Heidegger's Bible Handbook: Amos: Author

1. The author is עָמוֹס/Amos, an herdman of Tekoa. He was a Prophet of Israel. The tradition concerning his death.

The author of this Prophecy was עָמוֹס/Amos,[1] whether it denotes קטיע לשון, ψελλὸν, inarticulate, whence the Jews make a fable that this Prophet was of an impeded tongue: or burdensome. He is said to have been בַנֹּקְדִ֖ים מִתְּק֑וֹעַ, among the herdmen of Tekoa, Amos 1:1. And in Amos 7:14, 15, he speaks of himself in this way: I am not a Prophet, nor the son of a Prophet (that is, a professed Prophet, otherwise free for this one office: an ordinary Doctor of the people, or a scholastic): כִּֽי־בוֹקֵ֥ר אָנֹ֖כִי וּבוֹלֵ֥ס שִׁקְמִֽים׃, but I am a herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit. And Jehovah took me as I followed the flock, and Jehovah said to me: Go, Prophesy unto my people Israel. Therefore, he was the keeper of a herd, either his own or another’s, a shepherd, even indeed a poor one, since he was seeking forest figs for food. His hometown was Tekoa, situated in the tribe of Judah, 1 Chronicles 2:24; 2 Chronicles 20:20. Whence it is evident that he was born toward the South of Jerusalem, where Engedi goes toward the Dead Sea. Now, although he was born of the tribe of Judah, he is said to have seen his words עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל, concerning Israel, and so he was designated a Prophet chiefly to the Israelites. The ancients have passed on the tradition that he lay dead, transfixed with a spike by Jeroboam and the son of Amaziah the Priest in Bethel, on account of his reproof of the golden calves.[2]

[1]עָמַס signifies to carry a load. [2]The Lives of the Prophets.