Amos is book 30 of the 39 books of the Old Testament and belongs to the Minor Prophets section. See how it fits with the rest in our guide to all 66 books of the Bible.
Quick facts
- Section
- Old Testament · Minor Prophets
- Genre
- Prophecy: oracles, visions and a short narrative
- Author (traditional)
- Amos, a shepherd and fig farmer from Tekoa in Judah (Amos 1:1; 7:14).
- Other views on authorship
- Most scholars accept that much of the book comes from Amos, with some later additions, possibly including the hopeful ending in 9:11–15.
- Date (traditional)
- About 760–750 BC, two years before an earthquake, under Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel.
- Other views on dating
- Amos's ministry about 760–750 BC; the book collected and edited in the following centuries.
- Chapters
- 9
- Verses
- 146
- Reading time
- About 19 minutes (3,867 words in the BSB)
What is Amos about?
Amos was not a professional prophet. He was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs from the small Judean town of Tekoa, whom God sent north to Israel. He arrived during a time of peace and wealth under Jeroboam II, when the shrines at Bethel and Gilgal were busy and people felt confident that God was on their side.
He begins cleverly, condemning Israel's neighbours one after another for their war crimes, then Judah, and finally Israel itself for selling the needy for a pair of sandals. He targets ivory beds, summer houses, rigged scales and courts that turn away the poor. God hates festivals that ignore justice.
Chapters 7–9 contain five visions, including locusts, fire, a plumb line and a basket of summer fruit, and the story of Amos being told by the priest Amaziah to go home. The book ends with the promise that God will rebuild David's fallen shelter and restore his people.
Outline of Amos
| ChaptersCh. | Section |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Judgment on the nations Oracles against six neighbouring nations, then Judah, then Israel. |
| 3–6 | Messages to Israel Privilege brings responsibility; the cows of Bashan, empty worship and false security. |
| 7:1–9 | Three visions Locusts and fire turned back; the plumb line. |
| 7:10–17 | Amos and Amaziah The priest of Bethel tells Amos to leave; Amos explains his call. |
| 8–9:10 | Final visions A basket of summer fruit, a famine of hearing God's word, and the Lord at the altar. |
| 9:11–15 | Restoration David's fallen shelter rebuilt and the land made fruitful. |
Key themes
- Justice for the poor. Amos insists that how a society treats its weakest members is a spiritual matter. Amos 5:24, 'let justice roll on like a river,' was later echoed in the American civil rights movement.
- Worship without justice. God rejects songs and sacrifices from people who exploit others. True religion and ethics belong together, a theme Micah also sounds (see Micah 6:8).
- Privilege and responsibility. Because God chose Israel, he holds them more accountable, not less (Amos 3:2).
- God over all nations. The LORD judges foreign nations too and has guided other peoples' migrations; he is not a tribal god.
Key people and places
- Amos — Shepherd and farmer from Tekoa called to prophesy.
- Amaziah — Priest of Bethel who opposed Amos.
- Jeroboam II — King of Israel during a time of prosperity.
- Uzziah — King of Judah in the same period.
Places: Tekoa, Bethel, Samaria, Gilgal, Beersheba, Damascus, Bashan.
Key verses in Amos
Quoted from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB).
““Only you have I known from all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.””
“But let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
““I was not a prophet,” Amos replied, “nor was I the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore-fig trees. But the LORD took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’”
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.”
““In that day I will restore the fallen tent of David. I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old,”
How Amos fits the big story
Amos is often considered the earliest of the writing prophets, speaking to Israel a generation before its fall to Assyria, told in 2 Kings 17. He shares the stage with Hosea, who stresses God's love where Amos stresses God's justice, and his concern for the poor echoes the laws of Deuteronomy. In Acts 15, James quotes Amos 9:11–12 to show that God always planned to welcome Gentiles, as the rebuilt house of David draws in the nations.
How to read Amos
At 2 chapters a day you can read Amos in 5 days. Read chapters 1–2 aloud and imagine Israel's audience cheering as their enemies are condemned, until the final oracle turns on them. Then read 5:21–24 as the book's heartbeat.