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Selected Verse: Amos 7:14 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Am 7:14 |
Strong Concordance |
Then answered [06030] Amos [05986], and said [0559] to Amaziah [0558], I was no prophet [05030], neither was I a prophet's [05030] son [01121]; but I was an herdman [0951], and a gatherer [01103] of sycomore fruit [08256]: |
|
King James |
Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
I was no prophet--in answer to Amaziah's insinuation (Amo 7:12), that he discharged the prophetical office to earn his "bread" (like Israel's mercenary prophets). So far from being rewarded, Jehovah's prophets had to expect imprisonment and even death as the result of their prophesying in Samaria or Israel: whereas the prophets of Baal were maintained at the king's expense (compare Kg1 18:19). I was not, says Amos, of the order of prophets, or educated in their schools, and deriving a livelihood from exercising the public functions of a prophet. I am a shepherd (compare Amo 7:15, "flock"; the Hebrew for "herdsman" includes the meaning, shepherd, compare Amo 1:1) in humble position, who did not even think of prophesying among you, until a divine call impelled me to it.
prophet's son--that is, disciple. Schools of prophets are mentioned first in First Samuel; in these youths were educated to serve the theocracy as public instructors. Only in the kingdom of the ten tribes is the continuance of the schools of the prophets mentioned. They were missionary stations near the chief seats of superstition in Israel, and associations endowed with the Spirit of God; none were admitted but those to whom the Spirit had been previously imparted. Their spiritual fathers travelled about to visit the training schools, and cared for the members and even their widows (Kg2 4:1-2). The pupils had their common board in them, and after leaving them still continued members. The offerings which in Judah were given by the pious to the Levites, in Israel went to the schools of the prophets (Kg2 4:42). Prophecy (for example, Elijah and Elisha) in Israel was more connected with extraordinary events than in Judah, inasmuch as, in the absence of the legal hierarchy of the latter, it needed to have more palpable divine sanction.
sycamore--abounding in Palestine. The fruit was like the fig, but inferior; according to PLINY, a sort of compound, as the name expresses, of the fig and the mulberry. It was only eaten by the poorest (compare Kg1 10:27).
gatherer--one occupied with their cultivation [MAURER]. To cultivate it, an incision was made in the fruit when of a certain size, and on the fourth day afterwards it ripened [PLINY, Natural History, 13.7,14]. GROTIUS from JEROME says, if it be not plucked off and "gathered" (which favors English Version), it is spoiled by gnats. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
I was no prophet - The order of the words is emphatic. "No prophet I, and no prophet's son I, for a herdsman I, and dresser of sycamores." It may be, Amos would meet, for the people's sake, Amaziah's taunt. He had a living, simple indeed, yet that of the prophets was as simple. But chiefly he tells them of the unusual character of his mission. He did not belong to the order of the prophets, nor had he been educated in the schools of the prophets, nor had he any human training. He was thinking of nothing less; he was doing the works of his calling, until "God took him from following the flock," and gave him his commission. Rup.: "He promises humbly what he had been, what he had been made, not by merits, but by grace, that he had not assumed the prophetic office by hereditary right, nor had he begun to prophesy out of his own mind, but, being under the necessity of obeying, he had fulfilled the grace and the command of God who inspired and sent Him." Twice he repeats, "The Lord took me; the Lord said unto me;" inculcating that, what Amaziah forbade, God bade. All was of God. "He" had but obeyed. Jerome: "As then the Apostles, when the Scribes and Pharisees forbade them to teach in the Name of Jesus, answered, 'We must obey God rather than man' Act 5:29, so Amos, when forbidden by the idol-priests to prophesy, not only prophesies, shewing that he feared God bidding, more than their forbidding, but he boldly and freely denounces the punishment of him who endeavored to forbid and hinder the word of God." Rup.: "heaven thundered and commanded him to prophesy; the frog croaked in answer out of his marsh, 'prophesy no more. '" |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
Amos first of all repudiates the insinuation that he practises prophesying as a calling or profession, by which he gets his living. "I am no prophet," sc. by profession, "and no prophet's son," i.e., not a pupil or member of the prophets' schools, one who has been trained to prophesy (on these schools, see the comm. on Sa1 19:24); but (according to my proper calling) a bōqēr, lit., a herdsman of oxen (from bâqâr); then in a broader sense, a herdsman who tends the sheep (צאן), a shepherd; and a bōlēs shiqmı̄m, i.e., one who plucks sycamores or mulberry-figs, and lives upon them. The ἁπ. λεγ. bōlēs is a denom. from the Arabic name for the mulberry-fig, and signifies to gather mulberry-figs and live upon them; like συκάζειν and ἀποσυκάζειν, i.e., according to Hesych. τὰ σῦκα τρώγειν, to eat figs. The rendering of the lxx κνίζων, Vulg. vellicans, points to the fact that it was a common custom to nip or scratch the mulberry-figs, in order to make them ripen (see Theophr. Hist. plant. iv. 2; Plin. Hist. nat. 13, 14; and Bochart, Hieroz. i. 384, or p. 406 ed. Ros.); but this cannot be shown to be the true meaning of bōlēs. And even if the idea of nipping were implied in the word bōlēs, it would by no means follow that the possession of a mulberry plantation was what was intended, as many commentators have inferred; for "the words contain an allusion to the 'eating of bread' referred to in Amo 7:12, and the fruit is mentioned here as the ordinary food of the shepherds, who lived at the pasture grounds, and to whom bread may have been a rarity" (Hitzig). From this calling, which afforded him a livelihood, the Lord had called him away to prophesy to His people Israel; so that whoever forbade him to do so, set himself in opposition to the Lord God. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
No prophet - Not originally, or by study, or by any human designation. An herdman - By breeding and occupation I was and still am, an herdman. Sycamore fruit - This fruit was good food for man, or cattle. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
I was no prophet - I am an extraordinary messenger of God. I am not called to the prophetic office but for this occasion. I have no message to Judah, and therefore need not go there. I have a message to Israel alone, and I must faithfully deliver it.
For the account which Amos gives here of himself, see the introduction. |
27 And the king [04428] made [05414] silver [03701] to be in Jerusalem [03389] as stones [068], and cedars [0730] made [05414] he to be as the sycomore trees [08256] that are in the vale [08219], for abundance [07230].
42 And there came [0935] a man [0376] from Baalshalisha [01190], and brought [0935] the man [0376] of God [0430] bread [03899] of the firstfruits [01061], twenty [06242] loaves [03899] of barley [08184], and full ears of corn [03759] in the husk [06861] thereof. And he said [0559], Give [05414] unto the people [05971], that they may eat [0398].
1 Now there cried [06817] a certain [0259] woman [0802] of the wives [0802] of the sons [01121] of the prophets [05030] unto Elisha [0477], saying [0559], Thy servant [05650] my husband [0376] is dead [04191]; and thou knowest [03045] that thy servant [05650] did fear [03373] the LORD [03068]: and the creditor [05383] is come [0935] to take [03947] unto him my two [08147] sons [03206] to be bondmen [05650].
2 And Elisha [0477] said [0559] unto her, What shall I do [06213] for thee? tell [05046] me, what hast [03426] thou in the house [01004]? And she said [0559], Thine handmaid [08198] hath not any thing in the house [01004], save a pot [0610] of oil [08081].
1 The words [01697] of Amos [05986], who was among the herdmen [05349] of Tekoa [08620], which he saw [02372] concerning Israel [03478] in the days [03117] of Uzziah [05818] king [04428] of Judah [03063], and in the days [03117] of Jeroboam [03379] the son [01121] of Joash [03101] king [04428] of Israel [03478], two years [08141] before [06440] the earthquake [07494].
15 And the LORD [03068] took [03947] me as I followed [0310] the flock [06629], and the LORD [03068] said [0559] unto me, Go [03212], prophesy [05012] unto my people [05971] Israel [03478].
19 Now therefore send [07971], and gather [06908] to me all Israel [03478] unto mount [02022] Carmel [03760], and the prophets [05030] of Baal [01168] four [0702] hundred [03967] and fifty [02572], and the prophets [05030] of the groves [0842] four [0702] hundred [03967], which eat [0398] at Jezebel's [0348] table [07979].
12 Also Amaziah [0558] said [0559] unto Amos [05986], O thou seer [02374], go [03212], flee thee away [01272] into the land [0776] of Judah [03063], and there eat [0398] bread [03899], and prophesy [05012] there:
29 Then [1161] Peter [4074] and [2532] the other apostles [652] answered [611] and said [2036], We ought [1163] to obey [3980] God [2316] rather [3123] than [2228] men [444].
12 Also Amaziah [0558] said [0559] unto Amos [05986], O thou seer [02374], go [03212], flee thee away [01272] into the land [0776] of Judah [03063], and there eat [0398] bread [03899], and prophesy [05012] there:
24 And he stripped off [06584] his clothes [0899] also [01571], and prophesied [05012] before [06440] Samuel [08050] in like manner, and lay down [05307] naked [06174] all that day [03117] and all that night [03915]. Wherefore they say [0559], Is Saul [07586] also among the prophets [05030]?