Amos against Amaziah (Amos 7:10-17): A Case of Mutual Exclusion

Scholarly interpretation of the encounter between the prophet Amos and Amaziah, the priest of Bethel (Amos 7:10-17), has thus far focused on the issue of prophetic authority and legitimization. This paper seeks to shed light on the issues at the heart of the dispute between Amaziah and Amos-issues of boundaries and identity, insiders and outsiders; belonging to and being banished from Israel, the land and the people. Amaziah insists that Amos is an outsider who may speak freely, but only "there", not "here". Amos counters by predicting the priest's own loss of social framework, in life and in death. The fact that, unlike many other reports of prophetic confrontations, this story does not indicate the consequences of the dispute-whether the expulsion of the prophet from the Northern Kingdom or the fulfillment of the curse of Amaziah-is another indication that the issue of prophetic authority is neither the only, nor the major concern of this showdown.