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Amos 7:2

in Amos 7

And when the locusts had eaten every green plant in the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And it came to pass that, when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small.

KJV

And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

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This verse in Amos 7

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

By whom shall Jacob arise? - The locusts, the symbols of the many enemies that had impoverished Jerusalem, having devoured much of the produce of the land, were proceeding, till, at the intercession of the prophet, they were removed. Then, seeing in the light of prophecy the nation in every sense brought low, he cries, “By whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.” Calmet justly remarks: “After the death of Jeroboam the second, the kingdom, so flourishing and powerful before, was reduced to such weakness that it was obliged to have recourse to strangers for support.

This site's exposition

he formed grasshoppers

on Amos 7:1-3

The first vision is a locust swarm timed at the latter growth, the crop left for the poor after the king's mowings had already been cut, so the loss falls where it can least be borne. Amos does not argue the judgment is unjust; he begs, O Lord God, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small, pleading Jacob's weakness rather than his innocence. The Lord repented for this and the plague is stayed, the bench reading the prophet's intercession as the hinge of both spared visions, Moses and Samuel's own office exercised again.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Amos · Written before 420.

proposed

(Chapter 7, verses 1-3) The Lord God showed me these things: And behold, a swarming locust at the beginning of the late crops, after the king's mowings. And it came to pass, when it had finished consuming the grass of the land, that I said: Lord God, please be merciful, I beseech You: who will raise up Jacob, for he is small? The Lord had pity on this: it shall not be, said the Lord.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

HOMILIES ON GENESIS 29:7 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

It is, after all, the practice of the prophets and the just to grieve not only for themselves but also for the rest of humankind. If you're inclined to check that, you will find them all giving evidence of this compassion—for example, you can listen to Jeremiah, "Who will pour water on my head, and provide a fountain of tears for my eyes?" or Ezekiel, "Alas, Lord, you will destroy what remains of Israel?" or Daniel lamenting in these words, "You have made us few in number by comparison with the Gentiles," or Amos, "Think better of this, Lord."

The Reformation1 voice

A commentator

John Calvin

1509–1564

Commentaries (1554)

proposed

And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Note, Whatever calamity we are under, personal or public, the forgiveness of sin is that which we should be most earnest with God for. [2.] Cease, I beseech thee, and take away the judgment; cease the fire, cease the controversy; cause they anger towards us to cease. This follows upon the forgiveness of sin.
2 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

God is here coming forth against this sinful nation, first by one judgment and then by another. (1.) He begins with the judgment of famine. The prophet saw this in vision.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The mention of "Jacob" is a plea that God should "remember for them His covenant" with their forefather, the patriarch (Ps 106:45). he is small--reduced in numbers and in strength.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

Thus.. showed me —retribution, that He wished to bring locusts.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Amos 7:1:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

18 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Exodus 32:32Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”6 worksIsaiah 37:4Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”5 worksEzekiel 11:13Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, Lord GOD, will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?”4 worksDaniel 9:19O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your name.”4 worksIsaiah 51:19These pairs have befallen you: devastation and destruction, famine and sword. Who will grieve for you? Who can comfort you?4 worksJoel 2:17Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”4 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Jeremiah 14:20–21We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, the guilt of our fathers; indeed, we have sinned against You.3 worksEzekiel 9:8While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, “Oh, Lord GOD, when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem, will You destroy the entire remnant of Israel?”3 worksJeremiah 14:7Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.3 worksJeremiah 42:2Jeremiah the prophet and said, “May our petition come before you; pray to the LORD your God on behalf of this entire remnant. For few of us remain of the many, as you can see with your own eyes.3 worksExodus 10:15They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.3 worksJames 5:15–16And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.2 worksAmos 7:5Then I said, “Lord GOD, please stop! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?”2 worksExodus 34:9“O Lord,” he said, “if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, my Lord, please go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our iniquity and sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”2 worksPsalms 12:1Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.2 worksNumbers 14:17–19So now I pray, may the power of my Lord be magnified, just as You have declared:2 worksExodus 32:11–12But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?2 worksPsalms 44:24–26Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Jeremiah 14:7

    Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 25:11

      For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, for it is great.

    • Hosea 5:5

      Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; even Judah stumbles with them.

    • Jeremiah 14:20–21

      We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, the guilt of our fathers; indeed, we have sinned against You.

    • Isaiah 59:12

      For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions are indeed with us, and we know our iniquities:

    • Jeremiah 5:6

      Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be…

  • Through

    Ezekiel 9:8

    While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, “Oh, Lord GOD, when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem, will You destroy the entire remnant of Israel?”

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 11:13

      Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, Lord GOD, will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete…

  • Through

    Ezekiel 11:13

    Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, Lord GOD, will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete…

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 11:1

      Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them…

    • Ezekiel 9:8

      While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, “Oh, Lord GOD, when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem, will You destroy the entire remnant of Israel?”

About Amos

The Prophet Amos, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Prophet Amos, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Amos: the study guide →Read Amos 7 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Amos; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 29:7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Amos 7 →