Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Amos isn't just saying he wasn't a professional prophet; he's emphasizing that his calling wasn't inherited or learned through human training. His identity was rooted in humble, hands-on work, meaning his message came directly from God, not from any human institution or tradition.
Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Amos is confronted by Amaziah, a priest at Bethel, who accuses him of sedition and demands he leave Israel. Amaziah, clearly angered by Amos's prophecies against the king and the nation, tells Amos to go back to Judah and earn his living there. In response, Amos clarifies his background, emphasizing he's not a professional prophet or trained in any prophetic school. Instead, he was a humble shepherd and cultivator of sycamore figs, called directly by God to speak His message.
Amos doesn't just say he's a prophet; he clarifies how he became one. It wasn't a career choice, but a divine redirection.
Amaziah, a priest at Bethel, accused Amos of being a professional prophet, likely implying he was a hireling just looking for a paycheck. Amos's response, 'I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son,' directly confronts this accusation.
Amos highlights his 'day job' – tending livestock and tending fig trees. What can we learn from the dignity and discipline of everyday labor?
Amos identifies himself with two very specific, hands-on occupations: a herdsman ('boger') and a dresser of sycamore figs ('boles shiqmim'). These weren't glamorous jobs; they required diligence, patience, and a keen eye for the natural world.
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These descriptions serve a crucial purpose: they underscore that Amos was not from the elite circles of society, nor was he seeking status or wealth through prophecy. His background was one of honest, perhaps difficult, manual labor, grounding him in the realities faced by many ordinary people. This humble origin gives his message of judgment against injustice and oppression immense credibility.
Amos's statement highlights the contrast between the professional, often compromised, prophets of Israel and his own direct, divine calling. He was not part of any prophetic guild or school but was an ordinary man called by God to speak truth to power, emphasizing that his authority came solely from God, not human lineage or training.
c. 8th Century BC
Israelite Kingdom Divided
The united Kingdom of Israel had split into two distinct kingdoms: the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). Amos, from Judah, prophesies to the Northern Kingdom.
c. 760 BC— this verse
Amos Called to Prophesy
Amos, a shepherd and dresser of sycamore figs from Tekoa in Judah, is called by God to prophesy against the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
c. 760 BC
Amos Confronts Amaziah
Amos delivers his message in Bethel but is confronted by Amaziah, a priest of the local pagan cult, who orders Amos to cease prophesying.
c. 760 BC
Amos's Defense
Amos responds to Amaziah's accusations by explaining his non-professional, divine calling as a herdsman, not a trained prophet.
c. 760 BC
Prophecy of Exile
Amos declares that Israel will go into exile, and Amaziah and his family will die in a foreign land, reinforcing his divine authority.
c. 755 BC
Reign of Jeroboam II Ends
The reign of Jeroboam II, a period of prosperity and military success for the Northern Kingdom, comes to an end. Amos's prophecies likely occurred during this time of outward success but inner corruption.
This passage describes Saul encountering a company of prophets coming down from a high place, prophesying. It shows that prophecy was an identifiable group or 'order' in Israel, which Amos explicitly states he was *not* a part of by birth or training.
1 Kings 20:35Here, a man from the company of prophets instructs a fellow prophet to strike him and wound him, in order to deliver a message from the Lord. This illustrates the 'sons of the prophets' as a recognized order, emphasizing Amos's distinction from such formally trained or affiliated individuals.
Jeremiah 1:5Jeremiah recounts God saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.' This mirrors Amos's own sense of a divine call that came independently of his background or training, highlighting the sovereignty of God in choosing His messengers.
Luke 5:27-32Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) the tax collector to follow Him, and when criticized, responds, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' This echoes Amos's perspective – God calls and uses unlikely individuals, not just those already recognized as 'religious' or 'prophetic'.
barnesAmos 7:14: "Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:"
I was no prophet - The order of the words is emphatic. "No prophet I, and no prophet's son I, for a herdsman I, and dresser of sycamores." It may be, Amos would meet, for the people's sake, Amaziah's taunt. He had a living, simple indeed, yet that of the prophets was as simple. But chiefly he tells them of the unusual character of his mis…
ellicottAmos 7:14: "Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:"
(14) I was . . .—An interesting biographical touch. Prophecy, like other occupations, tended to form a hereditary guild, but Amos was not by birth a prophet. The word for “gatherer” is rendered in the LXX. and Vulg. “nipper,” or “pincher.” There was a custom mentioned in Theophrastus, Hist. Plant., iv. 2, Pliny, Hist. Nat., xiii. 14, of p…
Amos isn't just saying he wasn't a professional prophet; he's emphasizing that his calling wasn't inherited or learned through human training. His identity was rooted in humble, hands-on work, meaning his message came directly from God, not from any human institution or tradition.
Amos is confronted by Amaziah, a priest at Bethel, who accuses him of sedition and demands he leave Israel. Amaziah, clearly angered by Amos's prophecies against the king and the nation, tells Amos to go back to Judah and earn his living there. In response, Amos clarifies his background, emphasizing he's not a professional prophet or trained in any prophetic school. Instead, he was a humble shepherd and cultivator of sycamore figs, called directly by God to speak His message.
Amos is confronted by Amaziah, a priest at Bethel, who accuses him of sedition and demands he leave Israel. Amaziah, clearly angered by Amos's prophecies against the king and the nation, tells Amos to go back to Judah and earn his living there. In response, Amos clarifies his background, emphasizing he's not a professional prophet or trained in any prophetic school. Instead, he was a humble shepherd and cultivator of sycamore figs, called directly by God to speak His message.
"Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs." — Amos isn't just saying he wasn't a professional prophet; he's emphasizing that his calling wasn't inherited or learned through human training. His identity was rooted in humble, hands-on work, meanin…
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Last reviewed October 2026