iz., the circumstances under
which he appeared as a prophet--the introduction to the prophecies of
Hosea may be regarded as having been written for those of Amos also.
For, according to the inscription, they belong to the same period at
which Hosea's prophetic ministry began, viz., the latter part of the
reign of Jeroboam II., and after Uzziah had ascended the throne in
Judah.

The circumstances of the prophet we learn, generally, from the words in
chap. i. 1: "Who was among the herdmen of Tekoah." If there existed no
other statement than this, there might be truth in the remark made by
many interpreters, that we cannot, from his having been a herdman,
infer that he was poor and low. It is shown, however, by a statement in
chap. vii. 14, that, by the "herdman," we are not to understand one who
was also possessed of flocks, or, like David, the son of such, but a
poor servant herdman. For, in that passage, the prophet replies to the
command of the priest Amaziah to get himself out of the country, to
which he did not belong, and to return to his native land: "I am no
prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but I am a herdman; and _such an one
as plucketh sycamores_. And the Lord took me from behind the flock, and
the Lord said unto me. Go prophesy unto My people Israel." The fruit of
the sycamores, called [Greek: atrophos] and [Greek: kakostomachos] by
_Dioscorides_, served as food for only the poorest and meanest.
_Bochart_ (_Hieroz._ t. i. p. 407 [385] _Rosenmueller_) remarks: "It is
the same as if he had said, that he was a man of the humblest
condition, and born in poor circumstances, so that he scarcely
maintained his life by scanty and frugal fare; that he had never
thought of obtaining the prophetical office in Israel, until a higher
power, viz., divine inspiration, impelled him to undertake it."[1] But
this passage merits our attention in another [Pg 353] point of view. In
what sense is it that Amos here denies that he is a prophet? It is
evidently in a very special sense that he does so. He obviously does
not mean thereby to deny that he possessed the gift of prophecy, or
held the prophetical office; for, otherwise, he would himself have
furnished weapons to his enemy, to whom he wishes to prove his right.
The following remarks will be found to contain the true answer.

It cannot be proved in any way, that the schools of the prophets,
established by Samuel at a time when the circumstances of Judah and
Israel were alt