And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.

AMOS 2:11KJV
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Amos 2:11 (KJV)

What does Amos 2:11 mean?

Amos 2:11 says that God raised up some of the Israelites' sons to be prophets and some of their young men to be Nazarites, asking the people of Israel to recognize this as His work. The verse highlights that these special roles were given by God as a sign of His involvement and care for Israel.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Amos to the people of Israel, reminding them of the ways He has guided and set them apart. Prophets were messengers who spoke God’s words, and Nazarites were individuals who took special vows to dedicate themselves to God. The verse points out that these gifts and callings came from God Himself, making Israel’s later rejection of them especially serious.

The Hebrew behind Amos 2:11

  • "Prophets" (נְבִיאִים, nĕvî’îm): This word means those who speak on behalf of God, emphasizing that the messages Israel received were direct communications from God, not just human opinions.
  • "Nazarites" (נְזִרִים, nĕzîrîm): Nazarites were people who made special vows of dedication, often marked by not cutting their hair or drinking wine. Their presence among Israel was meant to be a visible sign of devotion and separation to God.
  • "Sons" (בֵּן, bēn) and "young men" (בָּחוּר, bachur): These words stress that God chose ordinary members of the community, not just leaders or elders, to fill these important roles.
  • "Children of Israel" (בֵּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, bēn Yisra’el): This phrase addresses the whole nation, underlining that God’s actions were for all of Israel, not just a select few.

Why Amos 2:11 matters

  • Amos 2:11 makes clear that the roles of prophet and Nazarite were not self-appointed but were God’s initiative, which corrects any idea that these figures acted on their own authority.
  • The verse highlights God’s ongoing relationship with Israel, showing that He provided guidance and examples of dedication from within their own people.
  • This reminder sets up the seriousness of Israel’s later rejection and mistreatment of both prophets and Nazarites, which Amos addresses in the surrounding verses.

Where else these words appear

“Nazarites” Hebrew H5139 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
  • Numbers 6:18 And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.
  • Judges 13:5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

“men” Hebrew H970 · used in 44 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.
  • Isaiah 31:8 Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
  • Jeremiah 51:22 With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;