C. The Lord Will Restore (9:11–15)
III. Visions of Judgment and Restoration (7:1–9:15)
A. The Lord Will Spare (7:1–6)
1. Vision of locusts (7:1–3) 2. Vision of fire (7:4–6) B. The Lord Will No Longer Spare (7:7–9:10)
1. Vision of the plumb line (7:7–9) 2. Historical interlude (7:10–17) 3. Vision of the fruit basket (8:1–14) 4. Vision of the altar (9:1–10) C. The Lord Will Restore (9:11–15)
Amos
AMOS 1 †The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds [1] of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years [2] before the earthquake.
Judgment on Israel's Neighbors
2†And he said: "The LORD roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds mourn,
and the top of Carmel withers."
3‡†Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, [3]
because they have threshed Gilead
with threshing sledges of iron. 4†So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. 5†I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven, [4] and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir," says the LORD.
6†Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom.
7‡So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds. 8I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron,
and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish," says the Lord GOD.
9†Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
10†So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds."
11†Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword
and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually,
and he kept his wrath forever. 12†So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah."
13†Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.
14†So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour her strongholds, with shouting on the day of battle,
with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind; 15and their king shall go into exile, he and his princes [5] together," says the LORD.
AMOS 2 †Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, [1]
because he burned to lime
the bones of the king of Edom. 2†So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet; 3†I will cut off the ruler
from its midst, and will kill all its princes [2] with him," says the LORD.
Judgment on Judah
4†Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes,
but their lies have led them astray,
those after which their fathers walked. 5†So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem."
Judgment on Israel
6‡Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals— 7†those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted;
a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is
profaned; 8†they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink
the wine of those who have been fined. 9†"Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above
and his roots beneath. 10Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you
forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. 11†And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?" declares the LORD. 12"But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, 'You shall not prophesy.' 13"Behold, I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down. 14‡Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life; 15he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life; 16and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day," declares the LORD.
Israel's Guilt and Punishment
AMOS 3 †Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: 2†"You only have I known of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish you
for all your iniquities. 3‡"Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? 4Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? 5Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? 6Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city,
unless the LORD has done it? 7†"For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. 8The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?" 9†Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst." 10"They do not know how to do right," declares the LORD, "those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds."
11†Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "An adversary shall surround the land and bring down [1] your defenses from you, and your strongholds shall be plundered."
12†Thus says the LORD: "As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part [2] of a bed.
13†"Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob," declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, 14†"that on the day I punish
Israel for his transgressions, I will punish the altars of Bethel,
and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. 15I will strike the winter house along with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses [3] shall come to an end," declares the LORD.
AMOS 4 †"Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of
Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands,
'Bring, that we may drink!' 2‡The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. 3And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon," declares the LORD. 4‡†"Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three days; 5†offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!" declares the Lord GOD.
Israel Has Not Returned to the LORD
6‡†"I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. 7"I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain,
and the field on which it did not rain would wither; 8so two or three
cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. 9"I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not
return to me," declares the LORD. 10"I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword,
and carried away your horses, [1]
and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you
did not return to me," declares the LORD. 11†"I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand [2] plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. 12†"Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" 13†For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth— the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!
Seek the LORD and Live
AMOS 5 ‡Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel: 2"Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel;
forsaken on her land,
with none to raise her up."
3†For thus says the Lord GOD: "The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left,
and that which went out a hundred
shall have ten left to the house of Israel."
4For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live;
5†but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
and Bethel shall come to nothing." 6†Seek the LORD and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, 7†O you who turn justice to wormwood [1] and cast down righteousness to the earth! 8†He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name; 9who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress. 10‡They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth. 11Therefore because you trample on [2] the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.
12For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins — you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate. 13Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time, for it is an evil time. 14Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. 15Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of
Joseph.
16‡Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord: "In all the squares there shall be wailing, and in all the streets they shall say, 'Alas! Alas!'
They shall call the farmers to mourning
and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation, 17and in all
vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through your midst," says the LORD.
