Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.

AMOS 7:16KJV
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Amos 7:16 (KJV)

What does Amos 7:16 mean?

Amos 7:16 records a warning from the prophet Amos, telling his opponent to listen to God’s message, even though that opponent has told Amos not to prophesy against Israel or speak against the house of Isaac. The verse highlights resistance to Amos’s message and God’s insistence that His word must still be heard.

In this scene, Amos is speaking directly to Amaziah, a priest who has objected to Amos’s prophecies of judgment against Israel. The phrase “house of Isaac” is another way of referring to the people of Israel. Amos is making it clear that, despite opposition, he must deliver the message God has given him, because the command comes from the LORD, not from people.

The Hebrew behind Amos 7:16

  • “hear” (שָׁמַע, shamaʿ): This word means more than just listening; it often carries the sense of paying attention and obeying. Amos is demanding serious attention to God’s message, not just casual hearing.
  • “drop” (נָטַף, nataf): This verb literally means “to drip” or “to drop,” and is used here to describe prophecy as something that flows out, like rain or dew. It paints the prophetic word as something that comes gently but persistently, not always with thunder but still impossible to stop.

Why Amos 7:16 matters

  • Amos 7:16 shows that God’s message is not silenced by human resistance, even from religious leaders like Amaziah who try to control or suppress prophecy.
  • The verse connects to the larger theme in Amos of true prophecy versus false comfort, highlighting the tension between God’s demands and what people want to hear.
  • By using the phrase “house of Isaac,” Amos reminds listeners of their heritage and responsibility, making the warning feel personal and rooted in their identity as descendants of the patriarchs.

Where else these words appear

“Isaac” Hebrew H3446 · used in 4 verses

  • Psalms 105:9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
  • Jeremiah 33:26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.
  • Amos 7:9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.

“drop” Hebrew H5197 · used in 14 verses

  • Judges 5:4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
  • Song of Solomon 4:11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
  • Ezekiel 21:2 Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,

“Prophesy” Hebrew H5012 · used in 102 verses

  • Numbers 11:25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
  • Jeremiah 20:1 Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
  • Ezekiel 13:2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;