The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of (a) Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of (b) Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the (c) earthquake.
The Argument - Among many other Prophets that God raised up to admonish the Israelites of his plagues for their wickedness and idolatry, he stirred up Amos, who was a herdman or shepherd of a poor town, and gave him both knowledge and constancy to reprove all estates and degrees, and to make known God's horrible judgments against them, unless they repented in time. And he showed them, that if God did not spare the other nations around them, who had lived as it were in ignorance of God compared to them, but for their sins punished them, then they could look for nothing, but a horrible destruction, unless they turned to the Lord in true repentance. And finally, he comforts the godly with hope of the coming of the Messiah, by whom they would have perfect deliverance and salvation.
(a) Which was a town five miles from Jerusalem in Judea, but he prophesied in Israel.
(b) In his days the kingdom of Israel flourished the most.
(c) Which as Josephus writes, was when Uzziah would have usurped the priest's office, and therefore was smitten with leprosy.