The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen 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.
All Commentaries on Amos 1:1 Go To Amos 1
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Herdsmen. St. Jerome's manuscripts after Aquila, have "pastorals "(Haydock) pastoralibus. (Calmet)
Theodotion retains Nokedim. Septuagint read Accarim, (Haydock) substituting r for d, (St. Jerome) and perhaps á for n. (Haydock)
They have also "Jerusalem "for Israel, though the prophecy regard the latter. The country south of Thecua has no towns, and is solely for pasture. (St. Jerome)
Amos might have many flocks, like Mesa and king Dejotarus, 4 Kings iii. 4. (Calmet)
David was taken from the flocks to be king, and Amos to be a prophet. (Worthington)
King. These two lived long in prosperity. (Calmet)
Earthquake. Many understand this of a great earthquake, which, they say, was felt at the time that king Ozias attempted to offer incense in the temple. But the best chronologists prove that the earthquake here spoken of must have been before that time: because Jeroboam the second, under whom Amos prophesied, was dead long before that attempt of Ozias. (Challoner)
This is asserted by Usher. Yet his arguments are not conclusive. If the attempt and earthquake happened in the 23d year of Ozias, Amos might commence the year of the world 3215, six years before the death of Jeroboam, 4 Kings xv. 5., and Zacharias xi. 15. (Calmet)
Josephus ( ix. 1.) fixes upon the former period. Jeroboam, however, died in the 38th of Ozias, who was deposed 14 years later. (Worthington)