Let Justice Roll Down
18‡Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light,
19as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent
bit him. 20Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? 21‡"I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. 23Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 24But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.
25‡"Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves, 27†and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts.
Woe to Those at Ease in Zion
AMOS 6 ‡"Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel
secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! 2Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms?
Or is their territory greater than your territory, 3O you who put far
away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? 4"Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, 5who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, 6†who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! 7Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away."
8†The Lord GOD has sworn by himself, declares the LORD, the God of hosts: "I abhor the pride of Jacob
and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it."
9‡And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. 10†And when one's relative, the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, "Is there still anyone with you?" he shall say, "No"; and he shall say, "Silence! We must not mention the name of the LORD."
11For behold, the LORD commands, and the great house shall be struck down into fragments, and the little house into bits. 12†Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there [1] with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison
and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood [2]— 13†you who rejoice
in Lo-debar, [3]
who say, "Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim [4] for ourselves?" 14†"For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel," declares the LORD, the God of hosts; "and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah."
Warning Visions
AMOS 7 ‡‡This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. 2When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said, "O Lord GOD, please forgive!
How can Jacob stand? He is so small!" 3†The LORD relented concerning this: "It shall not be," said the LORD.
4‡This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, the Lord GOD was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. 5Then I said, "O Lord GOD, please cease!
How can Jacob stand? He is so small!" 6The LORD relented concerning this: "This also shall not be," said the Lord
GOD.
7‡This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel;
I will never again pass by them; 9the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."
Amos Accused
10‡Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11†For thus Amos has said, "'Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile
away from his land.'"
12And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is
the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom."
14Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I was [1] no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' 16Now therefore hear the word of the LORD.
"You say, 'Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the
house of Isaac.'
17†Therefore thus says the LORD: "'Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land,
and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.'"
The Coming Day of Bitter Mourning
AMOS 8 †This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, a basket of summer fruit. 2And he said, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the LORD said to me, "The end [1] has come upon my people Israel; I will never again pass by them.
3The songs of the temple [2] shall become wailings [3] in that day," declares the Lord GOD. "So many dead bodies!" "They are thrown everywhere!" "Silence!" 4Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, 5†saying, "When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath,
that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel [4] great and deal
deceitfully with false balances, 6†that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?" 7†The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: "Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. 8†Shall not the land tremble on this account, and everyone mourn who dwells in it, and all of it rise like the Nile,
and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt?" 9†"And on that day," declares the Lord GOD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. 10†I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist
and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a
bitter day. 11‡"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.
12They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not
find it. 13"In that day the lovely virgins and the young men shall faint for thirst. 14†Those who swear by the Guilt of Samaria, and say, 'As your god lives, O Dan,' and, 'As the Way of Beersheba lives,'
they shall fall, and never rise again."
The Destruction of Israel
AMOS 9 †I saw the Lord standing beside [1] the altar, and he said: "Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; [2]
and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them
shall flee away; not one of them shall escape. 2‡"If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to heaven,
from there I will bring them down. 3†If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them; and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them. 4And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good." 5‡†The Lord GOD of hosts, he who touches the earth and it melts, and all who dwell in it mourn, and all of it rises like the Nile,
and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt; 6who builds his upper chambers in the heavens and founds his vault upon the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out upon the surface of the earth— the LORD is his
name. 7†"Are you not like the Cushites to me, O people of Israel?" declares the LORD. "Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from
Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir? 8Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," declares the LORD. 9†"For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve,
but no pebble shall fall to the earth. 10All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, 'Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.'
The Restoration of Israel
11‡†"In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches,
and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, 12that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name," [3] declares the LORD who does this. 13‡"Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall
drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. 14I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. 15†I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them," says the LORD your God.
