Amos 7:12-13

Jeroboam apparently took no account of the priest's message. Accordingly Amaziah himself endeavours to induce Amos to leave the country.

O thou seer or gazer(ḥôzeh, not rô"eh, -seer," 1 Samuel 9:9, though a synonym of it; see Isaiah 30:10, quoted on Amos 1:1). Rô"ehis used in 1 Samuel 9:9; 1 Samuel 9:11; 1 Samuel 9:18-19 of Samuel, and we are told in Amos 7:9 that it was the oldest designation of the prophet; but it occurs elsewhere only in 1 Chronicles 9:22; 1 Chronicles 26:28; 1 Chronicles 29:29 (each time as an epithet of Samuel); 2 Chronicles 16:7; 2 Chronicles 16:10 (of Hanani); and in the plural, Isaiah 30:10. Ḥôzehis used of Gad, 2 Samuel 24:11 = 1 Chronicles 21:9 (-David's ḥôzeh"); 2 Chronicles 29:25 (-the king's ḥôzeh"); Heman, 1 Chronicles 25:5 (-the king's ḥôzeh"); Iddo, 2 Chronicles 9:29; 2 Chronicles 12:15; Jehu, son of Hanani, 2 Chronicles 19:2; Asaph, 2 Chronicles 29:30; Jeduthun, 2 Chronicles 30:15; and in the plural, Isaiah 29:10 (" prophets), 2 Chronicles 30:10 (" rô"îm); Micah 3:7 (" diviners); 2 Chronicles 33:18, and (prob.) 19. Both words are thus rare in the pre-exilic literature, rô"ehbeing applied as a title only to Samuel, and ḥôzehonly to Gad: their revival in the late Chronicles is remarkable. Here ḥôzehis used probably on account of the visions, which Amos had just related, perhaps also with a touch of irony, as though implying that he was (as we might say) a "visionary," and anticipated evils which were in reality imaginary.

into the land of Judah Amos may be at liberty to say what he pleases in his own country: predictions of Israel's fall might not be unacceptable there; let him not utter them in Jeroboam's capital.

eat bread i.e. make thy living. Amaziah implies that prophecy was a trade or profession. Already in early times we know that those who consulted a rô"ehpaid a fee for his advice (1 Samuel 9:7-8); and in the middle period of the monarchy there are allusions to the fact that the prophets who echoed the sentiments of the people gained popularity, and were rewarded accordingly: see Isaiah 30:10 (Isaiah's political teaching was obnoxious to the people, and they would not listen to him: they wished for -seers" who would "see" for them "smooth things," i.e. visions of material prosperity, the success of their own plans, &c.); Micah 3:5 (the prophets who "bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and whoso putteth not into their mouths, they prepare war against him"; i.e. who prophesy in accordance with the fee that they receive), 11 ("the prophets thereof divine for money"); Ezekiel 13:19. Comp. also 1 Kings 22:13; Jeremiah 23:16-17; Jeremiah 28:1-4; Jeremiah 29:8 f. The genuine prophets were, of course, superior to all such considerations; they rebuked the people, when they deserved it, for their sins, and they uttered predictions which they felt to be true, heedless of the temper in which they might be received by those who heard them. But Amaziah insinuates that Amos is one of those prophets who lived upon popularity: he bids him, therefore, ironically, betake himself to Judah, where his words spoken against Ephraim will be listened to with satisfaction, and will not remain unrewarded. Baur quotes the German proverb, "Wess Brod ich ess", dess Lied ich sing."