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.

Reviews

“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

“This is an incisive and theologically rich commentary. Its careful scholarship deserves close interaction. This volume will become one of the major commentaries on Amos for several decades to come.” - The Expository Times

“Carroll combines not only a review of the words of the prophet Amos but a careful and extensive review of the study of Amos, over several decades, on the parts of noted scholars. . . . Recommended.” — CHOICE

“This volume is a cause for celebration, as the field of Amos studies is fortunate indeed that M. Daniel Carroll R. has produced this full commentary on the biblical book about which he has contributed so much understanding over the years. I expect that this volume will stand as the definitive synchronic commentary on the book of Amos for years to come. Whether one reads Amos as the work of a single prophet’s voice or as the accumulation of various strata over the centuries, the biblical book’s final form comprises a strong ethical message that Carroll R.’s commentary illuminates with sensitivity and seasoned scholarship.” — Jason Radine in Review of Biblical Literature

M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas) is Scripture Press Ministries Professor of Biblical Studies and Pedagogy at Wheaton College. Celebrating a heritage from both Guatemala and the United States, Carroll's 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 the prophets and on Old Testament social ethics, especially as it pertains to global migration.