Amos 7:14 KJV - Bible Verse

Amos 7:14

"Then 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:"

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah,.... With much freedom, boldness, and intrepidity, and yet with modesty and humility; not at all moved by his frowns or his flattery: I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son: he was not a prophet originally, or from his youth, as Kimchi; he was not born and bred one; neither his father was a prophet, by whom he could get any instructions in the mystery of prophesying; nor was he a disciple of any of the prophets, or brought up in any of their schools as some were; he was no prophet till the Lord called him immediately, at once, from his secular employment to this office; and therefore did not take it up to get a livelihood by Jarchi and Aben Ezra interpret it, that he was not one of the false prophets that prophesied for hire, and took a reward: but I was an herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit; that is, originally: this was the employment he was brought up in from his youth, and was in it when he was called to be a prophet; he looked after cattle, both

great and small; and at a certain time of the year used, to gather sycamore fruit, which was a kind of figs; and by, its name had the resemblance both of figs and mulberries. Some take it to be what were called Egyptian figs; these he gathered, either for the use of his masters, or for food for himself, or for the cattle, or both: or he was an "opener" of them, as the Septuagint; he cut, them, and made incisions in them; for, as Pliny (l), Dioscorides (m), and Theophrastus (n) observe, this fruit must be cut or scratched, either with the nail, or with iron, or it will not ripen; but, four days after being scratched or cut, will become ripe. Mr. Norden (o), a late traveller in Egypt, has given us a very particular account of this tree and its fruit. "This sycamore (he says) is of the height of a beech, and bears its fruit in a manner quite different from other trees; it has them on the trunk itself, which shoots out little sprigs in form of grape stalks; at the end of which grow the fruit close to one another, almost like bunches of grapes. The tree is always green, and bears fruit several times in the year, without observing any certain seasons: for I have seen (says he) some sycamores that have given fruit two months after others. The fruit has the figure and smell of real figs, but is inferior to them in the taste, having a disgusting sweetness. Its colour is a yellow, inclining to an ochre, shadowed by a flesh colour. In the inside it resembles the common figs, excepting that it has a blackish colouring with yellow spots. This sort of tree is pretty common in Egypt; the people for the greater part live upon its fruit, and think themselves well regaled when they have a piece of bread, a couple of sycamore figs, and a pitcher filled with water from the Nile.'' This account in several things agrees with what Pliny (p) and Solinus (q) relate of this tree and its fruit; very likely there might be many of these trees in Judea; there seem to have been great numbers of them in Solomon's time, Kg1 10:27 ; and perhaps it was one of these that Zacchaeus climbed, in order to see Christ, Luk 19:4 ; for this sort of trees delight in vales and plains, such as were the plains of Jericho; and in the Talmud (r) we read of sycamore trees in Jericho; and of the men of Jericho allowing the branches of them to be cut down for sacred uses. These also grew in lower Galilee, but not in upper Galilee; and that they were frequent in the land of Israel appears from the rules the Misnic doctors (s) give about the planting, and cutting them down; and in the opening of these trees, and making incisions in them, and in gathering the fruit of them, Amos might be concerned. Kimchi and Ben Melech say the word signifies to "mix", and that his business was to mix these together with other fruit. Aben Ezra observes, that in the Arabic language it signifies to dry; and then his work was, after he had gathered them, to lay them a drying. Some render the word a "searcher" (t) of them; as if his employment was to look out for them, and seek them where they were to be got: however, be this as it will, the prophet suggests that he had been used to a low life, and to mean fare, with which he was contented, and did not take up this business of prophesying for bread, and could return to his former employment without any regret, to get a maintenance, if so was the will of God. The Targum gives it a different sense, "for I am a master of cattle, and have sycamores in the fields;'' and so Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, represent him as suggesting that he was rich, and had no need of bread to be given him, or to prophesy for that. (l) Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 7. (m) L. 1. c. 143. (n) Hist. l. 4. c. 2. (o) Travels in Egypt and Nubis, vol. 1. p. 79, 80. (p) Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 7. (q) Polyhistor. c. 45. (r) T. Bab Pesachim, fol. 56. 1. & 57. 1. & Menachot, fol. 71. 1. (s) Misn. Shevath, c. 9. sect. 2. & Bava Bathra, c. 2. sect. 7. (t) "disquirens", Montanus, Vatablus; "perquirens", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Burkius. So R. Sol. Urbin Ohel Moed, fol. 31. 2.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (17 words)

