Amos 1:1

Introduction

1:1 The following is a record of what Amos prophesied. ¹  He ²  was one of the herdsmen from Tekoa. These prophecies about Israel were revealed to him ³  during the time of ⁴  King Uzziah of Judah and ⁵  King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake. ⁶ 

Amos 1:8-9

1:8 I will remove ⁷  the ruler ⁸  from Ashdod, ⁹ 

the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. ¹⁰ 

I will strike Ekron ¹¹  with my hand; ¹² 

the rest of the Philistines will also die.” ¹³ 

The sovereign Lord has spoken!

1:9 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Tyre has committed three crimes ¹⁴  –

make that four! ¹⁵  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ¹⁶ 

They sold ¹⁷  a whole community ¹⁸  to Edom;

they failed to observe ¹⁹  a treaty of brotherhood. ²⁰ 

Amos 1:11

1:11 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Edom has committed three crimes ²¹  –

make that four! ²²  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ²³ 

He chased his brother ²⁴  with a sword;

he wiped out his allies. ²⁵ 

In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; ²⁶ 

in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. ²⁷ 

Amos 1:13

1:13 This is what the Lord says:

“Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes ²⁸  –

make that four! ²⁹  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ³⁰ 

They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women ³¹ 

so they could expand their territory.

Amos 4:13

4:13 For here he is!

He ³²  formed the mountains and created the wind.

He reveals ³³  his plans ³⁴  to men.

He turns the dawn into darkness ³⁵ 

and marches on the heights of the earth.

The Lord, the God who commands armies, ³⁶  is his name!”

Amos 6:8

6:8 The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his very own life. ³⁷ 

The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking:

“I despise Jacob’s arrogance;

I hate their ³⁸  fortresses.

I will hand over to their enemies ³⁹  the city of Samaria ⁴⁰  and everything in it.”

Amos 7:8

7:8 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” I said, “Tin.” The sovereign One then said,

“Look, I am about to place tin among my people Israel.

I will no longer overlook their sin. ⁴¹ 

Amos 7:10

Amos Confronts a Priest

7:10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel ⁴²  sent this message ⁴³  to King Jeroboam of Israel: “Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of the kingdom of Israel! ⁴⁴  The land cannot endure all his prophecies. ⁴⁵ 

Amos 7:17

7:17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets ⁴⁶ 

and your sons and daughters will die violently. ⁴⁷ 

Your land will be given to others ⁴⁸ 

and you will die in a foreign ⁴⁹  land.

Israel will certainly be carried into exile ⁵⁰  away from its land.’”

Amos 8:2

8:2 He said, “What do you see, Amos?” I replied, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end ⁵¹  has come for my people Israel! I will no longer overlook their sins. ⁵² 

Amos 8:5

8:5 You say,

“When will the new moon festival ⁵³  be over, ⁵⁴  so we can sell grain?

When will the Sabbath end, ⁵⁵  so we can open up the grain bins? ⁵⁶ 

We’re eager ⁵⁷  to sell less for a higher price, ⁵⁸ 

and to cheat the buyer with rigged scales! ⁵⁹ 

Amos 8:11

8:11 Be certain of this, ⁶⁰  the time is ⁶¹  coming,” says the sovereign Lord,

“when I will send a famine through the land –

not a shortage of food or water

but an end to divine revelation! ⁶² 

Amos 9:7

9:7 “You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight,” ⁶³  says the Lord.

“Certainly I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt,

but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor ⁶⁴  and the Arameans from Kir. ⁶⁵ 

Amos 9:13

9:13 “Be sure of this, ⁶⁶  the time is ⁶⁷  coming,” says the Lord,

“when the plowman will catch up to the reaper ⁶⁸ 

and the one who stomps the grapes ⁶⁹  will overtake ⁷⁰  the planter. ⁷¹ 

Juice will run down the slopes, ⁷² 

it will flow down all the hillsides. ⁷³ 

[1:1]  ¹ tn Heb “The words of Amos.” Among the prophetic books this opening phrase finds a parallel only at Jer 1:1 but is not that uncommon in other genres (note, e.g., Prov 30:1; 31:1; Eccl 1:1; Neh 1:1).

[1:1]  ² tn Heb “who.” Here a new sentence has been started in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:1]  ³ tn Heb “which he saw concerning Israel.”

[1:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “in the days of.”

