Amos 7:4 Meaning and Explanation
“Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →In a second vision, God summons a devouring fire that consumes the great deep and begins to eat up the land.
What Does Amos 7:4 Mean?
The second vision is fiercer than the first. God calls for judgment by fire, a blaze so vast it dries up "the great deep" -- the underground waters that feed every spring and well. A fire that drinks the deep dry is a fire nothing can quench. It has already begun to consume "a part" of the land's portion.
Where locusts threatened the crops, this fire threatens the very sources of life beneath the ground. The escalation shows the seriousness of Israel's condition; the warnings grow more dire because the people will not turn. Yet the fire has only started its work when Amos sees it, leaving a narrow space in which to cry out. The vision is meant to alarm, to make plain that what hangs over the nation could leave it utterly scorched and dry.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amos 7:4
What does Amos 7:4 mean?
In a second vision, God summons a devouring fire that consumes the great deep and begins to eat up the land.