Footnotes
Footnotes for Amos, Chapter 1
[1] 1:1 Or sheep breeders
[2] 1:1 Or during two years
[3] 1:3 Hebrew I will not turn it back; also verses 6, 9, 11, 13
[4] 1:5 Or On
[5] 1:15 Or officials
Footnotes for Amos, Chapter 2
[1] 2:1 Hebrew I will not turn it back; also verses 4, 6
[2] 2:3 Or officials
Footnotes for Amos, Chapter 3
[1] 3:11 Hebrew An adversary, one who surrounds the land—he shall bring
down
[2] 3:12 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [3] 3:15 Or and many
houses
Footnotes for Amos, Chapter 4
[1] 4:10 Hebrew along with the captivity of your horses
[2] 4:11 That is, a burning stick
Footnotes for Amos, Chapter 5
[1] 5:7 Or to bitter fruit
[2] 5:11 Or you tax
Footnotes for Amos, Chapter 6
[1] 6:12 Or the sea
[2] 6:12 Or into bitter fruit
[3] 6:13 Lo-debar means nothing
[4] 6:13 Karnaim means horns (a symbol of strength)
Footnotes for Amos, Chapter 7
[1] 7:14 Or am; twice in this verse
Footnotes for Amos, Chapter 8
[1] 8:2 The Hebrew words for end and summer fruit sound alike [2] 8:3 Or
palace
[3] 8:3 Or The singing women of the palace shall wail
[4] 8:5 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters; a shekel was about 2/5 ounce
or 11 grams
Footnotes for Amos, Chapter 9
[1] 9:1 Or on
[2] 9:1 Hebrew all of them
[3] 9:12 Hebrew; Septuagint (compare Acts 15:17) that the remnant of mankind
and all the nations who are called by my name may seek the Lord
Study Notes
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:1 the earthquake. Mentioned by Zechariah (Zech. 14:5), Josephus (Antiquities, 10:4) connects it with Uzziah's sin of usurping the role of a priest (2 Chron. 26:16–23). An earthquake of severe magnitude occurred c. 755 B.C.
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:2 roars. In Joel 3:16, the Lord "roars" against the nations; here his wrath was directed primarily toward Israel (cf. Jer. 25:30). Amos, a shepherd, courageously warned the flock of God's pasture that they were in imminent danger from a roaring lion who turned out to be the ultimate Shepherd of the flock (cf. Amos 3:8). Carmel. Known for its bountiful trees and lush gardens, "Carmel" means "fertility" or "garden land" and refers to the mountain range that runs east to west in northern Israel and juts out into the Mediterranean Sea (cf. 9:3).
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:3–2:3 Amos began with Israel's enemies, and thereby gained an initial hearing. When he turned to God's judgment on Israel, the leaders tried to silence him (cf. 7:10–17).
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:3 For three transgressions . . . for four. This rhetorical device is repeated in each of the eight messages, differing from a similar pattern used elsewhere. These are specific mathematical enumerations (e.g., Prov. 30:18, 21, 29), emphasizing that each nation was being visited for an incalculable number of infractions. With three, the cup of iniquity was full; with four it overflowed. This judgment was to fall on Syria, whose capital is Damascus. threshed Gilead. Large threshing sleds, when dragged over grain, would both thresh the grain and cut the straw. Gilead, located in the northeastern Golan Heights region of Israel, was vulnerable to Syria's cruel attacks (cf. 2 Kings 13:7; 18:12).
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:4 Ben-hadad. Apparently a throne name, meaning "son of (the god) Hadad." Ben-hadad II was a son of Syrian king Hazael (841–801 B.C.).
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:5 Valley of Aven. Meaning "valley of wickedness," it may refer to Baalbek, the center of sun worship, located north of Damascus. Betheden. "House of pleasure." It was located in eastern Syria across the Euphrates.
Kir. Apparently the original home of the Syrians. It was a region to which they were later exiled (2 Kings 16:9). Its exact location is unknown.
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:6 Gaza. Philistia's most prominent merchant city, ideally situated between Egypt and Israel, here used to refer to the Philistine nation. exile a whole people. Cf. Jer. 13:19. Possibly during the reign of Jehoram (2 Chron. 21:16–17; Joel 3:3), c. 853–841 B.C.
