Original Word: אֲנָךְ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: anak
Pronunciation: ah-nahk
Phonetic Spelling: (an-awk')
KJV: plumb-line
NASB: plumb line, vertical with a plumb
Word Origin: [probably from an unused root meaning to be narrow]

1. according to most a plumb-line, and to others a hook

plumb-line

Probably from an unused root meaning to be narrow; according to most a plumb-line, and to others a hook -- plumb-line.

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
to plummet
NASB Translation
plumb line (3), vertical with a plumb (1).

אֲנָךְ noun [masculine] plummet (compare words in cognate languages for lead, tin, etymology dubious, perhaps foreign; Arabic (see Frä¹⁵³) Syriac Mandean אנכא, Assyrian anâku Lyon^{Sargontexte 92}; see Lag^{Arm. Stud. § 103} compare Id.^{BN 175}) — אֲנָ֑ךְ except once Amos 7:8 — plummet Amos 7:7,8 (twice in verse); ׳חוֺמַת א, i.e. a vertical wall vAmos 7:7.

Object and Function

The plumb line was a simple construction tool—a cord with a weight attached—used by ancient builders to determine true vertical alignment. Suspended beside a wall, it revealed any deviation from absolute uprightness. In Israelite society, where most structures were of stone or mud-brick, such a device was essential for safety, durability, and beauty.

Biblical Occurrences and Immediate Context

Four times in Amos 7:7-8 the prophet records a vision in which the Lord “was standing by a wall built true to plumb, with a plumb line in His hand” (Amos 7:7). When Amos asks for the meaning, the Lord answers, “Behold, I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will spare them no longer” (Amos 7:8). The repetition underlines both the certainty and the imminence of divine judgment.

Symbolic Meaning in Amos’s Prophecy

1. Standard of Righteousness: Just as a plumb line does not bend to a wall’s crookedness, God’s moral standard is fixed and immutable. Israel’s covenant violations—idolatry, injustice, and ritual hypocrisy—are exposed as glaringly misaligned with that standard.
2. Verdict of Judgment: The image moves from assessment to action. Once the wall is shown to lean, demolition follows. So the Northern Kingdom, failing to meet the divine measure, would soon fall to Assyria (2 Kings 17:6).
3. Personal Accountability: The plumb line is set “among My people,” emphasizing individual and communal responsibility; none could plead ignorance or neutrality.

Historical Background

Amos prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel (Amos 1:1), a period of outward prosperity but deep moral decay. Archaeological finds from eighth-century Samaria reveal opulent ivory carvings (cf. Amos 3:15; Amos 6:4), matching the prophet’s indictments of luxury built on oppression. Less than forty years after Amos’s ministry, the Assyrian campaigns of Tiglath-Pileser III, Shalmaneser V, and Sargon II toppled the northern kingdom, graphically fulfilling the plumb-line sentence.

Theological Implications

• Immutable Holiness: God’s character is the ultimate “true vertical”; He cannot adjust His righteousness to accommodate sin (Habakkuk 1:13).
• Providential Oversight: The Lord holds the plumb line, not an angel or prophet. Judgment is neither accidental nor arbitrary but the direct act of a personal, covenant-keeping God.
• Remnant Mercy: While the stated outcome is severe, Amos elsewhere presents appeals for repentance (Amos 5:4-6). The same plumb line that condemns also guides reconstruction when hearts return to obedience (Amos 9:11-15).

Connections to Other Scriptural Imagery

• Cornerstone and Capstone: Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22 portray Messiah as the cornerstone. A true cornerstone presupposes a reliable plumb line, pointing to Jesus Christ as both the standard and sustainer of the new covenant temple (Ephesians 2:20-21).
• Measuring Line and Rod: Zechariah 2:1-2 and Revelation 11:1 employ similar construction metaphors for divine evaluation and protection, showing continuity in prophetic symbolism.
• Righteous Scales: Proverbs 11:1; Micah 6:11 condemn false balances; together with the plumb line they form a consistent biblical theme of just measurement reflecting God’s equity.

Ministry Applications

1. Preaching and Teaching: The plumb-line vision urges ministers to bring Scripture to bear on culture without compromise, allowing God’s Word to expose crookedness rather than bending the standard to fit societal trends (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
2. Church Discipline: Leaders must lovingly apply the divine plumb line in correcting doctrine and conduct (Galatians 6:1), guarding against the subtle drift that turns fellowship into a “leaning wall.”
3. Personal Sanctification: Believers are exhorted to examine themselves in the light of God’s fixed standard (Psalm 139:23-24; 1 Corinthians 11:28), trusting the Spirit to realign any area where life tilts from truth.
4. Social Ethics: Amos anchors righteousness in fair treatment of the poor (Amos 2:6-7; Amos 5:10-12). A plumb-line ministry therefore includes advocacy for justice rooted in biblical morality, not merely in cultural sentiment.

See Also

Isaiah 28:17; Zechariah 4:10; Matthew 7:24-27; Ephesians 4:11-16

אֲנָ֑ךְ אֲנָֽךְ׃ אֲנָךְ֙ אנך אנך׃ ’ă·nāḵ ’ănāḵ aNach anoChInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts