The Meaning of Amos 7:16 Explained

Amos 7:16

KJV: 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.

YLT: And now, hear a word of Jehovah: thou art saying, Do not prophesy against Israel, nor drop any thing against the house of Isaac,

Darby: And now hear thou the word of Jehovah: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and utter not words against the house of Isaac.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Amos 7:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Amos 7:1-17 - The Herdsman's Message
The king's mowings were the earliest yield of the grasslands, which were exacted by him. Our King also has His mowings, when He takes to Himself our dearest and best while the dew of youth is still upon them-but He is only claiming His own.
Three disasters threatened the guilty land-locusts, fire, and plague; but the prophet's intercessions warded off the blow. The Bible often tells a similar story of the power of intercession. If only the Church were united and prayed with one voice, she would be able to secure deliverance for the smitten earth. When God is said to repent, we must not attribute to Him changeableness of purpose, but He seems to repent, because man has changed his attitude. If you walk against the wind, it resists you; but if you turn and walk in the opposite direction, it helps you. The plumbline, Amos 7:7, is used to discover the extent of the mischief, before the order, for destruction is issued.
Amaziah, the chief priest of the national idolatry, found the stalwart witness of the herdsman-prophet extremely inconvenient and wanted to get rid of him. There was great simplicity and dignity in the reply. Like Luther in after years, Amos could "do no other." [source]

Chapter Summary: Amos 7

1  The judgments of the grasshoppers,
4  and of the fire are diverted by the prayer of Amos
7  By the wall of a plumb line is signified the rejection of Israel
10  Amaziah complains of Amos
14  Amos shows his calling
16  and Amaziah's judgment

What do the individual words in Amos 7:16 mean?

Therefore now hear the word of Yahweh You say not do prophesy against Israel and not do spout the house of Isaac
וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע דְּבַר־ יְהוָ֑ה אַתָּ֣ה אֹמֵ֗ר לֹ֤א תִנָּבֵא֙ עַל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תַטִּ֖יף בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂחָֽק

וְעַתָּ֖ה  Therefore  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
שְׁמַ֣ע  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
דְּבַר־  the  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֹמֵ֗ר  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
תִנָּבֵא֙  do  prophesy 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תַטִּ֖יף  do  spout 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָטַף  
Sense: to drop, drip, distil, prophesy, preach, discourse.
בֵּ֥ית  the  house  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂחָֽק  Isaac 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.