The allusions in the writings of this prophet are numerous and varied ; they refer to natural objects, as in iii. 4, 8 ; iv. 7, 9 ; v. 8 ; vi. 12 ; ix. 3 ; to historical events, i. 9, II, 13 ; ii. I ; iv. I t ; v. 26 ; to agricultural or pastoral employments and occur rences, i. 3 ; ii. t3 ; iii. 5, 12 ; iv. 2, 9 ; v. 19 ; vii. I ; ix. 9, 13, 15 ; and to national institutions and customs, ii. S ; iii. 15 ; iv. 4 ; v. CI ; vi. 4-6, to ; viii. 5, to, 14.
Some peculiar expressions occur ; such as ' clean ness of teeth,' a parallelism to ' want of bread,' iv. 6. Excellency of Jacob,' vi. 8 ; viii. 7; also Psalm xlvii, 5 ; Nab. ii. 3. ' The high places of Isaac,' vii. 9 ; ' the house of Isaac,' vii. 16. He that createth the wind,' iv. 13. In the orthography there are a few peculiarities, as nzon for znin, vi. 8; com112 for c:DDin, v. I I ; priir for ptTh' (found also in Ps. cv., and Jerem. xxxiii.) The evidence afforded by the writings of this prophet that the existing religious institutions both of Judah and Israel (with the exception of the cor ruptions introduced by Jeroboam) were framed according to the rules prescribed in the Pentateuch, and the argument hence arising for the genuineness of the Mosaic records, are exhibited very lucidly by Dr. Hengstenberg in the second part of his lieitrlige
cur Einleitung ins Alte Testament (Contributions to an Introduction to the Old Testament)—Die Authentie des Pentatenches (The Authenticity of the Pentateuch), i. p. 83- t25.
The canonicity of the book of Amos is amply supported both by Jewish and Christian authorities. Philo, Josephus, and the Talmud include it among the minor prophets. It is also in the catalogues of Mel ito, Jerome, and the 6oth canon of the Council of Laodicea. Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho 22), quotes a considerable part of the 5th and 6th chapters, which he introduces by saying, dxo6OCLTE irais XITEL bud rule Siblefca—` Hear how he speaks concerning these by Amos, one of the twelve.' There are two quota tions from it in the New Testament : the first (v. 25, 26) by the protomartyr Stephen, Acts vii. 42 ; the second (ix. I 1) by the apostle James, Acts xv, 16.—J. E. R.
z. AMOS, son of Nahum and father of Matta thias, known only from being named in our Lord's genealogy as given by Luke, iii. 25.