3:9 Make this announcement in 1 the fortresses of Ashdod
and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt.
Say this:
“Gather on the hills around Samaria! 2
Observe the many acts of violence 3 taking place within the city, 4
the oppressive deeds 5 occurring in it.” 6
5:12 Certainly 7 I am aware of 8 your many rebellious acts 9
and your numerous sins.
You 10 torment the innocent, you take bribes,
and you deny justice to 11 the needy at the city gate. 12
1 tn Heb “on” or “over” (also later in this verse).
2 sn Samaria might refer here both to the region and to the capital city (later known as Sebaste). On the other hand, there actually are hills that surround the mound upon which the city was built. The implication is that the nations can come and sit and see from those hills the sin of the capital city and its judgment.
3 tn The Hebrew noun carries the nuance of “panic” or “confusion.” Here it refers metonymically to the violent deeds that terrorize the oppressed.
4 tn Heb “in her midst” (so NAB, NASB); NIV “among her people.”
5 tn The translation assumes the form is an abstract plural (see Job 35:9; Eccl 4:1). Another option is to understand the form as a substantival passive participle and translate, “the oppressed” (so KJV).
6 tn Heb “within her.”
7 tn Or “for.”
8 tn Or “I know” (so most English versions).
9 tn Or “transgressions,” “sins.” See the note on the word “crimes” in 1:3 and on the phrase “covenant violations” in 2:4.
10 tn Heb “Those who.”
11 tn Heb “turn aside.” They “turn aside” the needy by denying them the justice they deserve at the city gate (where legal decisions were made, and therefore where justice should be done).
12 sn Legal disputes were resolved in the city gate, where the town elders met.