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”.

From my point of view, however, the end cannot be divorced either from the book as a whole, or from the progression of the visions in particular. Indeed, the surprising (for some) happy prediction of the future completes what I feel is the whole point of the vision cycle, that of the merging of the voices of humanity and God.

        Merely for the sake of convenience I will treat Amos 7–9 in discrete sub-sections, and this should not be mistaken for a formal structural analysis. The first section I will deal with embraces the first two visions, the other three each beginning with one of the remaining vision reports. In my view, the whole is well integrated, despite its jarring changes of scene. Neither should the isolation of Amos 7–9 for study here be taken to suggest that the section has little to do with the preceding text in terms of content or theme. On the contrary, the final component may be seen to be a great elaboration on Amos 3,7-8.

But my lord YHWH does nothing
without revealing his secret
to his servants the prophets.
A lion has roared;
who will not fear?
My lord YHWH has spoken;
who will not prophesy?

II. The First Visions: Amos’ Intercession

        The first two visions our prophet reports are almost identical in structure (7,1-3 and vv. 4-6). They open with Amos saying "This my lord YHWH showed me". We are, however, not told how or when Amos received his visions, and YHWH makes no explanation for them. Yahweh shows, but Amos speaks. Amos’ use of the common interjection hnh "behold" solicits the reader’s active visualisation of the locust swarm being formed and attacking the "late planting" in the first vision (Amos 7,1)¹⁵. Again, "behold!" it was the crop