Amos
Prophetia AmosIntroduzioni
Enciclopedia Cattolica
Costretto a ritornare in patria, A. scrisse i suoi oracoli nell'ordine in cui li aveva pronunciati, limitandosi ai concetti salienti, espressi con chiarezza e vigore, in uno stile ammirabile.
Il giudizio di s. Girolamo sullo stile, « imperitus sermone sed non scientia » (Prof. in Amos: PL 25, 1038), vuol significare solo che, sebbene estraneo ai sottili artifizii delle scuole, A. è dotato di divina verace eloquenza (s. Agostino: « Neque enim haec humana industria composita, sed divina mente sunt fusa et sapiente et eloquente », De doctrina christiana, IV, 7, 21: PL 34, 96).
Argomento del libro è il castigo prossimo dei peccati d'Israele (giudizio divino) e il vaticinio salvifico del ripristino della sovranità davidica. Si divide in tre parti: a) Dopo il titolo (1, 1 sg.) segue la minaccia del giudizio divino contro Damasco, i Filistei, Tiro, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Giuda, Israele (1, 3-2, 16). b) Tre discorsi preannunziare il castigo dei delitti (3, 1-6, 14). Benché privilegiato da Dio, Israele si è macchiato di molti e gravi peccati, per cui sarà privato della sua prosperità, saranno distrutti gli altari di Bethel (cap. …
Haydock
Amos prophesied in Israel about the same time as Osee, and was called from following the cattle to denounce God's judgments to the people of Israel and the neighbouring nations, for their repeated crimes, in which they continued with repentance. (Challoner) --- The kingdom was then almost free from idolatry, except that of the calves, yet dissolute and flourishing under Jeroboam II. The prophet spoke at Bethel, (chap. 7.) till the idolatrous priest, Amasias, forced him to flee to Thecua, four leagues south of Jerusalem, where he continued to prophesy against the various nations of Damascus, Juda, etc., but particularly against Israel, (chap. 1.) How long he continued is uncertain. St. Jerome and others account his style rustic; but St. Augustine (Doct. IV. 7.) as good a judge, pronounces that it was eloquent, and like that of the other inspired writers, suited to the speakers. (Calmet) --- Amos means "one carrying," or "a people torn away." (St. Jerome in Joel.) (Haydock) --- He deals in metaphors agreeably to his pastoral education, but is profound in sense. (St. Jerome, ep. ad Paulin.) --- After denouncing judgments on different nations, he foretells the coming of Christ and abundance of grace. (Worthington)
Douay 1582/1609
AMOS a heardesman of Thecua in the tribe of Zabulon, was Amos prophecied the same time vvith (). see, and Io⸢e⸣l. indued with the spirite of prophecie about the same time with Osee, and Ioel, in the reigne of Ozias king of Iuda, and of Ieroboam sonne of Ioas king of Israel; in Metaphores, and other obscure speaches agreable to S. Ierom. ••••• ad •••••. his pastoral education, but profound in sense, prophecieth especially against Especially, Against the tenne tribes. the kingdom of Israel, and diuers Gentiles; partly also against Iuda, foreshewing their afflictions for their sinnes: but at last the vocation of al Nations to Christ, with abundance of spiritual graces in his Church.
