I. Aim and profile of this commentary
II. From the prophet Amos to the book of Amos. The quest for the historical Amos ; Attempts to date the activities of Amos with precision ; Amos as a cultic professional or as an anti-cultic prophet ; Calling off the quest : outline of an alternative approach
III. The book of Amos as a literary composition. Genres within the book ; Structural symmetry ; Thematic threads ; Reading the book of Amos as a drama
IV. History of composition and redaction. Theological diversity and questions regarding authorship ; Historical contexts for the book's messages ; On the advantages and limitations of redaction criticism ; Before the book : the very first stage ; Three versions of the book : a tentative reconstruction ; Amos and the Book of the twelve
V. Ancient and modern interpretations of the book of Amos. Early Amos reception ; Amos at Qumran ; Amos in the New Testament ; Amos in premodern Jewish and Christian exegesis ; Amos in the modern era : a spokesman for the poor ; Interpretive guidelines for this commentary
VI. Text and translation. The Masoretic text ; Fragmentary manuscripts from the Judean Desert ; The Septuagint and the other ancient versions
