Amaziah אֲמַצְיָ֫הוּ
Priest of Bethel during Amos' ministry
Who is Amaziah in the Bible?
Amaziah was a priest at the sanctuary in Bethel during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel, around the 8th century BC. When the prophet Amos arrived in Bethel to deliver God's judgment against Israel, Amaziah actively opposed him, reporting to King Jeroboam that Amos was conspiring against the kingdom and demanding that the prophet leave and prophesy in Judah instead (Amos 7:10-12). Amos responded by asserting his divine calling, declaring that he was neither a professional prophet nor the son of one, but rather a humble herdsman whom God had commanded to prophesy to Israel (Amos 7:14). Amaziah's resistance to Amos represents the religious establishment's opposition to God's true prophetic word, illustrating the spiritual conflict between institutional religion and authentic divine communication in Israel's final decades before exile.
Biography
Amaziah was a priest who served at the sanctuary in Bethel during the reign of Jeroboam II, king of Israel. When the prophet Amos came to Bethel and prophesied against the kingdom of Israel, Amaziah opposed him. He sent a message to King Jeroboam, accusing Amos of conspiracy and claiming that the land could not bear his words. Amaziah also told Amos to flee to the land of Judah, eat bread there, and prophesy there, but not to prophesy anymore at Bethel, as it was the king's sanctuary and a temple of the kingdom. Amos responded by affirming that he was not a professional prophet, but a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs, and that the Lord had called him to prophesy to Israel.
In Scripture
1 biblical bookAmos 3 verses
- Amos 7:10
"Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words,"
- Amos 7:12
"And Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah; earn your bread there and do your prophesying there."
- Amos 7:14
"“I was not a prophet,” Amos replied, “nor was I the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore-fig trees."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֲמַצְיָ֫הוּ |