God points to the prophets and Nazarites not just as gifts, but as active choices He made from within Israel's own sons and young men. This highlights that His blessings were not just external provisions, but also internal callings to individuals specifically chosen to be His voice and His example of separation.
And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?” declares the LORD. “But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Lord is recounting His past and present favors to Israel, moving from grand military victories to spiritual provisions. After reminding them how He destroyed the mighty Amorites for them, He now highlights that He also raised up prophets from among their sons and Nazirites from their young men to guide and exemplify a life dedicated to Him. This verse serves as a setup for the next, where Amos will reveal how Israel corrupted these very gifts by silencing prophets and encouraging Nazirites to break their vows.
Amos reminds Israel that God didn't just give them land; He gave them people to guide them. Who were these guides, and why were they so important?
God's love for Israel wasn't just about protection and provision; it was also about spiritual guidance. In this verse, Amos highlights two key groups God raised up from within Israel itself:
Prophets
These were men God called and empowered to speak His truth directly to the people. Think of figures like Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha. They delivered God's messages, often challenging the people's behavior and calling them back to faithfulness. Their presence was a continuous act of God's grace, offering divine wisdom and instruction.
Nazarites
These were individuals, often young men, who made a special vow of separation and devotion to God. Their lives were marked by self-denial, such as abstaining from wine and not cutting their hair. They served as living examples of holiness and a commitment to God, standing in contrast to the prevailing worldliness. Their very existence was a testament to what God's grace could accomplish, showing that a life of separation for God was possible and desirable.
Both prophets and Nazarites were unique gifts, demonstrating God's deep desire for Israel to know Him and live set apart for Him.
Amos ends with a pointed question. What does it reveal about Israel's spiritual state when they needed to be reminded of such clear evidence of God's favor?
Ask a follow-up
The verse climaxes with the direct question: 'Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?' This isn't a question seeking information; it's a rhetorical challenge aimed at eliciting a confession of guilt. God is essentially saying, 'Can you deny these gifts? Can you pretend I haven't blessed you in these profound ways?'
A Divine Appeal
God enumerates these spiritual provisions – the prophets to teach and the Nazarites to exemplify holiness – as undeniable evidence of His ongoing care and favor. He poured out His grace through them. The fact that God has to ask if this is true highlights a critical failure on Israel's part: a lack of grateful recognition.
The Weight of Ignorance
To have such spiritual leaders and examples, and yet to not acknowledge their divine origin or value, speaks volumes about Israel's spiritual blindness and ingratitude. They were so caught up in their own ways that they had become numb to the very blessings God had bestowed to draw them closer to Himself. Amos’s question forces them to confront this neglect.
Understand the original words
nabiy' · Hebrew Noun
One called or chosen by God to serve as His mouthpiece, receiving direct revelation to communicate His word, warnings, and calls to repentance to His people.
naziyr · Hebrew Noun
A person set apart to the Lord through a special vow, characterized by abstaining from grape products, not cutting their hair, and avoiding contact with the dead, signifying total devotion and holiness.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the one true God of Israel, indicating His self-existence, eternal nature, and His faithfulness to the covenant promises made to His people.
naba' · Hebrew Verb
To declare a message under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, often foretelling future events or forth-telling God’s commands for the present.
This verse highlights God's consistent provision of spiritual leaders—prophets for guidance and Nazirites for exemplary devotion—throughout Israel's history, underscoring the people's responsibility to honor these gifts.
c. 1400 BC
The Law of the Nazirite Vow Given
God institutes the Nazirite vow through Moses, outlining specific practices of separation and dedication for those who chose this path.
c. 13th-11th century BC
Samson and Samuel Live as Nazirites
Notable figures like Samson and Samuel serve as examples of Nazirites, demonstrating lives of special dedication and service, though Samson's story also highlights the consequences of unfaithfulness.
c. 9th century BC
Elijah and Elisha Prophesy
The ministries of prophets Elijah and Elisha stand as powerful examples of God raising up messengers to confront apostasy and call Israel back to Himself.
c. 8th century BC
Hosea and Jonah Prophesy
Prophets like Hosea and Jonah are raised up by God within Israel, serving as contemporary voices of divine truth and warning, though their messages are often rejected.
Mid-8th Century BC— this verse
Amos Delivers His Prophecy
Amos, a prophet from the southern kingdom of Judah, is sent to confront the northern kingdom of Israel with their sins, including their mistreatment of prophets and Nazirites.
This passage lays out the specific vows and restrictions for the Nazarite, detailing the consecration and separation to God that Amos highlights as a gift to Israel.
Deuteronomy 18:18God promises to raise up prophets from among the people, just as He did with Moses, directly paralleling the affirmation in Amos that He provided prophets from Israel's own sons.
Judges 13:5The story of Samson, a Nazirite dedicated from birth, exemplifies the concept of God raising up individuals for special service, a theme Amos underscores by mentioning God's provision of Nazirites.
1 Samuel 1:11Hannah's vow for Samuel to be a Nazirite for life illustrates how individuals could be consecrated to God from a young age, mirroring Amos's mention of God raising up Nazirites from Israel's young men.
Jeremiah 35:1-19The Rechabites' commitment to a life of abstinence and separation, as commanded by their father, serves as another example of dedicated lives set apart for God, reflecting the spirit of the Nazirites mentioned by Amos.
barnesAmos 2:11: "And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD."
And I raised up of your sons for prophets - Amos turns from outward mercies to inward, front past to present, from miracles of power to miracles of grace. God's past mercies live on in those of today; the mercies of today are the assurance to us that we have a share in the past; His miracles of grace are a token that the miracles of His power…
calvinAmos 2:9-12: "Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath."
And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the Lord
Et suscitavi ex filiis vestris prophetas, et ex juvenibus vestris Nazaraeos: annon etiam hoc, filii Israel? dicit Jehovah.
But ye gave the Naza…
God points to the prophets and Nazarites not just as gifts, but as active choices He made from within Israel's own sons and young men. This highlights that His blessings were not just external provisions, but also internal callings to individuals specifically chosen to be His voice and His example of separation.
The Lord is recounting His past and present favors to Israel, moving from grand military victories to spiritual provisions. After reminding them how He destroyed the mighty Amorites for them, He now highlights that He also raised up prophets from among their sons and Nazirites from their young men to guide and exemplify a life dedicated to Him. This verse serves as a setup for the next, where Amos will reveal how Israel corrupted these very gifts by silencing prophets and encouraging Nazirites to break their vows.
The Lord is recounting His past and present favors to Israel, moving from grand military victories to spiritual provisions. After reminding them how He destroyed the mighty Amorites for them, He now highlights that He also raised up prophets from among their sons and Nazirites from their young men to guide and exemplify a life dedicated to Him. This verse serves as a setup for the next, where Amos will reveal how Israel corrupted these very gifts by silencing prophets and encouraging Nazirites to break their vows.
"And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?” declares the LORD. “But you made the Nazirites…" — God points to the prophets and Nazarites not just as gifts, but as active choices He made from within Israel's own sons and young men. This highlights that His blessings were not just external prov…
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Last reviewed October 2026
