The big picture
Amos 7 opens in verse 1 with “Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 9 with “And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be…”, and closes in verse 17 with “Therefore thus saith the LORD ; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Israel, land, Amos, plumbline. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Amos · King James Version · 17Amos 7:1-6
1–6: Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed…
Amos 7:1–6 opens with “Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of…” and reaches “The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD .” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The locust, fire, and plumb-line visions, followed by Amaziah ordering Amos to leave Bethel, with particular weight carried by LORD, arise, beseech.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the…” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.
Amos 7:1-6
King James Version1Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.
2And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD , forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
3The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD .
4Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.
5Then said I, O Lord GOD , cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
6The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD .
Amos 7:7-12
7–12: Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a…
Amos 7:7–12 opens with “Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline…” and reaches “Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The locust, fire, and plumb-line visions, followed by Amaziah ordering Amos to leave Bethel, with particular weight carried by Israel, Amos, plumbline.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.
Amos 7:7-12
King James Version7Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.
8And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:
9And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
10Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-el sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.
11For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.
12Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
Amos 7:13-17
13–17: Prophesy not again any more at Beth-el: for it is the king’s chapel, and…
Amos 7:13–17 opens with “But prophesy not again any more at Beth-el: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s…” and reaches “Therefore thus saith the LORD ; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The locust, fire, and plumb-line visions, followed by Amaziah ordering Amos to leave Bethel, with particular weight carried by LORD, Israel, land.
Context that brings the passage to life
“But prophesy not again any more at Beth-el: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.” Naming Beth keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Amos 7:13-17
King James Version13But prophesy not again any more at Beth-el: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.
14Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
15And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
16Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD : Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.
17Therefore thus saith the LORD ; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Amos 7:1 begins with “Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the…”
Where the chapter turns
Amos 7:8 forms a natural hinge: “And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people…”
The final note
Amos 7:17 leaves the reader with “Therefore thus saith the LORD ; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Israel, land, Amos, plumbline, prophesy help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What links this event with creation?
Waters overwhelm the inhabited world, reversing the separations that made life possible.
What details show continuity rather than total abandonment?
The named household and preserved kinds of living creatures survive within the ark.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.