86
AMOS
AMOS
splendid achievements had already been wrought. The ministry of Amos sliould therefore be dated about 760 B.C. An attempt has recently been made, on the ground of internal evidence, to bring it down a quarter of a century, and date it about 734. This, however, would require us to set aside .\m7'"'"", a section which bears every mark of verisimilitude.
Betliel was the principal scene of his preaching, perhaps the only one. AVhen he had delivered several addresses there, Aniaziah, the chief priest of the royal sanctuary, sent a message to the king, who does not seem to have been present, accusing the preacher of treason, and at the same time ordered the latter to quit the realm. Evidently there was some reason to fear that the oppressed poor might be stirred up to revolt against their lords and masters. The tnreats of coming judgment would disturb many hearers. The denunciation of cruelty and injustice would awake many echoes. Yet the priest's language evinces all the contempt which a highly-placed official feels towards an interfering nobody, a fellow who, as he thinks, gains a precarious livelihood by prophesyin". Jeroboam does not seem to have paid much heed. In the Bab. Talm. Pesackim, fol. 876, it is said : ' How is it proved that Jeroboam did not receive the accusation brought against Amos? . . . The king answered [in reply to Amaziah], God forbid that that righteous man should have said this ; and if he hath said it, what can 1 do to him ? The Shechinah hath said it to him.' The conversation is fictitious; but Amos doubtless withdrew unmolested, after disclaiming any official and permanent standing as a prophet, predicting Amaziah's utter destruction because of 'lis impious hindrance of the divine word (7''""), and completing the delivery of his own message to Israel (8. 9). On reaching home he doubtless put into writing the substance of his speeches, and the roll thus written is the earliest book of prophecy that has come down to ua.
Concerning his subsequent fortunes we are entirely in the dark. A late Christian tradition, originating probably in the 6th century of our era, affirms that Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, struck him frequently, and treacherously abused him, and finally Amaziah's son kUled him, striking him on the forehead with a club, because he had rebuked him for the apostasy of worship- ping the two golden calves. The prophet survived long enough to reach his own land [another version add.s, ' at the end of two days '], and was buried with his fathers. It is much more likely that he reached Tekoa in peace, resumed liis shep- herd life, and eventually was gathered to his fathers. Jerome and Euseuius affirm that his sepulchre was still shown at Tekoa in their days. M hen Maundrell was in the neighbourhood in 1 737 he was told that the tomb was in the collage on the mountain. The Roman Church places Amos amongst the martyrs, and commemorates him on the 31st March, the Gr. Church on the 15th June. Amongst the Jews his freedom of speech gave offence even after his death, for the Kok. Rnb. blames Amos, Jeremiah, and Ecclesiastes for their faultfinding, and states that this is the reason why the superscriptions to their books run, 'The words of Amos,' etc., and not, 'The words of God.'
II. The Prophecy.
1. The Authenticity oi the writing which bears his name has never been seriously questioned. As to its interjritij there is good ground for thinking that the following passages are later additions : 11. s 2*- » 4" 5'- » 6^ V- s^'». Emendations of the Mas- soretic text have been suggested for the under- mentioned passages, and most of them merit careful consideration: 1''-" 2" 3». »• n. la. " 4i.».» 6e.».ii.u.
li. 9« g>. S. 10. U ^1. 3. 4. 14. IT g« 9<. 10. 11_
2. The Contents may be summarised thus :— Ohs. 1 and 2 : THE INTRODUCTION, which touches on the sins, first of the neighbouring nations and then of Israel, and announces their imminent punishment. Chs. 3-6: The First Main Divi.sion of the Book; 3-4' j4 Minatory Discourse, addressed chielly to the ruling classes; 4*"" A Contimmtion of the same Speech, now directed to the people in general, detailing the judgments by which God had sought to bring them back to Himself, and sharply pointing out that a more decisive stroke was at hand ; 5: A Second Address, in which are contained lamentations, reproofs, exhortations to true religion as opposed to false, threats of ruin and captivity ; 6: A IVoe upon the Luxurious,ihe Self -Conjidcnt , and the Proud. Chs. 7-9 : THE SECOND MAIN Division OF the Book ; 7'"' Three Visions ; '»-" The Narra- tive of the Expulsion of Amos ; S^'' A Fourth Vision, the rest of the chapter being occupied with de- nunciations of the extortionate traders, the self- indulgent rich, the superstitious pilgrims ; 9 : The Concluding Vision : The Inevitable Punishment oj Wrong-doers : The Messianic Future.
3. The distinguishing characteristics of this prophet's Theology are quite unmistakable : —
(1) His Idea of God. — Amos was an uncom- promising monotheist. There is not a verse in his ■wTitings that admits the existence of other deities. But his conviction of the divine unity was not the result of philosophic thought and argument. It was an immediate certainty springing out of his deep sense of J"'s righteousness, nearness, greatness. So near and so mighty did He seem that there was no room for other gods, and hence there is no discu-ssion of their claims. J" is all- powerful in Heaven and Sheol, on Carmel and in the depths of the sea, in Caphtor and Kir, and Edom and Tyre. His might is shown in the control of human history (chs. 1 and 2, passim ; 5-' 6" 9'), and esp. in His guidance of the fortunes of Israel. Every movement of the national life, spiritual and external, has been under His hand (2'""). In all the affairs of men there is no such thing as chance ; it is His purposes that are con- stantly being wrought out : calamity, as well as prosperity, comes from Him (S'""). 'This implies His dominion over Nature, the completeness of which comes out in such sections as 4"'"', where every natural calamity and fecourge, dearth, drought, mildew, locust, pestilence, is traced to the direct exercise of His will. It scarcely need be added that the personality of God was clear to the prophet's mind. Hence it is that he does not shrink from anthropomorphism : J" steps forth against the house of Jeroboam like an armed warrior (7'') ; in pity for His people He changes His purposes (7' etc.).