H6030 עָנָה

Definition:

A primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. Pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. To begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce -- give account, A primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. Pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. To begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce -- give account,

Possible Meanings:

answer (semantic_range)

H5986 עָמוֹס

Definition:

1;Amos 7:8,10,11,12,14;Amos 8:2,ᵐ5Αμως.Topical LexiconIdentity and Canonical PresenceAmos is the Judaean shepherd-prophet through whom the Lord delivered the Book of Amos. His name appears seven times 1;Amos 7:8,10,11,12,14;Amos 8:2,ᵐ5Αμως.Topical LexiconIdentity and Canonical PresenceAmos is the Judaean shepherd-prophet through whom the Lord delivered the Book of Amos. His name appears seven times

H0559 אָמַר

Definition:

1+, etc.;ImperfectיאֹמַרGenesis 31:8+;וַיּאֹ֫מֶרGenesis 1:3+;וַיּאֹמַ֑רGenesis 14:19+; in Job alwaysוַיּאֹ֑מַרJob 3:2+; 3 feminine singularתּאֹמַרGenesis 21:12+;תּאֹמֵר֑Proverbs 1:21; 1singularאֹמַרGe 1+, etc.;ImperfectיאֹמַרGenesis 31:8+;וַיּאֹ֫מֶרGenesis 1:3+;וַיּאֹמַ֑רGenesis 14:19+; in Job alwaysוַיּאֹ֑מַרJob 3:2+; 3 feminine singularתּאֹמַרGenesis 21:12+;תּאֹמֵר֑Proverbs 1:21; 1singularאֹמַרGe

Possible Meanings:

lamb (semantic_range)

H0413 אֶל

Definition:

22;1 Samuel 5:26;1 Samuel 15:22;1 Samuel 29:19), with suffixאֵלַי,אֵלֶיךָ,אֵלַיִךְ, etc.אֵלֵינוּ,אֲלֵיכֶם& (5 t.)אֲלֵכֶם,אֲלֵיהֶם&אֲלֵהֶם(both very often); onceאֵלֵימוֺPsalm 2:5,אֲלֵיהֶן, onceאֲלֵהֶןE 22;1 Samuel 5:26;1 Samuel 15:22;1 Samuel 29:19), with suffixאֵלַי,אֵלֶיךָ,אֵלַיִךְ, etc.אֵלֵינוּ,אֲלֵיכֶם& (5 t.)אֲלֵכֶם,אֲלֵיהֶם&אֲלֵהֶם(both very often); onceאֵלֵימוֺPsalm 2:5,אֲלֵיהֶן, onceאֲלֵהֶןE

Possible Meanings:

these (semantic_range)

H0558 אֲמַצְיָה

Definition:

1,9 + 8t.2 Kings 14;2 Kings 15:3;1 Chronicles 3:12; 2Chronicles 24:27; 25:1 15t. 2 Chronicles 24; 26:1,4;אֲמַצְיָה2 Kings 12:22;2 Kings 13:12;2 Kings 14:8;2 Kings 15:1.2אֲמַצְיָה, a Simeonite1 Chronic 1,9 + 8t.2 Kings 14;2 Kings 15:3;1 Chronicles 3:12; 2Chronicles 24:27; 25:1 15t. 2 Chronicles 24; 26:1,4;אֲמַצְיָה2 Kings 12:22;2 Kings 13:12;2 Kings 14:8;2 Kings 15:1.2אֲמַצְיָה, a Simeonite1 Chronic

H3808 לֹא

Definition:

11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. Negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows) -- X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, 11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. Negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows) -- X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay,

H5030 נָבִיא

Definition:

7155t.; suffixנְבִיאֶ֑ךָExodus 7:1; pluralנְבִיאִיםNumbers 11:2982t.;נְנִאִיםJeremiah 27:1816t.; suffixנְבִיאַיPsalm 105:15;נְבִיָאו1 Kings 22:22;נְבִיאָו֯2 Kings 17:13, etc.; —1genuineprophetof׳י,נבי 7155t.; suffixנְבִיאֶ֑ךָExodus 7:1; pluralנְבִיאִיםNumbers 11:2982t.;נְנִאִיםJeremiah 27:1816t.; suffixנְבִיאַיPsalm 105:15;נְבִיָאו1 Kings 22:22;נְבִיאָו֯2 Kings 17:13, etc.; —1genuineprophetof׳י,נבי

H0595 אָנֹכִי

Definition:

9אָֽנֹכִ֑יpronoun 1 singular commonI;Genesis 3:10;Genesis 7:4;Genesis 15:1,2;Genesis 16:5#NAME?הֲהֶאָנֹכִיNumbers 11:12;Job 21:4. (Assyriananâku, Phoenician & Moabiteאנך: not in Arabic, Aramaic, Ethio 9אָֽנֹכִ֑יpronoun 1 singular commonI;Genesis 3:10;Genesis 7:4;Genesis 15:1,2;Genesis 16:5#NAME?הֲהֶאָנֹכִיNumbers 11:12;Job 21:4. (Assyriananâku, Phoenician & Moabiteאנך: not in Arabic, Aramaic, Ethio

H3808 לֹא

Definition:

H1121 בֵּן

Definition:

25+;ֵבּןֿEzekiel 18:10; constructבֵּןGenesis 49:22(twice in verse);בֶּןֿGenesis 5:32+;בֶּןEsther 2:5;Nehemiah 6:18, & with prefixGenesis 17:17;Numbers 8:25;1 Chronicles 27:23; 2Chronicles 25:5; 31:16 25+;ֵבּןֿEzekiel 18:10; constructבֵּןGenesis 49:22(twice in verse);בֶּןֿGenesis 5:32+;בֶּןEsther 2:5;Nehemiah 6:18, & with prefixGenesis 17:17;Numbers 8:25;1 Chronicles 27:23; 2Chronicles 25:5; 31:16

Possible Meanings:

son (semantic_range)
son (semantic_range)
children (semantic_range)
youth (semantic_range)
young men (semantic_range)

H5030 נָבִיא

Definition:

H0595 אָנֹכִי

Definition:

H3588 כִּי

Definition:

Phoenicianכ. Probably from the same demonstrative basis found inhere, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaicדֵּךְthis(WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultimately akin withthat, in order that, andthen, enclitic, Phoenicianכ. Probably from the same demonstrative basis found inhere, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaicדֵּךְthis(WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultimately akin withthat, in order that, andthen, enclitic,

Possible Meanings:

for (semantic_range)
when (semantic_range)
when (semantic_range)

H0951 בּוֹקִר

Definition:

14, where the prophet defends his divine commission: “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet, but I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore figs” (Amos 7:14). The word identifies Amos as a breede 14, where the prophet defends his divine commission: “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet, but I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore figs” (Amos 7:14). The word identifies Amos as a breede

H0595 אָנֹכִי

Definition:

H1103 בָּלַס

Definition:

14שִׁקְמִים׳בּ.Topical LexiconOccurrence and Immediate ContextThe noun describes Amos’s secondary occupation: “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of s 14שִׁקְמִים׳בּ.Topical LexiconOccurrence and Immediate ContextThe noun describes Amos’s secondary occupation: “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of s

Possible Meanings:

gather figs (semantic_range)

H8256 שִׁקְמָה

Definition:

14+; suffixשִׁקְמוֺתָםPsalm 78:47; —sycomore, ficus sycomorusLinn (TristrNHB397ff.PostFlora of Syria 730; Hast. DB under the word) a common treeIsaiah 9:9, growing in the Shephela1 Kings 10:27=2Chroni 14+; suffixשִׁקְמוֺתָםPsalm 78:47; —sycomore, ficus sycomorusLinn (TristrNHB397ff.PostFlora of Syria 730; Hast. DB under the word) a common treeIsaiah 9:9, growing in the Shephela1 Kings 10:27=2Chroni

Possible Meanings:

sycomore tree (semantic_range)

Interlinear data not available for this verse yet.

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