[1:1]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text repeats, “and in the days of.” This phrase has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:1]  ⁶ sn This refers to a well-known earthquake that occurred during the first half of the 8th century b.c. According to a generally accepted dating system, Uzziah was a co-regent with his father Amaziah from 792-767 b.c. and ruled independently from 767-740 b.c. Jeroboam II was a co-regent with his father Joash from 793-782 b.c. and ruled independently from 782-753 b.c. Since only Uzziah and Jeroboam are mentioned in the introduction it is likely that Amos’ mission to Israel and the earthquake which followed occurred between 767-753 b.c. The introduction validates the genuine character of Amos’ prophetic ministry in at least two ways: (1) Amos was not a native Israelite or a prophet by trade. Rather he was a herdsman in Tekoa, located in Judah. His mere presence in the northern kingdom as a prophet was evidence that he had been called by God (see 7:14-15). (2) The mighty earthquake shortly after Amos’ ministry would have been interpreted as an omen or signal of approaching judgment. The clearest references to an earthquake are 1:1 and 9:1, 5. It is possible that the verb הָפַךְ (hafakh, “overturn”) at 3:13-15, 4:11, 6:11, and 8:8 also refers to an earthquake, as might the descriptions at 2:13 and 6:9-10. Evidence of a powerful earthquake has been correlated with a destruction layer at Hazor and other sites. Its lasting impact is evident by its mention in Zech 14:5 and 2 Chr 26:16-21. Earthquake imagery appears in later prophets as well (cf. D. N. Freedman and A. Welch, “Amos’s Earthquake and Israelite Prophecy,” Scripture and Other Artifacts, 188-98). On the other hand, some of these verses in Amos could allude to the devastation that would be caused by the imminent military invasion.

[1:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “cut off.”

[1:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “the one who sits.” Some translations take this expression as a collective singular referring to the inhabitants rather than the ruler (e.g., NAB, NRSV, NLT).

[1:8]  ⁹ sn Ashdod was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).

[1:8]  ¹⁰ sn Ashkelon was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).

[1:8]  ¹¹ sn Ekron was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Gath).

[1:8]  ¹² tn Heb “I will turn my hand against Ekron.” For other uses of the idiom, “turn the hand against,” see Ps 81:14; Isa 1:25; Jer 6:9; Zech 13:7.

[1:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “and the remnant of the Philistines will perish.” The translation above assumes that reference is made to other Philistines beside those living in the cities mentioned. Another option is to translate, “Every last Philistine will die.”

[1:9]  ¹⁴ tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.

[1:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Because of three violations of Tyre, even because of four.”

[1:9]  sn On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3.

[1:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.

[1:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “handed over.”

[1:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “[group of] exiles.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 6.

[1:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “did not remember.”

[1:9]  ²⁰ sn A treaty of brotherhood. In the ancient Near Eastern world familial terms were sometimes used to describe treaty partners. In a treaty between superior and inferior parties, the lord would be called “father” and the subject “son.” The partners in a treaty between equals referred to themselves as “brothers.” For biblical examples, see 1 Kgs 9:13; 20:32-33.

[1:11]  ²¹ tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.

[1:11]  ²² tn Heb “Because of three violations of Edom, even because of four.”

[1:11]  sn On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3.

[1:11]  ²³ tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.

[1:11]  ²⁴ sn It is likely that “brother” refers here to a treaty partner (see the note on the word “brotherhood” in 1:9). However, it is possible, if Israel is in view, that Edom’s ancient blood relationship to God’s people is alluded to here. Cf. NCV, NLT “their relatives, the Israelites.”

[1:11]  ²⁵ tn Or “He stifled his compassion.” The Hebrew term רָחֲמָיו (rakhamayv) is better understood here (parallel to “brother/treaty partner”) as a reference to “allies” which Edom betrayed. An Aramaic cognate is attested (see DNWSI 2:1069-70). See M. Fishbane, “The Treaty Background of Amos 1:11 and Related Matters,” JBL 89 (1970): 313-18; idem, “Critical Note: Additional Remarks on rh£myw (Amos 1:11),” JBL 91 (1972): 391-93; and M. Barré, “Amos 1:11 reconsidered,” CBQ 47 (1985) 420-27. Some argue that the clause is best translated as “and destroyed his womenfolk.” רַחַם (rakham) means “womb”; the plural here would be a metonymy for “women” and could establish a parallel with the atrocity of 1:13. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 64-65.

[1:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “his anger tore continually.” The Hebrew verb טָרַף (taraf, “tear apart”) is often used of an animal tearing apart its prey. The word picture here is that of a vicious predator’s feeding frenzy.

[1:11]  ²⁷ tn Traditionally, “he kept his fury continually.” The Hebrew term שְׁמָרָה (shÿmarah) could be taken as a Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix (with mappiq omitted), “he kept it” (NASB, NKJV, NRSV). It is also possible in light of the parallelism that שָׁמַר (shamar) is a rare homonym cognate to an Akkadian verb meaning “to rage; to be furious.” Repointing the verb as שָׁמְרָה (shamÿrah, third person feminine singular), one could translate literally, “his fury raged continually” (NIV, NJPS).

[1:13]  ²⁸ tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.

[1:13]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Because of three violations of the Ammonites, even because of four.”
On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3.

[1:13]  ³⁰ tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.

[1:13]  ³¹ sn The Ammonites ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women in conjunction with a military invasion designed to expand their territory. Such atrocities, although repugnant, were not uncommon in ancient Near Eastern warfare.

[4:13]  ³² tn Heb “For look, the one who.” This verse is considered to be the first hymnic passage in the book. The others appear at 5:8-9 and 9:5-6. Scholars debate whether these verses were originally part of a single hymn or three distinct pieces deliberately placed in each context for particular effect.

[4:13]  ³³ tn Or “declares” (NAB, NASB).

