James R. Linville, «Visions and Voices: Amos 7–9», Vol. 80 (1999) 22-42

The final chapters of Amos are read synchronically to highlight the relationship between the divine voice, which demands that its hearers prophesy (Amos 3,8), the voice of Amos, and those of other characters. Amos’ intercessions soon give way to entrapping word-plays and these are related to the rhetorical “traps” in Amos 1–2. Divine and prophetic speech defy the wish of human authority that they be silent. The figure of Amos eventually disappears from the reader’s view, but not before the prophet has been used as a focal point for the readers’ projections of themselves into the literary world of the text. As the scenes change from ultimate destruction to restoration, the readers appropriate the prophetic voice themselves, especially in the final verse which ends with a declaration of security uttered by “your God”.

        The naming of the Kn) reverses Amos’ intercessions of the first two visions. James Mays feels that God seizes the initiative from Amos by asking his question³¹. But the author does not inform us of Amos’ feelings. Are we justified in feeling that Amos agreed with God’s judgment, or do we imagine still a prophet who would intercede if given the chance? In Amos 7,10-17, Amos confronts the priest of Bethel who seeks to silence him. Amos does flee his calling. Amos replies that he is a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees, and not a "prophet" or a "son of a prophet"³². Even so, he has been taken by YHWH in order to prophesy to Israel (v. 15).

        Landy observes that regardless of the historical speculations about social roles referred to by Amos, he is here countering Amaziah’s self-aggrandising emphasis that Bethel is a royal institution with his own self-denigrating assertions. A mere cowherd can speak as well as a priest and even be chosen by YHWH³³. Against Amaziah’s assertion (v. 13) "For a sanctuary of a king (is) it; and a house of the kingdom (is) it" Amos delivers his own parallelistic description (v. 14):

No prophet (am) I
And no son of a prophet (am) I
But a cattle-breeder (am) I
And a gatherer of sycamore figs.

        The repeated first person pronouns in Amos’ answer, all at the end of their respective clauses, recall the repetition of the similar sounding Kn) in the third vision, the first three of which also each conclude a clause or sentence³⁴. But when Amos delivers his pronouncement, does he speak with violence and anger, or is there a note of tragedy, pity and regret in his voice? Eslinger writes that the Bethel episode tells of the conversion of Amos, in which Amos is convinced by the corruption of the priesthood and monarchy that