Amos 7:2
New International Version
When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign LORD, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”

New Living Translation
In my vision the locusts ate every green plant in sight. Then I said, “O Sovereign LORD, please forgive us or we will not survive, for Israel is so small.”

English Standard Version
When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said, “O Lord GOD, please forgive! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!”

Berean Standard Bible
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?”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said: “O Lord GOD, forgive, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, For he is small!”

New American Standard Bible
And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, “Lord GOD, please pardon! How can Jacob stand? For he is small.”

NASB 1995
And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, “Lord GOD, please pardon! How can Jacob stand, For he is small?”

NASB 1977
And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, “Lord GOD, please pardon! How can Jacob stand, For he is small?”

Legacy Standard Bible
And it happened when it had completed eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, “Lord Yahweh, please pardon! How can Jacob rise up, For he is small?”

Amplified Bible
And when the locusts had finished eating the plants of the land, then I said, “O Lord GOD, please forgive! How can Jacob stand, For he is so small [that he cannot endure this]?”

Christian Standard Bible
When the locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive since he is so small? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive since he is so small?”

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
In my vision the locusts ate every crop in the land, and I said to the LORD, "Please forgive your nation. It's so weak. How can it survive?"

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the locusts had finished eating every plant in the land, I said, "Almighty LORD, please forgive us! How can [the descendants of] Jacob survive? There are so few of them."

Good News Translation
In my vision I saw the locusts eat up every green thing in the land, and then I said, "Sovereign LORD, forgive your people! How can they survive? They are so small and weak!"

International Standard Version
And so it came about that when the swarm had finished eating the grass of the land, I was saying, "Lord GOD, forgive—please! How will Jacob stand, since he is small?"

Majority Standard Bible
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?”

NET Bible
When they had completely consumed the earth's vegetation, I said, "Sovereign LORD, forgive Israel! How can Jacob survive? He is too weak!"

New Heart English Bible
It happened that, when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, "Lord GOD, forgive, I beg you. How could Jacob stand? For he is small."

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
When they finished eating the grass of the land, then I said, “Lord Yahweh, forgive, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and it has come to pass, when it has finished to consume the herb of the land, that I say, “Lord YHWH, please forgive, "" How does Jacob arise—for he [is] small?”

Young's Literal Translation
and it hath come to pass, when it hath finished to consume the herb of the land, that I say: 'Lord Jehovah, forgive, I pray Thee, How doth Jacob arise -- for he is small?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And it was if he finished to devour the green herb of the land, and saying, O Lord Jehovah, forgive now: who shall raise up Jacob? for he is small.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, I said: O Lord God, be merciful, I beseech thee: who shall raise up Jacob, for he is very little?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And it happened, when they had finally eaten all the grass in the land, that I said, “Lord God, be gracious, I beg you. Who will raise up Jacob, for he is little?”

New American Bible
When they had finished eating the grass in the land, I said: Forgive, O Lord GOD! Who will raise up Jacob? He is so small!

New Revised Standard Version
When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said, “O Lord GOD, forgive, I beg you! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And it came to pass when they had finished eating the grass of the land, then I said, O LORD God, forgive. Who shall raise up Jacob? For he is small in numbers.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And when the devouring the grass of the land was finished, I said: ”LORD OF LORDS, strengthen me! Who will raise up Yaqob, because he is small?”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And if it had come to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land--so I said: O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech Thee; How shall Jacob stand? for he is small.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass when he had finished devouring the grass of the land, that I said, Lord God, be merciful; who shall raise up Jacob? for he is small in number.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Locusts, Fire, and Plumb Line
1This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up. 2And 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?” 3So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen,” He said.…

Cross References
Exodus 32:11-14
But 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? / Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people. / Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’” ...

Numbers 14:13-20
But Moses said to the LORD, “The Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people from among them. / And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. / If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ...

Jeremiah 14:7-9
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. / O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are You like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays but a night? / Why are You like a man taken by surprise, like a warrior powerless to save? Yet You are among us, O LORD, and we are called by Your name. Do not forsake us!

Joel 2:17
Let 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?’”

2 Chronicles 30:18-20
A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone / who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” / And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

Isaiah 37:4
Perhaps 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.”

Jeremiah 18:20
Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from 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?”

1 Kings 8:33-34
When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, praying and pleading with You in this temple, / then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel. May You restore them to the land You gave to their fathers.

2 Samuel 24:17
When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house.”

Psalm 106:23
So He said He would destroy them—had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.

Genesis 18:23-33
Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? / What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there? / Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” ...

1 Samuel 7:8-9
and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” / Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.

1 Kings 13:6
Then the king responded to the man of God, “Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him as it was before.

Jeremiah 42:2
Jeremiah 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.


Treasury of Scripture

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 you: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

when.

Exodus 10:15
For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

Revelation 9:4
And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

O Lord.

