1:2 Amos 1 said:
“The Lord comes roaring 2 out of Zion;
from Jerusalem 3 he comes bellowing! 4
The shepherds’ pastures wilt; 5
the summit of Carmel 6 withers.” 7
7:12 Amaziah then said to Amos, “Leave, you visionary! 8 Run away to the land of Judah! Earn your living 9 and prophesy there!
7:14 Amos replied 10 to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. 11 No, 12 I was a herdsman who also took care of 13 sycamore fig trees. 14
1 tn Heb “he;” the referent (Amos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 sn The
3 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
4 tn Heb “gives his voice.”
5 tn Lexicographers debate whether there are two roots אָבַל (’aval), one signifying “mourn” and the other “be dry,” or simply one (“mourn”). The parallel verb (“withers”) might favor the first option and have the meaning “wilt away.” It is interesting to note, however, that the root appears later in the book in the context of lament (5:16; 8:8, 10; 9:5). Either 1:2 is a possible wordplay to alert the reader to the death that will accompany the judgment (the option of two roots), or perhaps the translation “mourns” is appropriate here as well (cf. KJV, NASB, NKJV, NJPS; see also D. J. A. Clines, “Was There an ’BL II ‘Be Dry’ in Classical Hebrew?” VT 42 [1992]: 1-10).
6 sn Carmel was a region known for its abundant plants and trees. See Isa 33:9; 35:2; Jer 50:19.
7 sn Loss of a land’s fertility is frequently associated with judgment in the OT and ancient Near Eastern literature.
8 tn Traditionally, “seer.” The word is a synonym for “prophet,” though it may carry a derogatory tone on the lips of Amaziah.
9 tn Heb “Eat bread there.”
15 tn Heb “replied and said.” The phrase “and said” is pleonastic (redundant) and has not been included in the translation.
16 tn Heb “I was not a prophet nor was I the son of a prophet.” The phrase “son of a prophet” refers to one who was trained in a prophetic guild. Since there is no equative verb present in the Hebrew text, another option is to translate with the present tense, “I am not a prophet by profession.” In this case Amos, though now carrying out a prophetic ministry (v. 15), denies any official or professional prophetic status. Modern English versions are divided about whether to understand the past (JB, NIV, NKJV) or present tense (NASB, NEB, NRSV, NJPS) here.
17 tn Heb “for.”
18 tn Heb “gashed”; or “pierced.”
19 sn It is possible that herdsmen agreed to care for sycamore fig trees in exchange for grazing rights. See P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 116-17. Since these trees do not grow around Tekoa but rather in the lowlands, another option is that Amos owned other property outside his hometown. In this case, this verse demonstrates his relative wealth and is his response to Amaziah; he did not depend on prophecy as a profession (v. 13).