Amoz (Father of Isaiah)

Biblical Record

Amoz was the father of the prophet Isaiah, and his name appears only within the phrase "Isaiah the son of Amoz." In the Korean Revised Version, thirteen verses refer to him:

• Isaiah: 1:1, 2:1, 13:1, 20:2, 37:2, 37:21, 38:1
• 2 Kings: 19:2, 19:20, 20:1
• 2 Chronicles: 26:22, 32:20, 32:32

These passages include the superscription of the Book of Isaiah; Isaiah's symbolic act of walking naked and barefoot (Isaiah 20:2); Hezekiah's sending messengers to Isaiah when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded (2 Kings 19:2); Isaiah's visit to Hezekiah during the king's illness (2 Kings 20:1); and the Chronicler's statements that Isaiah recorded the acts of Uzziah and Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 26:22; 32:32). All of these passages concern the deeds of Isaiah; nothing is recorded about what Amoz himself did. Scripture says nothing about his tribe, occupation, or life.

Significance in Scripture

Identifying a person by the name of his father was common practice in ancient Israel, and the phrase serves to identify Isaiah clearly. The New Testament quotes Isaiah many times but never mentions his father Amoz. The name "Amos" also appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:25, but that is a different person.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

Because Korean Bibles render both the name of Isaiah's father and that of the prophet Amos identically as "Amos," some readers mistakenly conclude that Isaiah was the son of the prophet Amos. In Hebrew, however, the two names are spelled differently: Isaiah's father is Amotz, while the prophet of the Book of Amos is Amos. English Bibles likewise distinguish the former as Amoz and the latter as Amos. The prophet Amos was a herdsman of Tekoa who delivered God's word to the northern kingdom of Israel (Amos 1:1), which further distinguishes the two men. Because both are associated with the reign of Uzziah, the two are all the more easily confused.

Jewish tradition also preserves accounts not found in the biblical text. The Talmud is reported to contain a tradition that Amoz was a brother of Amaziah, king of Judah; according to this tradition, Isaiah would have been of royal descent. There is also a rabbinic tradition that Amoz himself was a prophet. These accounts are merely later traditions and are not stated directly in Scripture.

In the Korean Church

Amoz, the father of Isaiah, is rarely the subject of a sermon or Sunday school lesson in his own right. He is mentioned mainly when the Book of Isaiah is introduced or biblical figures are surveyed, to point out that Isaiah's father is a different person from the prophet Amos.