Amos 7:5
Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

Exodus 32:11,12
And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? …

Exodus 34:9
And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

by whom shall Jacob arise.

Isaiah 51:19
These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?

Ezekiel 9:8
And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

Ezekiel 11:13
And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

for.

Psalm 12:1
To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

Psalm 44:24-26
Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression? …

Isaiah 37:4
It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.

Jump to Previous
Able Arise Beg Beseech Clean Consume Cried Eaten Eating End Finished Forgive Grass Herb Jacob Mercy Pardon Please Small Sovereign Stand Stripped Vegetation Wholly
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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.














When they had finished eating the grass of the land
This phrase sets the scene for a vision of judgment. The "grass of the land" refers to the vegetation that sustains life, symbolizing the basic provisions from God. In the Hebrew context, grass often represents the transient nature of life (Isaiah 40:6-8). The consumption of the grass by locusts, as described earlier in the chapter, signifies a devastating judgment that leaves the land barren. Historically, locust plagues were common in the ancient Near East and were seen as divine punishment (Exodus 10:12-15). This imagery underscores the severity of God's impending judgment on Israel due to their persistent disobedience.

I said
The prophet Amos speaks directly to God, demonstrating the intimate relationship between the prophet and the divine. This phrase indicates a moment of intercession, where Amos steps into the role of a mediator. The Hebrew verb "אמר" (amar) is often used to denote speaking or declaring, emphasizing the authority and earnestness of Amos's plea. This reflects the prophetic tradition where prophets often intercede on behalf of the people (Exodus 32:11-14).

‘Lord GOD, please forgive!
Amos addresses God with the title "Lord GOD," which in Hebrew is "אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה" (Adonai Yahweh), a combination that emphasizes both the sovereignty and covenantal relationship of God with Israel. The plea for forgiveness highlights the prophet's understanding of God's mercy and willingness to relent from sending calamity. The Hebrew word for forgive, "סָלַח" (salach), is a powerful term that conveys the idea of pardoning or sparing. This request for forgiveness is a central theme in the prophetic literature, where the prophets often call for repentance and divine mercy (Joel 2:13).

How can Jacob survive?
"Jacob" is a poetic reference to the nation of Israel, invoking the patriarch whose name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28). This name is used to remind the people of their covenantal identity and heritage. The question "How can Jacob survive?" reflects the dire situation and the prophet's concern for the nation's survival amidst divine judgment. It underscores the vulnerability of Israel, which, despite its chosen status, is not immune to the consequences of sin. This rhetorical question is a plea for divine intervention and a reminder of the need for national repentance.

He is so small!
This phrase emphasizes the weakness and insignificance of Israel in the face of impending disaster. The Hebrew word "קָטֹן" (qaton) means small or insignificant, highlighting the nation's inability to withstand the judgment without divine aid. This acknowledgment of Israel's frailty serves as a call to humility and dependence on God. It reflects the biblical theme that God's strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and it is often in moments of vulnerability that God's people are called to return to Him in faith and repentance.

(2) The grass of the land.--The same word is used in the original in Genesis 1:11, signifying herbs and vegetables. Amos saw the first wave of disaster in the destruction of the food of the people, and he interceded for respite and forgiveness. The cry takes the form, Who is Jacob that he should stand? (E.V., "by whom," is incorrect) for he is small.

Verse 2. - The grass of the land. The term includes vegetables of all sorts, the feed of man and beast (Genesis 1:11; see note on Zechariah 10:1). O Lord,...forgive. The prophet is not concerned to obtain the fulfilment of his prophecy; his heartfelt sympathy for his people yearns for their pardon, as he knows that punishment and restoration depend upon moral conditions. By whom shall Jacob arise? better, How shall Jacob stand? literally, as who? If he is thus weakened, as the vision portends, how shall he endure the stroke? Small; weakened by internal commotions and foreign attack (2 Kings 15:10-16, 19).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And
וְהָיָ֗ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

when
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

the locusts had
כִּלָּה֙ (kil·lāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent

eaten
לֶֽאֱכוֹל֙ (le·’ĕ·ḵō·wl)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 398: To eat

every green plant
עֵ֣שֶׂב (‘ê·śeḇ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6212: Herb, herbage

in the land,
הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

I said,
וָאֹמַ֗ר (wā·’ō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Lord
אֲדֹנָ֤י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD,
יְהוִה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

please
נָ֔א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

forgive!
סְֽלַֽח־ (sə·laḥ-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5545: To forgive, pardon

How
מִ֥י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

will Jacob
יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

survive,
יָק֖וּם (yā·qūm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

since
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

he
הֽוּא׃ (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

is so small?”
קָטֹ֖ן (qā·ṭōn)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6996: Small, young, unimportant


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OT Prophets: Amos 7:2 It happened that when they made (Amo. Am)
Amos 7:1
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