Genre
The book is classified among the prophetic literature, and is included among the twelve minor prophets
Date
Amos prophesied in the last half of the 700sBC – a time of unimaginable material prosperity for Israel. But also a time of social and political corruption.
Themes
- Judgment – Amos is the least hopeful of the prophet; Israel’s fate – destruction – is certain, inescapable, and total. Directed in a particular way against the leadership and upper classes.
- Social justice – always a distinctive feature of Judaism: the quality of one’s relationship to God depended to some extent on how one related to fellow members of the covenant community. The loss of this social justice piece was, according to Amos, the main reason for God’s judgment.
- Worship of other gods
- The word of the prophets – rejecting the messenger was a rejection of the sender of the message.