In this commentary on the book of Amos, Daniel Carroll combines a detailed reading of the Hebrew text with attention to its historical background and current relevance. What makes this volume unique i
In this commentary on the book of Amos, Daniel Carroll combines a detailed reading of the Hebrew text with attention to its historical background and current relevance. What makes this volume unique is its special attention to Amos’s literary features and what they reveal about the book’s theology and composition. Instead of reconstructing a hypothetical redactional history, this commentary offers a close reading of the canonical form against the backdrop of the eighth century BCE.
The Journal of Theological Studies
“An impressive commentary that takes pride of place alongside the other recent commentary by Göran Eidevall in the Anchor Bible commentary series. . . . This book can be highly recommended!”
Religious Studies Review
“The combination of up-to-date research, fresh readings, and meaningful theological and ethical engagements makes Carroll’s commentary a new standard for work on Amos. It should be an essential holding of any theological library.”
“M. Daniel Carroll R. has been a leading figure in Amos studies (among other areas) for decades. Here, in commentary form, is his definitive treatment of the book after a lifetime of devoted study to our most articulate prophet of judgment. Every page reflects meticulous scholarship with an eye on the most pressing concerns of Amos’s day and of our own, leavened and bettered by Carroll’s keen insight and judicious assessment. This will be the first commentary on Amos I consult for years to come.”
— Brent A. Strawn
Duke Divinity School
“Carroll responsibly interprets Amos’s witness to his original hearers and readers with sensitivity to the social and rhetorical dynamics evident in the text. These same dynamics ensure that the original message will continue to speak as a living word for church and society today. The culmination of decades of deep reflection on this book, this commentary is the new standard for interpreting the book of Amos.”
— Mark J. Boda
McMaster Divinity College
“This commentary is the culmination of a lifetime of work on Amos: a welcome contribution that effectively conveys the fruits of scholarly research to a wider audience. Carroll's engagement with Latinx interpretation, in particular, draws helpful attention to the significance of this work for all Amos's readers.”
— Carly L. Crouch
Fuller Theological Seminary
“Daniel Carroll has been carefully studying the book of Amos his entire academic career. In this thoroughly researched commentary, we find the manifold fruits of his labor. This insightful study will rightfully take a place among the top tier commentaries on Amos’s prophecy.”
— Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
Dallas Theological Seminary
“No one knows more about Amos than Daniel Carroll, and his commentary is a landmark in the study of this fundamentally important prophet. Textually, exegetically, historically, and theologically, it is thorough, nuanced, and finely judged. Carroll takes on all the hard questions and unfailingly satisfies the inquiring reader. This book is bound to become immediately indispensable for all serious students of Amos, the Prophets, and Old Testament theology.”
— J. Gordon McConville
University of Gloucestershire
“Through a combination of close attention to the its literary form and sensitivity to its message, Daniel Carroll has produced a landmark commentary on the book of Amos. This will be an essential point of reference for years to come.”
— David Firth
Trinity College, Bristol
View Review quote
M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas) is Scripture Press Ministries Professor of Biblical Studies and Pedagogy at Wheaton College. Carroll celebrates a heritage from both Guatemala and the United States, and his interest in and commitment to Old Testament social ethics was born during his time teaching in Central America, which largely was during the era of the Central American revolutions. He has written extensively on Old Testament social ethics, especially as it pertains to global migration.
View Biographical note
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Historical Background
2. Authorship
3. Composition, Structure, and Poetics
4. Religion and Theology in the Book of Amos
5. Amos in Early Judaism and the New Testament
6. The Message of Amos for Today
7. The Text
Text and Commentary
1. Preface (1:1–2)
2. The Oracles against the Nations (1:3–2:16)
3. The Words of God and the Prophet to Israel (3:1–6:14)
4. Visions of Israel’s Future (7:1–9:15)
View Table of contents
