AMOS (Hebrew 'Amôs' «he bears a burden», distinct from the name of Isaiah’s father 'Amôs' «strong»). — Third of the Minor Prophets, in the order of the Bible.
I. THE PROPHET
By asserting that he is «not a prophet, nor a son of prophets» (7:14), Amos declares that he does not belong to any groups or schools of prophets and has no special preparation for the prophetic ministry; above all, he does not make a profession of prophecy as his rival, the courtly and schismatic Amaziah, insinuates (7:12). Amos was born at Tekoa in the kingdom of Judah, a village about 4 km south of Bethlehem, which seems reflected in the setting of his book, rich in images drawn from desert life. From his easy dealings with caravans, he could obtain precise information about Edom and Moab, the Philistines and the Ammonites, the Tyrians and the Damascenes. From the very title (1:1) he presents himself as a shepherd (7:1, *bôqêr* «who tends his flock himself»), also engaged in cultivating sycamores (7:14). From his humble condition he was called to the dignity of prophecy by the Lord, who according to His good pleasure elects and takes the humble (7:14).Amos seems to be the earliest writing prophet. His prophetic vocation, clearly manifested (1:1; 3:3-8; 7:14-15), occurred in the time of Jeroboam II, king of Israel from 783 to 743, and Uzziah, contemporary king of Judah (769-38), two years before the «earthquake» (1:1) mentioned also by Zechariah 14:5. Two mentions of the plague (4:10; 8:3) and of the solar eclipse (8:9) find confirmation in two references from a Babylonian eponym list, which places the two phenomena in the years 765-59 and 763; hence at least part of Amos’s ministry would be subsequent to those years. That the Israelites boast of the consolidation of their kingdom (6:14; allusions 2:14; ff.; 5:2; cf. 2 Kings 14:24-28; 6:15) seems to imply that the kingdom extended as far as the entrance of Hamath (as in 2 Kings 14:25). From this great political and economic prosperity came a life of softness and luxury, often reproached by Amos (2:6 ff.; 3:9-15; 4:1; 5:11; 6:1-6). All this seems to refer to the later years of Jeroboam II (around 760).
Amos’s mission was to announce divine decrees in the northern kingdom. He delivered most of his sermons at Bethel (7:10); it seems he did not travel about to preach in the kingdom but had a stable residence at Bethel near the royal sanctuary to which he often alludes (7:13; 2:6-12; 3:14; 4:4 ff.; 5:4 ff., 21-25). He was also well acquainted with the disorders of Samaria (3:9-15; 5:11; 6:1-7). He does not say whether, after the threats of the treacherous priest of Bethel, Amaziah, he left the kingdom (7:12).
II. THE BOOK
Forced to return to his homeland, Amos wrote down his oracles in the order in which he had proclaimed them, limiting himself to the salient points, expressed with clarity and vigor, in an admirable style.The judgment of St. Jerome on his style, «imperitos sermone sed non scientia» (Prologue to Amos: PL 25, 1038), is meant only to signify that, though untrained in the subtle arts of the schools, Amos is endowed with divine and true eloquence (St. Augustine: «Neque enim haec humana industria composita, sed divina mente sunt fusa et sapienter et eloquenter», *De doctrina christiana*, IV, 7, 21: PL 34, 96).
The subject of the book is the imminent punishment for the sins of Israel (divine judgment) and the salvific prophecy of the restoration of Davidic sovereignty. It is divided into three parts: a) After the title (1:1 ff.) follows the threat of divine judgment against Damascus, the Philistines, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and Israel (1:3-2:16). b) Three discourses announce the punishment for crimes (3:1-6:14). Though privileged by God, Israel has stained itself with many and grave sins, for which it will be deprived of its prosperity; the altars of Bethel will be destroyed (ch. 3); judgment is imminent for the wanton women of Samaria and the impious people (ch. 4); for Israel, which does not heed God’s call to repentance, a double «woe!»: the day of the Lord will be darkness, great sorrow for the great ones of the people (chs. 5-6). c) Five symbolic visions of the ruin of Israel (7:1-9:10): the locusts that devour everything, the destructive fire, the plumb line in God’s hand, the one who gathers the harvests, God upon the altar of burnt offerings and the fall of the Temple.
Epilogue: the restoration of the house of David (9:11-15). This oracle is considered messianic both in the Talmudic tradition (*Sanhedrin*, 96b), which relates it to Dan. 7:13-14 («the Son of Man» who receives eternal and universal power), and in the Christian tradition, where it is cited as a messianic prophecy in Acts 15:16-17 by St. James. The divine authority of the book is attested in Tob. 2:6, in the allusion of 1 Macc. 1:41 (Am. 8:10), and in the citation by St. Stephen (Acts 7:42).
The text of Amos has come down to us in excellent condition, despite some variations in Masoretic punctuation; this is acknowledged even by the most extreme rationalists, who deny Amos’s authorship of about thirty of the 146 verses. Excellent are the Greek (Septuagint) and Latin (Jerome’s) versions.