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:7–8 Four of the five major cities of Philistia. The fifth, Gath, was not mentioned because it had been destroyed earlier by Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:6).
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:9 covenant of brotherhood. A longstanding brotherly relationship existed between Phoenicia and Israel, beginning with King Hiram's assistance to David in building his house and Solomon in the building of the temple (2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Kings 5:1–12; 9:11–14), and later cemented through the marriage of Jezebel to Ahab (1 Kings 16:31). No king of Israel ever made war against Phoenicia, especially the two major cities, Tyre and Sidon.
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:10 Tyre. Alexander the Great conquered this stronghold c. 330 B.C. (cf. Ezek. 26:1–18).
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:11 pursued . . . cast off all pity. More than mere fighting, Edom pursued his brother, stifling any feelings of compassion. See notes on Obadiah for a more complete description of Edom's judgment.
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:12 Teman. The grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:11), after whom this town in northern Edom was named. Bozrah. A fortress city of northern Edom, about 35 miles north of Petra.
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:13 Ammonites. Descendants of Ben-ammi, the son of Lot and his younger daughter (Gen. 19:34–38). ripped open pregnant women. Such inhumane treatment in wartime was not an uncommon practice (cf. 2 Kings 8:12; 15:16; Hos. 13:16).
AMOS—NOTE ON 1:14 Rabbah. Situated east of the Jordan River, this was the capital city.
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:1 Moab. Descendants of Lot and his elder daughter (Gen. 19:37). burned . . . the bones. This event, where vengeance didn't stop at death,
is not recorded elsewhere in Scripture.
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:2 Kerioth. An important Moabite city, either as a capital or center of worship.
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:3 ruler. Possibly denoting the king, who was often so designated (2 Kings 15:5; Dan. 9:12).
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:4 Judah. With the judgments against the nations finished, the prophet proceeded to address Judah, moving ever closer to his ultimate target of Israel. rejected the law of the Lord. The nations were judged because they had sinned against the law of God, which was written in the heart and conscience (cf. Rom. 2:14–15). Judah and Israel were judged because they sinned against God's revealed, written law.
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:5 fire upon Judah. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar fulfilled this judgment, c. 605–586 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 24–25).
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:6–7 Greed, so all-consuming that for insignificant debts they would sell another into slavery (cf. Matt. 18:23–35), was accompanied by uncontained sexual passion. Care for the poor is a prominent OT theme (e.g., Prov. 14:31; 17:5) and sexual purity is mandated repeatedly. Violations of both are an affront to God's holy name.
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:7 go in to the same girl. In the context of oppressing the helpless, the reference was probably to a slave girl (cf. Ex. 21:7–11).
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:8 garments taken in pledge. Outer garments used to secure a loan were to be returned before sunset (Ex. 22:25–27; Deut. 24:12–13); instead, they used them to engage in idolatrous acts.
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:9 Amorite. The pre-conquest inhabitants of Canaan, whom God defeated for the Jews (cf. Josh. 10:12–15). Their giant stature was said to make the spies look like grasshoppers (Num. 13:32–33).
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:11 Nazirites. See Num. 6:1–21.
AMOS—NOTE ON 2:14–16 Neither personal strength nor military armament was sufficient to prevent the Lord's hand of judgment by the Assyrians c. 722 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 17).
AMOS—NOTE ON 3:1 the whole family. The primary recipient of these messages was Israel; Judah was not excluded.
AMOS—NOTE ON 3:2 You only have I known. God's sovereign choice of Israel did not exempt her from punishment for disobedience.
AMOS—NOTE ON 3:3–8 The Lord posed a series of questions to show that, as some things are certain in nature, surely nothing happens in Israel that is outside his sovereignty. Certain actions have certain results! The Lord had spoken a word, and therefore the prophet was to speak, and the people were to listen with trembling. Instead, they tried to silence the prophet (cf. 2:12; 7:12–13).
AMOS—NOTE ON 3:7 Judgment is coming, but the Lord graciously warned the nation in advance through his prophets (e.g., Noah, Gen. 6; Abraham, Gen. 18).
AMOS—NOTE ON 3:9 The heathen nations, such as the Philistines and Egyptians, were rhetorically summoned to witness God's judgment. If they condemn Israel, how much more will a righteous God?
AMOS—NOTE ON 3:11 An adversary. The Assyrians who captured and deported Israel in 722 B.C.
AMOS—NOTE ON 3:12 The Lord gives a vivid description of the small remnant left in Israel after the Assyrian invasion.
AMOS—NOTE ON 3:13 Hear, and testify. As in v. 9, the heathen nations were once again called upon to witness and testify.
AMOS—NOTE ON 3:14 Bethel. The principal place of idol worship in Israel (cf. 1 Kings 12:25–33).
AMOS—NOTE ON 4:1 cows of Bashan. A description of the women of Samaria who lived luxurious lives (cf. Isa. 3:16–26; 32:9–13; Jer. 4:30). Bashan was a fertile region below Mount Hermon east of the Jordan River known for its lush pastures. Under Jeroboam II, Israel was enjoying great prosperity.
AMOS—NOTE ON 4:2–3 through the breaches . . . into Harmon. Captives will be led out of the city through breaches in the walls, depicting massive overthrow. The location of Harmon is unknown.
AMOS—NOTE ON 4:4–5 With poignant sarcasm, Amos indicted Israel for idolatrous sacrifices and ritualistic religion.
AMOS—NOTE ON 4:4 Bethel . . . Gilgal. Bethel, the place of Jacob's dream (Gen. 28), and Gilgal, where Israel was circumcised before surrounding Jericho (Josh. 5:1–9), were sacred to Israel.
AMOS—NOTE ON 4:5 sacrifice . . . leavened. Though prohibited from most offerings, leaven was required as a part of the thank offering (Lev. 7:11–15).
AMOS—NOTE ON 4:6–11 Past warnings were futile, a fact repeatedly emphasized by "yet you did not return to me" (vv. 6, 8–11).
AMOS—NOTE ON 4:6 cleanness of teeth. Amos employed this euphemism to depict the absence of food during famine and drought sent by God to warn Israel, which he described in vv. 6–9 (cf. Deut. 28:22–24, 47–48; Lev. 26:18).
AMOS—NOTE ON 4:11 brand plucked out of the burning. Only because of God's mercy was Israel saved from extinction (cf. Zech. 3:2; Jude 23).
AMOS—NOTE ON 4:12 prepare to meet your God. The general concept was first used of Israel's preparation to receive the covenant at Sinai (Ex. 19:11, 15); here she was implored to prepare for his judgment.
AMOS—NOTE ON 4:13 This is the God whom they were to be prepared to face. He is the Lord God Almighty.
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:1–2 A funeral dirge was taken up for Israel, likened to a young woman who had died.
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:3 Many were to be killed in battle or taken captive; only a handful would return (cf. 3:12; Isa. 6:11–13).
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:5 Bethel . . . Gilgal. See note on 4:4. Beersheba. Located in southern Judah, 50 miles southwest of Jerusalem, Beersheba had a rich Israelite history (cf. Gen. 21:33; 26:23; 1 Sam. 8:1–3; 1 Kings 19:3–7). Apparently, people from the north crossed over the border to worship there (cf. Amos 8:14).
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:6 house of Joseph. Refers to the northern kingdom, since Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph, were two of its largest tribes.
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:7 justice to wormwood. Justice was so perverted that it was like wormwood, an herb known for its bitter taste (cf. Rev. 8:11).
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:8 Pleiades and Orion. Pleiades, part of the constellation Taurus, and Orion depict God's creative power and wisdom (cf. Job 9:9; 38:31– 35). Israel was guilty of worshiping the stars (cf. Amos 5:26) instead of their Creator.
