The Meaning of Amos 7:7 Explained

Amos 7:7

KJV: Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.

YLT: Thus hath He shewed me, and lo, the Lord is standing by a wall made according to a plumb-line, and in His hand a plumb-line;

Darby: Thus did he shew unto me; and behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand.

ASV: Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus he shewed  me: and, behold, the Lord  stood  upon a wall  [made] by a plumbline,  with a plumbline  in his hand. 

What does Amos 7:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Amos saw a third vision. The Lord was standing beside a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. The wall was probably a city wall rather than the wall of a house. [1] Niehaus believed Amos saw a wall of tin, symbolic of Assyria"s power, and the Lord standing above the wall judging it. [1]6 A plumb line was a string with a weight on the end. People used it, and still use it, to determine if a vertical structure is completely straight. God was testing something by a true standard; His judgment is not arbitrary.

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 7:7 mean?

Thus He showed me and behold the Lord stood on a wall [made] with a plumb line and in His hand with a plumb line
כֹּ֣ה הִרְאַ֔נִי וְהִנֵּ֧ה אֲדֹנָ֛י נִצָּ֖ב עַל־ חוֹמַ֣ת אֲנָ֑ךְ וּבְיָד֖וֹ אֲנָֽךְ

כֹּ֣ה  Thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
הִרְאַ֔נִי  He  showed  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וְהִנֵּ֧ה  and  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
אֲדֹנָ֛י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
נִצָּ֖ב  stood 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הֻצַּב 
Sense: to stand, take one’s stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish.
חוֹמַ֣ת  a  wall  [made] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.
אֲנָ֑ךְ  with  a  plumb  line 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲנָךְ  
Sense: plummet, plumb, lead-weight.
וּבְיָד֖וֹ  and  in  His  hand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֲנָֽךְ  with  a  plumb  line 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲנָךְ  
Sense: plummet, plumb, lead-weight.