Amos 7:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Upon stating that it shall occur that whoever consumes the greenery of the earth will devastate the multitude in Samaria and in the city of Judah—suggesting that through consumption he will obliterate the populace there—the prophet interjects, pleading with God to desist from His anger, saying, “Lord, be merciful: who shall raise up Jacob? For he is small; and if, it seems to me, You will deliver Israel into the hands of enemies for destruction, he will be greatly diminished.” To this, God replies, “Neither shall this be, says the Lord: for I, says the Lord, am neither weary nor faint, but I will certainly continue to hold the wicked accountable.”

After thoroughly examining the identity of Gog, we can assert that Ezekiel also composes a lamentation against him based on God’s actions. We believe this refers to Sennacherib, for after the blasphemies of Rabshekah against God, the angel of the Lord struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand in a single night (2 Kings 19:35). It should be noted that the account concerning him is delivered through Ezekiel’s words: “These things says the Lord about Gog: you are the one of whom I spoke long ago by the hand of My servants the prophets of Israel in these days and years, to bring upon him” (Ezekiel 38:17). See then, he, and no others, was warned by the holy prophets regarding what was to come upon Israel. He was punished for the arrogance of his speech; expecting triumph, he was unexpectedly defeated and fell within the land of Israel. This is vividly portrayed in another passage where it states, “And you, son of man, speak to Gog and say, ‘Behold, I will bring you up to the mountains of Israel, and you shall fall, you and all your company; I will provide Gog a designated place, a burial site in Israel, and I will bury the house of Israel’” (Ezekiel 39:1-13). When the Assyrians fell, likely represented by the name Gog, the Israelites buried the dead to prevent the cities and villages from suffering the unbearable stench that would result from such a dreadful occurrence.

This is intended so that those who witness the realization of these prophecies may turn to God in His sacred service, for His prophets speak the truth.

Thus, the Lord made known that Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, with a vast army, would come forth like locusts, right at the dawning of the late rains when Israel would be in dire need of divine grace; and the Lord is the creator of these locusts. They appear at the onset of the late rains, when the earth is lush and the fields are flourishing, and the blossoms on various trees are maturing into their distinctive fruits. In essence, the blossoms and vegetation signal a coming abundance. This locust swarm, emerging at the start of spring, was succeeded by an innumerable caterpillar that manifested after the late rains and was known as the mower or the king’s mowing, devastating everything it encountered, leaving no green grass behind. Isaiah refers to this shearing as a sharp razor, which will remove all the hair from the heads and bodies of the Israelites. When he questioned what type of razor this was, the Lord promptly answered that it was the king of Assyria.

The razor and mower of the king represent the Chaldean forces, which, like a ravenous caterpillar, ravaged all—not just the crops but also the wood, hay, and stubble. When the caterpillar had depleted the grass of the earth and the prophet understood the gravity of his vision, he turned to the Lord in supplication, saying, “O Lord God, be merciful, I beseech You.” He did not wish his words to come true as a decree of destruction upon his people; he did not desire to be among those who herald ruin for the ten tribes. For who but You can restore Jacob? If You bring him low, no one can heal him. Jacob finds himself in a fragile state, subjected to the threats of aggressors. As he prayed and wept from deep within, the Lord showed compassion, declaring that He would not annihilate the entire tribe of Jacob; a remnant shall be preserved.

Alternatively, it may be understood that he observed two calamities arriving simultaneously: first, the locusts, then the caterpillar. He implored the Lord to spare both, but was only granted mercy concerning one—so that the caterpillar would not obliterate everything in its path; rather, let the locusts flit about ravaging some while sparing others. It appears that the term 'gozi,’ meaning scythe or mowing, is interpreted by the Septuagint as 'Gog,’ perhaps in error, with the letter ‘zain’ exchanged for ‘vav,’ correlating the vast number of caterpillars to the fiercely destructive Gog, foretold to lay waste to the land of the Jews.

Regarding the spiritual dimension, for those following the paths of righteousness, as the prophet states, "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord" (Hosea 10:12; Jeremiah 4:3), a swarm of locusts is dispatched, appearing in the morning just after the darkness of night, as they become aware of their transgressions, and not repenting, a caterpillar, the mighty Gog, is sent among them. In our tongue, 'Gog' symbolizes blood—a metaphor for pride and arrogance. Once he has ravaged the hay and stubble in our land, the faithful among the populace will plead for forgiveness, exclaiming, “Lord God, be merciful!” For who can restore Jacob, the one who heals wounds of blood, except You, whose mere touch brings immediate healing (Luke 8)? Jacob is diminished, as no virtue remains within him.

Repent, O Lord, from the fulfillment of the threats imposed upon Your people. In sacred scripture, the concept of God's repentance should be understood analogously to rest and anger—not implying that God changes His mind, for He proclaims, “I am God, and I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). As we confess, "Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail" (Psalm 101:28). When we turn to goodness, He may relent from His decision, not dispensing the promised rewards to the righteous should they stray into sin, nor applying the penalties He pledged against the sinner who turns from wickedness. To those seeking repentance, it is declared, “Let not your eyes sleep, but let them observe, that you may be saved like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare” (Proverbs 6:4-5). Against those who initially disregard God's commands but later, in desperation, begin to watch, such a one will awaken the Lord who has remained still and plead: “Arise, why do You sleep, O Lord?” (Psalm 43:24). Conversely, one who gathers wrath for the day of judgment (Romans 2) will encounter divine anger. Yet, if he repents, wrath is transformed into mercy, so that, aligning with the prevalence of inclinations in our hearts, the Lord may modify His response towards both discipline and forgiveness.