[4:13]  ³⁴ tn Or “his thoughts.” The translation assumes that the pronominal suffix refers to God and that divine self-revelation is in view (see 3:7). If the suffix refers to the following term אָדַם (’adam, “men”), then the expression refers to God’s ability to read men’s minds.

[4:13]  ³⁵ tn Heb “he who makes dawn, darkness.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation assumes that allusion is made to God’s approaching judgment, when the light of day will be turned to darkness (see 5:20). Other options include: (1) “He makes the dawn [and] the darkness.” A few Hebrew mss, as well as the LXX, add the conjunction (“and”) between the two nouns. (2) “He turns darkness into glimmering dawn” (NJPS). See S. M. Paul (Amos [Hermeneia], 154), who takes שָׁחַר (shakhar) as “blackness” rather than “dawn” and עֵיפָה (’efah) as “glimmering dawn” rather than “darkness.”

[4:13]  ³⁶ tn Traditionally, “God of hosts.”

[6:8]  ³⁷ tn Heb “swears by his life”; or “swears by himself.”

[6:8]  ³⁸ tn Heb “his,” referring to Jacob, which stands here for the nation of Israel.

[6:8]  ³⁹ tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[6:8]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “the city”; this probably refers to the city of Samaria (cf. 6:1), which in turn, by metonymy, represents the entire northern kingdom.

[7:8]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “And I will no longer pass over him.”

[7:10]  ⁴² map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[7:10]  ⁴³ tn The direct object of the verb translated “sent” is elided in the Hebrew text. The words “this message” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[7:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “in the middle of the house of Israel.”

[7:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “words.”

[7:17]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “in the city,” that is, “in public.”

[7:17]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “will fall by the sword.”

[7:17]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “will be divided up with a [surveyor’s] measuring line.”

[7:17]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “[an] unclean”; or “[an] impure.” This fate would be especially humiliating for a priest, who was to distinguish between the ritually clean and unclean (see Lev 10:10).

[7:17]  ⁵⁰ tn See the note on the word “exile” in 5:5.

[8:2]  ⁵¹ tn There is a wordplay here. The Hebrew word קֵץ (qets, “end”) sounds like קָיִץ (qayits, “summer fruit”). The summer fruit arrived toward the end of Israel’s agricultural year; Israel’s national existence was similarly at an end.

[8:2]  ⁵² tn Heb “I will no longer pass over him.”

[8:5]  ⁵³ sn Apparently work was prohibited during the new moon festival, just as it was on the Sabbath.

[8:5]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “pass by.”

[8:5]  ⁵⁵ tn The verb, though omitted in the Hebrew text, is supplied in the translation from the parallel line.

[8:5]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “sell grain.” Here “grain” could stand by metonymy for the bins where it was stored.

[8:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Here and in v. 6 the words “we’re eager” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “to make small the ephah and to make great the shekel.” The “ephah” was a unit of dry measure used to determine the quantity purchased, while the “shekel” was a standard weight used to determine the purchase price. By using a smaller than standard ephah and a heavier than standard shekel, these merchants were able to increase their profit (“sell less for a higher price”) by cheating the buyer.

[8:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “and to cheat with deceptive scales”; NASB, NIV “dishonest scales”; NRSV “false balances.”

[8:5]  sn Rigged scales may refer to bending the crossbar or shifting the center point of the scales to make the amount weighed appear heavier than it actually was, thus cheating the buyer.

[8:11]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “behold” or “look.”

[8:11]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “the days are.”

[8:11]  ⁶² tn Heb “not a hunger for food or a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the Lord.”

[9:7]  ⁶³ tn The Hebrew text has a rhetorical question, “Are you children of Israel not like the Cushites to me?” The rhetorical question has been converted to an affirmative statement in the translation for clarity. See the comment at 8:8.

[9:7]  sn Though Israel was God’s special covenant people (see 3:2a), the Lord emphasizes they are not inherently superior to the other nations subject to his sovereign rule.

[9:7]  ⁶⁴ sn Caphtor may refer to the island of Crete.

[9:7]  ⁶⁵ tn The second half of v. 7 is also phrased as a rhetorical question in the Hebrew text, “Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and Aram from Kir?” The translation converts the rhetorical question into an affirmation for clarity.

[9:13]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “behold” or “look.”

[9:13]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “the days are.”

[9:13]  ⁶⁸ sn The plowman will catch up to the reaper. Plowing occurred in October-November, and harvesting in April-May (see P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 109.) But in the future age of restored divine blessing, there will be so many crops the reapers will take all summer to harvest them, and it will be time for plowing again before the harvest is finished.

[9:13]  ⁶⁹ sn When the grapes had been harvested, they were placed in a press where workers would stomp on them with their feet and squeeze out the juice. For a discussion of grape harvesting technique, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 110-12.

[9:13]  ⁷⁰ tn The verb is omitted here in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation from the parallel line.

[9:13]  ⁷¹ sn The grape harvest occurred in August-September, planting in November-December (see P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 109). But in the future age described here there will be so many grapes the workers who stomp them will still be working when the next planting season arrives.

[9:13]  ⁷² tn Or “hills,” where the vineyards were planted.

[9:13]  ⁷³ tn Heb “and all the hills will melt.”