Amos 8:1-2 reads as follows:
One may ask what is the relationship between a basket of summer fruit and the promised judgment upon the people of Israel in their apostate state? However, when one reads the text in Hebrew, one can see there is a wordplay. The word translated as "summer fruit" is קַיִץ while the Hebrew word translated as "end" is קֵץ so there is a wordplay due to the similarity between the terms. That is why a vision of "summer fruit" ("figs" in other translations) and the promised judgment from God would be meaningful to Amos--it was rather puntastic in Hebrew. It also helps make sense of an unusual passage for those who don't read Hebrew (it is rather odd in English and other languages).
Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.
One may ask what is the relationship between a basket of summer fruit and the promised judgment upon the people of Israel in their apostate state? However, when one reads the text in Hebrew, one can see there is a wordplay. The word translated as "summer fruit" is קַיִץ while the Hebrew word translated as "end" is קֵץ so there is a wordplay due to the similarity between the terms. That is why a vision of "summer fruit" ("figs" in other translations) and the promised judgment from God would be meaningful to Amos--it was rather puntastic in Hebrew. It also helps make sense of an unusual passage for those who don't read Hebrew (it is rather odd in English and other languages).