King James Version
Amos 7:14
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:1
Amos 7:14 in other versions
- New International Version (NIV)Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: “I was no prophet, Nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheepbreeder And a tender of sycamore fruit.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But Amos replied, “I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees.
Context of Amos 7:14
12Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: 13But prophesy not again any more at Beth–el: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court. 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: 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.
Read all of Amos 7Amos 7:14 word by word
וַיַּ֤עַן עָמוֹס֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־אֲמַצְיָ֔ה לֹא־נָבִ֣יא אָנֹ֔כִי וְלֹ֥א בֶן־נָבִ֖יא אָנֹ֑כִי כִּֽי־בוֹקֵ֥ר אָנֹ֖כִי וּבוֹלֵ֥ס שִׁקְמִֽים׃Read the interlinear
- Then answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- Amosעָמוֹס‛âmôs · AmosH5986
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to Amaziahאֲמַצְיָ֫הוּ'ămatsyâh 'ămatsyâhû · AmaziahH558
- no prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- an herdmanבּוֹקֵרbôqêr · herdsmanH951
- and a gathererבָּלַסbâlas · to gather/tend figsH1103
- of sycomore fruitשִׁקְמָהshâqâm shiqmâh · sycamoreH8256
Cross-references for Amos 7:14
- 1 Kings 20:35And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.
- 2 Kings 2:3And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth–el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
- 2 Kings 4:38And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.
- 2 Kings 6:1And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
- 2 Chronicles 16:7And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.
- 2 Chronicles 19:2And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.
- 2 Chronicles 20:34Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
- Amos 1:1The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
- Zechariah 13:5But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
Commentaries on Amos 7:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14I was no prophet - I am an extraordinary messenger of God. I am not called to the prophetic office but for this occasion. I have no message to Judah, and therefore need not go there. I have a message to Israel alone, and I must faithfully deliver it. For the account which Amos gives here of himself, see the introduction.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14I was no prophet - The order of the words is emphatic. “No prophet I, and no prophet‘s son I, for a herdsman I, and dresser of sycamores.” It may be, Amos would meet, for the people‘s sake, Amaziah‘s taunt. He had a living, simple indeed, yet that of the prophets was as simple. But chiefly he tells them of the unusual character of his mission. He did not belong to the order of the prophets, nor had he been educated in the schools of the prophets, nor had…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-17Verses 10-17 It is no new thing for the accusers of the brethren, to misrepresent them as enemies to the king and kingdom, as traitors to their prince, and troublers of the land, when they are the best friends to both. Those who make gain their godliness, and are governed by the hopes of wealth and preferment, are ready to think these the most powerful motives with others also. But those who have a warrant from God, like Amos, ought not to fear the face…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Amos was not a professional prophet or a disciple in training. He had no financial reason to leave his job to prophesy. herdsman: The Hebrew word here differs from the one in Amos 1:1 and is not found elsewhere in the Old Testament. It relates to a word for cattle, suggesting Amos may have raised cattle as a breeder or herder (see Amos Book Introduction, “The Prophet Amos”). The sycamore-fig was gathered for cattle feed.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. I was no prophet--in answer to Amaziah's insinuation (Am 7:12), that he discharged the prophetical office to earn his "bread" (like Israel's mercenary prophets). So far from being rewarded, Jehovah's prophets had to expect imprisonment and even death as the result of their prophesying in Samaria or Israel: whereas the prophets of Baal were maintained at the king's expense (compare 1Ki 18:19). I was not, says Amos, of the order of prophets, or educated…Read the comment
Topics related to Amos 7:14
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Amos 7:14 sycomore…: or, wild figs ↩
Commentaries on Amos 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
King James Version — Public Domain except in the United Kingdom (Crown rights)
Commentaries