The Meaning of Amos 7:8 Explained

Amos 7:8

KJV: And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:

YLT: and Jehovah saith unto me, 'What art thou seeing, Amos?' And I say, 'A plumb-line;' and the Lord saith: 'Lo, I am setting a plumb-line in the midst of My people Israel, I do not add any more to pass over to it.

Darby: And Jehovah said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb-line. And the Lord said, Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more.

ASV: And Jehovah said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb-line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  said  unto me, Amos,  what seest  thou? And I said,  A plumbline.  Then said  the Lord,  Behold, I will set  a plumbline  in the midst  of my people  Israel:  I will not again  pass by  them any more: 

What does Amos 7:8 Mean?

Study Notes

plumbline
Symbol of judgment according to righteousness.

Verse Meaning

The Lord asked the prophet what he saw, and Amos replied that he saw a plumb line. Then the Lord explained that He was about to test Israel as a builder uses a plumb line. The true standard by which He would judge Israel was undoubtedly the Mosaic Law, the covenant that He had given her by which God measured her uprightness (cf. Exodus 19:6). The Lord further announced that He would not spare the Israelites from His judgment any longer; Amos" prayers for Israel would not turn away His punishment as earlier ( Amos 7:3; Amos 7:6). The nation was so far out of plumb that God would tear it down.

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 7:8 mean?

And said Yahweh to me what you do see Amos and I said a plumb line the Lord behold I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel Not I will anymore pass by them
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י מָֽה־ ؟ אַתָּ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ עָמ֔וֹס וָאֹמַ֖ר אֲנָ֑ךְ אֲדֹנָ֗י הִנְנִ֨י שָׂ֤ם אֲנָךְ֙ בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹֽא־ אוֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד עֲב֥וֹר לֽוֹ

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלַ֗י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
רֹאֶה֙  do  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
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.
וָאֹמַ֖ר  and  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲנָ֑ךְ  a  plumb  line 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲנָךְ  
Sense: plummet, plumb, lead-weight.
אֲדֹנָ֗י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
הִנְנִ֨י  behold  I 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
שָׂ֤ם  am  setting 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אֲנָךְ֙  a  plumb  line 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲנָךְ  
Sense: plummet, plumb, lead-weight.
בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙  in  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
עַמִּ֣י  of  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אוֹסִ֥יף  I  will 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
ע֖וֹד  anymore 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
עֲב֥וֹר  pass 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
לֽוֹ  by  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular