At the center of calf worship in Bethel, the harsh prophecies of Amos struck directly at the heart of the local religious establishment. Amaziah, an idolatrous priest serving the local cult rather than God, felt his livelihood and social standing slipping away as the prophet's rebukes drove the masses from their usual worship. Determined to protect his position, Amaziah sent an urgent message to King Jeroboam of Israel, who was staying elsewhere at the time.
In his message, Amaziah accused the prophet of the highest form of treason, claiming Amos was actively organizing a rebellion against the crown. The gravity of this charge was amplified by the public nature of the act; Amos was not whispering in the shadows, but speaking openly before the entire nation of Israel. By publicly predicting that the king would die by the sword, Amos risked inciting the king's enemies to assassinate him, leading them to believe they were fulfilling the word of God. In Amaziah's eyes, raising a hand against the king in this manner made Amos guilty of a capital offense.
To push the king toward immediate execution, Amaziah argued that the country could no longer tolerate the prophet's messages. The primary approach among commentators is that Amaziah was trying to reassure the king, easing any fears of a public uprising if he were to execute a known prophet. According to this view, the people were already exhausted and disgusted by Amos's constant warnings of destruction. If the king were to put him to death, the public would not protest; rather, they would gladly support the execution [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, רד״ק].
On the other hand, some understand Amaziah's argument as a severe warning about the prophet's dangerous level of influence. In this light, Amos's message was so compelling that the masses were bound to be swayed. If the king failed to silence him quickly, the entire nation would be convinced by the prophecies and unite in a massive revolt against the throne [אברבנאל].
Ultimately, King Jeroboam turned a deaf ear to these heavy accusations and refused to take any action against the prophet. Realizing his political maneuvering had failed, Amaziah was forced to change his strategy. Instead of relying on the king's sword, the priest would soon have to confront Amos directly, masking his threats as friendly advice to convince the prophet to flee the region [חומת אנך].