Complete Study Kit עָמוֹס
This study kit provides everything you need for comprehensive engagement with the Book of Amos—whether for personal devotion, academic study, or group discussion. From a structured reading plan to annotated bibliography, discussion questions to application guides, these resources will help you mine the depths of this powerful prophetic text.
📋 Quick Reference: Book of Amos
Author
Amos of Tekoa
Date
ca. 760-750 BCE
Chapters
9 chapters
Audience
Northern Kingdom (Israel)
Key Location
Bethel sanctuary
King (Israel)
Jeroboam II
King (Judah)
Uzziah
Key Verse
Amos 5:24
All Amos Study Pages
7-Day Reading Plan
Day 1
Amos 1:1 – 2:16
The Circling Nations: Oracles against the nations culminating in Israel. Notice the rhetorical trap and the "three... four" formula.
Day 2
Amos 3:1 – 4:13
Election brings judgment. The "cows of Bashan" oracle. Failed disciplines and the refrain "yet you did not return to me."
Day 3
Amos 5:1-27
The funeral dirge. "Seek me and live." Justice and righteousness like waters (5:24). God's rejection of hollow worship.
Day 4
Amos 6:1-14
Woe to the complacent. Luxury built on exploitation. The oath of judgment.
Day 5
Amos 7:1 – 8:3
Visions 1-4: Locusts, fire, plumb line, summer fruit. The Amaziah confrontation (7:10-17). Amos's calling.
Day 6
Amos 8:4 – 9:10
Final accusations. Famine of the word. Vision 5: Temple destruction. No escape from judgment.
Day 7
Amos 9:11-15
The epilogue of hope. Restoration of David's booth. Nations included. Re-read Acts 15:13-21 for NT connection.
Discussion Questions
Observation Questions
- What pattern do you notice in the oracles against the nations (chs. 1-2)? Why might Amos structure his message this way?
- How many times does the phrase "yet you did not return to me" appear in chapter 4? What does this repetition suggest about God's character?
- What is the relationship between "seek me" (5:4) and "seek good" (5:14)? What does this parallel tell us?
- What five visions does Amos see in chapters 7-9? How do they progress in intensity?
- What specific accusations does Amos make about how Israel treats the poor (trace references in 2:6-7; 4:1; 5:11-12; 8:4-6)?
Interpretation Questions
- Why does God say "I hate, I despise your festivals" (5:21) when He himself commanded these festivals? What has gone wrong?
- How does Amos 3:2 redefine what "election" means? Why is this surprising?
- What is the significance of Israel expecting the Day of the LORD to be "light" when Amos says it will be "darkness" (5:18-20)?
- Why is the Amaziah confrontation (7:10-17) placed between visions 3 and 4? What does this placement accomplish?
- How does the "summer fruit" wordplay (qayits/qets in 8:1-2) reinforce Amos's message?
- What does the humble word "booth" (sukkah) in 9:11 suggest about the condition of David's dynasty—and God's response?
Application Questions
- In what ways might modern religious communities separate worship from ethics, as Israel did? How would Amos's message apply?
- What would it look like for "justice to roll down like waters" in your community context?
- How might privilege (religious, economic, national) create blind spots to injustice? What Amos-like prophets might we be tempted to silence?
- The poor in Amos's day were sold for "a pair of sandals" (2:6). What modern equivalents might exist for devaluing vulnerable people?
- How should the church balance the themes of judgment and hope found in Amos?
- What does James's use of Amos 9:11-12 at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) suggest about how the church should read the Old Testament?
Comparative Questions
- Compare Amos's emphasis on justice with Hosea's emphasis on covenant love. How do these prophets complement each other?
- How does Jesus's teaching in Matthew 23:23 ("justice and mercy and faithfulness") echo Amos's concerns?
- Compare Amos's confrontation with Amaziah (7:10-17) to Jeremiah's confrontation with religious leaders. What patterns do you see in how established religion responds to prophetic critique?
Video Resources
Application Guides
👤 For Personal Reflection
- Examine: Are there ways my "worship" is disconnected from how I treat others?
- Consider: How do I steward whatever privilege I have? Does it make me humble or entitled?
- Practice: Identify one concrete way to pursue justice for the vulnerable this week.
- Pray: Ask God to reveal blind spots where prosperity might mask spiritual decay.
👥 For Group Study
- Read the book aloud together—it's oral literature meant to be heard.
- Discuss: What "cows of Bashan" (comfortable complacency) exists in your context?
- Examine: Does your community's worship produce justice, or are they disconnected?
- Plan: What would "justice flowing like waters" look like from your group?
🏛️ For Church Leaders
- Audit: Is justice integral to your church's mission, or an optional add-on?
- Preach: Let Amos's uncomfortable words challenge comfortable assumptions.
- Partner: Connect with organizations serving the "poor" and "needy" in your area.
- Model: Lead in concrete acts of justice, not just words about it.
📖 For Teaching
- Use the "circling nations" as a lesson on rhetoric—how does form serve content?
- Explore Hebrew wordplay (qayits/qets) to show the artistry of prophetic speech.
- Connect Amos 9:11-12 with Acts 15 to demonstrate Old Testament/New Testament continuity.
- Compare Amos and Hosea as complementary prophetic perspectives.
Annotated Bibliography
Academic Commentaries
Amos: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary
The definitive scholarly commentary. Exhaustive philological and historical treatment. Essential for serious academic study, though its length (nearly 1,000 pages) makes it more reference work than cover-to-cover read.
The Book of Amos: A Commentary
Strong on literary structure and theological development. Reads Amos as carefully crafted literature rather than random oracle collection. Excellent for understanding the book's architecture.
The Twelve Prophets, Volume 1: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah
Reads the Minor Prophets as a unified "Book of the Twelve." Helpful for understanding Amos's place in the larger prophetic collection and its relationship to Hosea.
Accessible Commentaries
Joel and Amos
Excellent balance of scholarship and readability. Ideal for personal study, sermon preparation, or small group leaders wanting solid but accessible treatment.
Hosea-Jonah
Part of an excellent commentary series that includes CD-ROM resources. Reads Amos within the Book of the Twelve context while remaining accessible.
Thematic Studies
"Hosea and Amos: Two Sides of Covenant Failure"
Excellent accessible article comparing Hosea's emphasis on unfaithfulness in worship with Amos's emphasis on injustice in ethics. Shows how the prophets complement each other.
Background Resources
Daily Life at the Time of Jesus
While focused on Jesus's era, provides helpful background on agricultural practices, social structures, and daily life patterns that illuminate Amos's context as shepherd and fig farmer.
The Biblical Qumran Scrolls, Volume 2
For advanced students interested in textual transmission. Contains transcriptions of Minor Prophet manuscripts from Qumran, showing how Amos was preserved and transmitted.