THE OPENED FOUNTAIN 467
incident. One who is suspected of being a false prophet is suddenly challenged by a zealous Israelite. He, however, vehemently answers, " / am no prophet " ; far from ever having professed to be an inspired teacher of the people, " / am a tiller of the ground (i.e., belonging to the humblest class of the people), and I have been made a bondsman x (or, a man has bought me ) from my youth"
A certain similarity has been pointed out between the words of this false prophet and those of Amos, when in answer to Amaziah, the priest of the idolatrous worship of Bethel, who warned him to flee to Judah and prophesy there, but to cease prophesying in Bethel, because it was the chief sanctuary and a royal residence of the kings of Israel, the prophet said: "/ was (or am } no prophet, neither was I a propJiefs son, but I was a herdman, and a dresser of sycamore trees?
But the purport of the two passages is very different. Here, in our passage in Zechariah, the false prophet, when accused with exercising the functions of a prophet, utterly denies the charge ; but Amos, though he disclaims having been a prophet by profession and training, is nevertheless conscious of a direct call from God, and boldly asserts his Divine mission in the words which immediately follow : "Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto My people Israel" 2 Far, therefore, from being intimidated by the threats of Amaziah, or his royal master Jeroboam II., he proceeds : " Now therefore hear tJwu the word of Jehovah"
1 Wijri kiqnnani. The verb njj; in the Kal means to "originate," "ac quire," " possess" ; but since it occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible in the Hiphil there is great difficulty in determining its exact force in this sentence. Some take it as a stronger Kal, " to purchase," others " to sell." Some taking it as a denominative from njijo, miqneh, "possession," deduce the same meaning, i.e., " to buy."
Rashi and Kimchi derive hiqnnani from " miqnch " in the sense of a flock, and translate " made me a shepherd, or set me to keep his flock."
But in the words of W. H. Lowe : " Whatever be the exact meaning of the word it is clear that the person accused here of assuming prophetic powers dis avows all such assumption, and claims to be looked on as a simple rustic."
2 Amos vii. 10-14.
