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”.

"My lord" is the god of the reader as much as it is the god of Amos. The text speaks of a time in the reader’s future, and so by reading, the prophecy is delivered once again. This is all the more ironic in view of the prediction of the silence of YHWH on that terrible day. A similar irony is found in Amos 3,3-8; the lion roars, but who understands this as the voice of YHWH? Who dares to prophesy?

V. Destruction and Salvation: The Final Vision and the Final Act

        If Amos is supplanted through the course of chap. 8, he does however make one more appearance, in chap. 9, which begins with the fifth vision report (vv. 1-4). As in the previous cases, no setting for this vision is given, although perhaps, from the context, it might be taken to be the Bethel sanctuary. Amos reports that he sees "My lord" by the altar, ordering the capitals to be struck and the foundations shaken. Those who escape the destruction, YHWH vows to slay. The next few verses (vv. 5-6) show a change from the reported speech of God to a doxology concerning the divine power over creation. In vv 7-10, YHWH again speaks, this time promising to destroy the sinful kingdom while still leaving a remnant. In the final subsection, Amos 9,11-15, the restoration of Israel is promised.

        Rather than reporting that he was shown something by God, as in the previous visions, Amos simply reports that he sees God standing on the altar, and that the deity gives a chilling command (Amos 9,1). "Strike the capitals so that the thresholds will shake"⁴¹. This first person speech is the most direct reference to the prophet in the whole chapter. The possessive on "lord" appears in 9,5’s doxology, but here, as before, this may serve to forge a link between character and reader. It is interesting that both 7,7 and 9,1 use "my lord" as the subject of "stand on/beside", and in the same way⁴². Although formally the third vision is most similar to the fourth, its