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:10–13 The fabric of justice had been destroyed, causing pervasive corruption "in the gate," the place where justice was administered (cf. v. 15; Deut. 21:19; Josh. 20:4).
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:16–17 Looking back at the accusations made earlier, Amos pictured the people mourning as the Lord passed through their midst, executing his sentence of judgment (cf. Ex. 11:3ff.).
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:18–20 Even the wicked wanted the day of the Lord to come, mistakenly thinking that it would bring victory instead of judgment (cf. Zeph. 1:14–18).
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:21–24 When performed with a corrupt heart, even the savored festivals and offerings were despised by the Lord (cf. Lev. 26:27, 31; Ps. 51:16– 17, 19).
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:25–26 In addition to worshiping the Lord in the wilderness, Israel also worshiped other gods, carrying along "Sikkuth (or 'tabernacle') your king (or 'Molech') and Kiyyun, your star-god." Molech worship included the astrological worship of Saturn and the host of heaven and the actual sacrificing of children (2 Kings 17:16–17). Warned against Molech worship (Deut. 18:9– 13), Israel nevertheless pursued all facets of it, continuing with Solomon (1 Kings 11:7) and his descendants (1 Kings 12:28; 2 Kings 17:16–17; Jer. 32:35) until Josiah (2 Kings 23:10). Stephen recited Amos 5:25–27 when he recounted the sins of Israel in Acts 7:42–43.
AMOS—NOTE ON 5:27 Assyria conquered Damascus in 732 B.C., then overtook Israel in 722 B.C.
AMOS—NOTE ON 6:1–2 The two capitals of Judah and Israel, Zion and Samaria, were invited to look around. If Calneh (possibly the Calno of Isa. 10:9) and Hamath (Syria) and Gath (Philistia) could not put off judgment, how could they?
AMOS—NOTE ON 6:6 drink wine in bowls. These large bowls, usually used for sacrificial purposes, here typify the excesses of their lifestyle.
AMOS—NOTE ON 6:8 sworn by himself. Cf. Gen. 22:16 and Heb. 6:13–14.
AMOS—NOTE ON 6:9–10 The judgment was so comprehensive that even small remnants were sought out and killed.
AMOS—NOTE ON 6:10 one who anoints him for burial. Lit., "one who burns him." This could refer to cremation, demanded by the excessive number killed and because of fear of epidemics. With rare exceptions (cf. 1 Sam. 31:12), corpses were buried in ancient Israel. We must not mention the name of the Lord. Previously welcomed as a friend, the Lord came in judgment as a foe; survivors would not want to invoke his name out of fear.
AMOS—NOTE ON 6:12 Israel's exercise of justice was as absurd as running horses on rocks or plowing rocks with oxen.
AMOS—NOTE ON 6:13 Lo-debar . . . Karnaim. These were, apparently, two Syrian sites captured by Jeroboam II (cf. 2 Kings 14:25). "Lo-debar" means "nothing" and sarcastically points out that Israel's "great" gain will amount to nothing. "Karnaim" means "horns" which symbolizes the strength of an animal. Israel foolishly believed they had conquered in their own strength.
AMOS—NOTE ON 6:14 a nation. Assyria in 722 B.C. from Lebo-hamath . . . Brook of the Arabah. These represent the northern and southern perimeters of the kingdom as reestablished by Jeroboam II (cf. 2 Kings 14:25).
AMOS—NOTE ON 7:1–9:10 Amos introduced five visions, with a historical interlude (7:10–17). The first two depict the Lord's commitment to spare a remnant, while the last three announce the inevitability of judgment.
AMOS—NOTE ON 7:1–3 The first vision, symbolizing God's action, saw a swarm of locusts devouring the people's portion of the later cuttings, after the king had taken the first cutting (cf. Joel 1:2–12).
AMOS—NOTE ON 7:3 The Lord relented. Much as he did at Abraham's pleading over Sodom in Gen. 18:22–23.
AMOS—NOTE ON 7:4–6 Under the figure of fire, the second vision concerns a