Amos 7 5

Amos 7:5 kjv

Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

Amos 7:5 nkjv

Then I said: "O Lord GOD, cease, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, For he is small!"

Amos 7:5 niv

Then I cried out, "Sovereign LORD, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!"

Amos 7:5 esv

Then I said, "O Lord GOD, please cease! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!"

Amos 7:5 nlt

Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, please stop or we will not survive, for Israel is so small."

Amos 7 verses

Amos 7 5 meaning

Amos 7:5 describes the prophet Amos's second passionate plea to God for mercy upon Israel, following a vision of impending judgment. Amos asks the Lord GOD to halt the devastating consequence of a divine fire that would consume the land. His appeal rests on Israel's inherent vulnerability, reasoning that "how shall Jacob stand? for he is small," highlighting their incapacity to survive such a severe judgment due to their diminished state. It underscores the prophet's role as an intercessor and God's compassionate nature to hear and respond to such prayers.

Amos 7 5 Context

Amos 7 begins a series of five visions of judgment against Israel. In the first two visions (7:1-3 – locusts, 7:4-6 – fire), God reveals His destructive intent. In both instances, Amos, the humble shepherd-prophet from Judah sent to preach to the northern kingdom of Israel, boldly intercedes on behalf of his people. Verse 5 is the heart of Amos's second intercession. The initial vision of locusts would have devoured their crops; this second vision of "fire" (often representing a scorching drought, a devouring pestilence, or war) suggests a more intense, pervasive destruction that would leave nothing behind. Amos’s pleas are remarkably similar in both visions, highlighting Israel’s dire vulnerability and his role as their advocate before God. This chapter establishes Amos's prophetic courage and compassion amidst divine judgment.

Amos 7 5 Word analysis

• וָאֹמַר (va'ômar) - "And I said" (Koinē Greek: ἐγὼ εἶπα; Strong's H559): The imperfect tense with a prefixed waw consecutive denotes immediate action in sequence. This is a direct, personal utterance by Amos, indicating his bold address to God. It highlights the conversational intimacy and urgency between the prophet and the divine, not merely an observation.
• אֲדֹנָי (Adhonai) - "Oh Lord" (Strong's H136): This title emphasizes God's sovereign authority and mastery. When coupled with YHVH, it forms a profound confession of divine sovereignty, indicating a humble but earnest address from the petitioner to their Master. It shows a recognition of who he is addressing.
• יְהוָה (YHVH) - "GOD" (Strong's H3068): The covenant name of God, revealing His personal, relational aspect, and His faithfulness to His promises (even in judgment). In English Bibles, it is often rendered "LORD" (all caps) to distinguish it from Adhonai. Here, it denotes Amos's appeal to God's covenant loyalty despite Israel's failures.
• חֲדַל (khadal) - "cease" (Strong's H2308): A verb meaning to stop, refrain, or forbear. It is an imperative, a direct command or urgent request to God, demonstrating the intensity of Amos's prayer. Its use here indicates an plea for the current action (the fire) to be halted.
• נָא (nā') - "please" (Strong's H4994): An emphatic particle that softens a request and adds urgency and politeness. It translates to "pray," "now," or "do it now, please." It intensifies the plea, showing Amos's earnestness.
• מֶה (meh) - "how" (Strong's H4100): An interrogative particle, forming a rhetorical question that implies an impossibility or an utterly desperate situation. It conveys the sense of "by what means" or "in what state."
• יָקוּם (yaqūm) - "shall stand" (Strong's H6965): A verb meaning to rise, stand up, endure, or prevail. In this context, it implies surviving, recovering, or resisting the judgment. The question is rhetorical: "How can Jacob survive?"
• יַעֲקֹב (Ya'aqov) - "Jacob" (Strong's H3290): Refers to the nation of Israel. Using "Jacob" here can evoke themes of wrestling (Gen 32), weakness, and humble beginnings, rather than the more politically elevated "Israel." It highlights their foundational identity and perhaps their more vulnerable state before God.
• כִּי (kī) - "for" (Strong's H3588): A conjunction indicating causation or reason. It introduces the justification for Amos's intercession.
• קָטֹן (qātōn) - "small" (Strong's H6996): An adjective meaning small, young, insignificant, or weak. This is the crucial point of Amos's argument: Israel is utterly vulnerable and lacks the strength or resources to endure God's full wrath. It portrays the nation as unable to withstand, perhaps implying a remnant's existence as a small portion, vulnerable to eradication.
• הוּא (hû') - "he is" (Strong's H1931): A personal pronoun, simply asserting "he" or "it," in this context affirming Jacob's smallness.

Amos 7 5 Bonus section

The repeated intercession by Amos in Amos 7:2 and 7:5, using almost identical language, underscores both God's patience and Amos's persistence. The first intercession "Forgive, I pray you! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!" led God to relent regarding the plague of locusts. The second, slightly modified, concerning the fire ("cease, please"), indicates a new level of crisis and a repeated, desperate plea. This reiteration shows Amos not giving up, even when God's judgment seems certain. The use of "Jacob" rather than "Israel" in both appeals may emphasize Israel's ancestral lineage, reminding God of His covenant with the patriarch, or subtly highlights their vulnerability from a foundational perspective. God relented even to this second plea ("This also shall not be," v.6), showing His long-suffering character despite Israel's continued rebellion, only to ultimately bring judgment in the third vision. This pattern establishes the high stakes and the intensity of the prophetic ministry, often balancing judgment pronouncements with heartfelt appeals for mercy.

Amos 7 5 Commentary

Amos 7:5 serves as a profound moment of intercession in the prophetic narrative. It depicts Amos not merely as a messenger of doom but as a deeply compassionate shepherd of his people, reflecting a role often assumed by great intercessors like Moses (Exod 32:11-14). The phrase "Oh Lord GOD, cease, please" (Adhonai YHVH, khadal nā') is a direct, urgent, and respectful appeal to God, leveraging both His sovereign authority (Adhonai) and His covenantal relationship with Israel (YHVH). Amos argues for clemency based not on Israel's merit (of which there was none) but on their weakness and inability to survive God's comprehensive judgment. The rhetorical question, "how shall Jacob stand? for he is small" highlights Israel's dire predicament and expresses a prophet's agony over the impending destruction. It evokes a picture of Israel as a struggling, vulnerable entity that cannot withstand the mighty hand of God in full judgment. God's act of relenting in response to Amos's intercession (implied by the subsequent visions, though not explicitly stated for this particular vision as in v.3 and v.6 where he explicitly relents again after a subsequent intercession) underscores His mercy and responsiveness to the fervent prayers of His faithful. This passage offers a powerful example of the vital role of prophetic intercession and the dynamic interplay between divine justice and divine mercy.