The Meaning of Amos 7:12 Explained

Amos 7:12

KJV: Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

YLT: And Amaziah saith unto Amos, 'Seer, go flee for thee unto the land of Judah, and eat there bread, and there thou dost prophesy;

Darby: And Amaziah said unto Amos, Thou seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there.

ASV: Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thou away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Also Amaziah  said  unto Amos,  O thou seer,  go,  flee thee away  into the land  of Judah,  and there eat  bread,  and prophesy  there: 

What does Amos 7:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Amos 7:1-17 - The Herdsman's Message
The king's mowings were the earliest yield of the grasslands, which were exacted by him. Our King also has His mowings, when He takes to Himself our dearest and best while the dew of youth is still upon them-but He is only claiming His own.
Three disasters threatened the guilty land-locusts, fire, and plague; but the prophet's intercessions warded off the blow. The Bible often tells a similar story of the power of intercession. If only the Church were united and prayed with one voice, she would be able to secure deliverance for the smitten earth. When God is said to repent, we must not attribute to Him changeableness of purpose, but He seems to repent, because man has changed his attitude. If you walk against the wind, it resists you; but if you turn and walk in the opposite direction, it helps you. The plumbline, Amos 7:7, is used to discover the extent of the mischief, before the order, for destruction is issued.
Amaziah, the chief priest of the national idolatry, found the stalwart witness of the herdsman-prophet extremely inconvenient and wanted to get rid of him. There was great simplicity and dignity in the reply. Like Luther in after years, Amos could "do no other." [source]

Chapter Summary: Amos 7

1  The judgments of the grasshoppers,
4  and of the fire are diverted by the prayer of Amos
7  By the wall of a plumb line is signified the rejection of Israel
10  Amaziah complains of Amos
14  Amos shows his calling
16  and Amaziah's judgment

What do the individual words in Amos 7:12 mean?

And said Amaziah to Amos you seer go Flee to - the land of Judah and eat there bread and there prophesy
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲמַצְיָה֙ אֶל־ עָמ֔וֹס חֹזֶ֕ה לֵ֥ךְ בְּרַח־ לְךָ֖ אֶל־ אֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָ֑ה וֶאֱכָל־ שָׁ֣ם לֶ֔חֶם וְשָׁ֖ם תִּנָּבֵֽא

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲמַצְיָה֙  Amaziah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲמַצְיָה 
Sense: a king of Judah, son Joash, father of Azariah.
עָמ֔וֹס  Amos 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָמֹוס  
Sense: a prophet of the Lord who prophesied in the northern kingdom; native of Tekoa in Judah near Bethlehem and a shepherd by trade; author of the prophetic book by his name.
חֹזֶ֕ה  you  seer 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹזֶה 
Sense: seer.
לֵ֥ךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בְּרַח־  Flee 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: בָּרַח 
Sense: to go through, flee, run away, chase, drive away, put to flight, reach, shoot (extend), hurry away.
אֶל־  - 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יְהוּדָ֑ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וֶאֱכָל־  and  eat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לֶ֔חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
וְשָׁ֖ם  and  there 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
תִּנָּבֵֽא  prophesy 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.