Cornelio a Lapide
Argumentum 2 paragrafi
S. Epiphanius in Vita Amos, et Clemens Alexandrinus, lib. I Stromat., censent Amos fuisse patrem Isaiæ; ipse enim cap. 1, 1, vocat se filium Amos. Verum hunc Amos alium esse ab Amos patre Isaiæ docent S. Hieronymus, S. Basilius in cap. 1 Isaiæ, S. Augustinus, XVIII De Civit. XXVII, Isidorus in Vita Amos, et alii. Amos Propheta, inquit S. Hieronymus, non est ipse quem patrem Isaiæ prophetæ legimus. Ille enim אמוץ amots scribitur per primam litteram aleph et ultimam tsade, et interpretatur fortis atque robustus; hic vero עמוס amos per ain et samech, et interpretatur populus avulsus; et mox: «fuit de oppido Thecua, quod sex millibus ad meridianam plagam abest a sancta Bethlehem, quæ mundi genuit Salvatorem, et ultra nullus est viculus, ne agrestes quidem casæ et furnorum similes, quas Afri appellant mapalia. Tanta est eremi vastitas, quæ usque ad mare Rubrum, Persarumque et Æthiopum, atque Indorum terminos dilatatur. Et quia humi arido atque arenoso nihil omnino frugum gignitur, cuncta sunt plena pastoribus, ut sterilitatem terræ compensent pecorum multitudine. Ex hoc numero pastorum et Amos propheta fuit, imperitus sermone, sed non sapientia. Idem enim qui per omnes Prophetas, in eo Spiritus Sanctus loquebatur.» Ita S. Hieronymus. De solo arido dissentit S. Cyrillus, qui censet Thecue fuisse irriguam, ideoque compascuam: «In qua, ait, gentes quam plurimæ pascunt pecudes; est enim propter amplitudinem, irrigationem, herbarumque diversitatem, ad ovium greges alendos percommoda.» Fuit ergo Amos rusticus et armentarius, indeque a Spiritu Sancto, qui humiles exaltat, evectus ad prophetiam, æque ac David, et alii quos recenset Nazianzenus, orat. 25, et S. Gregorius, homil. 30 in Evang. Hinc crebro sumit similitudines a rure. Fabulantur R. Salomon et R. David terram Thecue, utpote olivarum fertilem, progenuisse viros sapientes; regiones enim oleis abundantes gignere viros sapientes, ideoque Amos locum originis nominare Thecue, ut inde liqueat ejus sapientia. Verum hæc eorum de more fabella est, forte a Gentilibus hausta, qui Minervam, quæ dea est sapientiæ, faciunt olivæ inventricem, juxta illud Virgilii, Georg. I: Adsis, o Tegæe pater, oleæque Minerva Inventrix.
Prophetam Amos luculenter citat S. Stephanus disputans contra Judæos, Actor. VII, 42. Isidorus in Vita Amos scribit eum prophetasse sub Amasia rege Juda, ab eoque percussum, et ab ejus filio Ozia vecte transfixum et occisum. Verum lapsus est memoria, et deceptus identitate nominum Amasiæ et Oziæ. Nam hic Amasias, percussor Amos, non fuit rex, sed sacerdos idolorum in Bethel, ut patet Amos VII, 10. Idipsum patet ex chronologia: Amos enim cœpit prophetare, non sub Amasia rege, sed sub filio ejus Ozia, ut ipse ait cap. 1, 1. Ita Epiphanius in Vita Amos, Romanum Martyrologium, 31 martii, Torniellus in Annal., anno mundi 3208, et alii passim. Amos, inquit Adrichomius in Descriptione Terræ sanctæ, in Bethel prophetans contra Israelem, vecte per tempora transfixus, in Thecua ex dolore exspiravit, cujus sepulcrum ibi adhuc ostendebatur ætate S. Hieronymi, uti ipse scribit hic cap. 1 et in Jerem., cap. VI, et in Locis Hebr. Sed audi ipsum S. Hieronymum: «Amos aliquantulum exorsus est prophetare antequam Isaias (unde et Eusebius in Chronico, Amos æque ac Osee, præponit Isaiæ), maxime autem contra decem tribus locutus est, pauca de duabus interserens. Hunc ablatum de numero pastorum misit Dominus, ut in Samaria prophetaret, quem Amasias sacerdos (vitulorum in Bethel) frequenter in plagis afflixit; tandem filius ejus Osee vecte per tempora transfixit. Post hæc semivivus in terram suam devectus, post aliquot dies dolore vulneris exspiravit, sepultusque est cum patribus suis.»