people into spiritual defilement. The detailed destruction predicted for Amaziah’s household mirrors the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28 for disobedience, reinforcing the theological framework of covenant blessings and curses.

Amos 7 17 Commentary

The prophecy against Amaziah is a stark illustration of divine retribution for rejecting God's messenger and corrupting His worship. As a priest of Bethel, Amaziah held a position of spiritual authority, yet he actively opposed God's prophet Amos. His response—accusing Amos of treason and commanding him to cease prophesying—revealed his allegiance to the established, but corrupt, religious and political system. God’s response, articulated through Amos, is devastatingly comprehensive. It targets Amaziah’s family (wife, sons, daughters), his possessions (land), and finally himself, predicting death in an "unclean" land. This signifies not only physical death but spiritual alienation from God's presence and people. The prophecy emphasizes that national sin, especially when perpetrated or endorsed by religious leaders, incurs God’s severe judgment. The promised exile of Israel serves as a consequence for the systemic unfaithfulness that men like Amaziah embodied and perpetuated. The imagery is strong: a harlot wife signifies extreme dishonor, falling by the sword denotes a violent end to offspring, and land division means total dispossession. His death in a defiled land symbolizes being cast out from God’s presence and covenant blessings. This verse underscores the accountability of spiritual leaders and the dire consequences of opposing God's truth.