Amos 2:6--6:14
Konteks2:6 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions 1 –
make that four! 2 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 3
They sold the innocent 4 for silver,
the needy for a pair of sandals. 5
2:7 They trample 6 on the dirt-covered heads of the poor; 7
they push the destitute away. 8
A man and his father go to the same girl; 9
in this way they show disrespect 10 for my moral purity. 11
2:8 They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral;
they do so right 12 beside every altar!
They drink wine bought with the fines they have levied;
they do so right in the temple 13 of their God! 14
2:9 For Israel’s sake I destroyed the Amorites. 15
They were as tall as cedars 16
and as strong as oaks,
but I destroyed the fruit on their branches 17
and their roots in the ground. 18
2:10 I brought you up from the land of Egypt;
I led you through the wilderness for forty years
so you could take the Amorites’ land as your own.
2:11 I made some of your sons prophets
and some of your young men Nazirites. 19
Is this not true, you Israelites?”
The Lord is speaking!
2:12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine; 20
you commanded the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy!’
2:13 Look! I will press you down,
like a cart loaded down with grain presses down. 21
2:14 Fast runners will find no place to hide; 22
strong men will have no strength left; 23
warriors will not be able to save their lives.
2:15 Archers 24 will not hold their ground; 25
fast runners will not save their lives,
nor will those who ride horses. 26
2:16 Bravehearted 27 warriors will run away naked in that day.”
The Lord is speaking!
3:1 Listen, you Israelites, to this message which the Lord is proclaiming against 28 you! This message is for the entire clan I brought up 29 from the land of Egypt: 3:2 “I have chosen 30 you alone from all the clans of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all your sins.”
3:3 Do two walk together without having met? 31
3:4 Does a lion roar in the woods if he has not cornered his prey? 32
Does a young lion bellow from his den if he has not caught something?
3:5 Does a bird swoop down into a trap on the ground if there is no bait?
Does a trap spring up from the ground unless it has surely caught something?
3:6 If an alarm sounds 33 in a city, do people not fear? 34
If disaster overtakes a 35 city, is the Lord not responsible? 36
3:7 Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
3:8 A lion has roared! 37 Who is not afraid?
The sovereign Lord has spoken! Who can refuse to prophesy? 38
3:9 Make this announcement in 39 the fortresses of Ashdod
and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt.
Say this:
“Gather on the hills around Samaria! 40
Observe the many acts of violence 41 taking place within the city, 42
the oppressive deeds 43 occurring in it.” 44
3:10 “They do not know how to do what is right.” (The Lord is speaking.)
“They store up 45 the spoils of destructive violence 46 in their fortresses.
3:11 Therefore,” says the sovereign Lord, “an enemy will encircle the land. 47
He will take away your power; 48
your fortresses will be looted.”
3:12 This is what the Lord says:
“Just as a shepherd salvages from the lion’s mouth a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear,
so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged. 49
They will be left with just a corner of a bed, 50
and a part 51 of a couch.”
3:13 Listen and warn 52 the family 53 of Jacob! 54
The sovereign Lord, the God who commands armies, 55 is speaking!
3:14 “Certainly when 56 I punish Israel for their 57 covenant transgressions, 58
I will destroy 59 Bethel’s 60 altars.
The horns 61 of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.
3:15 I will destroy both the winter and summer houses. 62
The houses filled with ivory 63 will be ruined,
the great 64 houses will be swept away.” 65
The Lord is speaking!
4:1 Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan 66 who live on Mount Samaria!
You 67 oppress the poor;
you crush the needy.
You say to your 68 husbands,
“Bring us more to drink!” 69
4:2 The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his own holy character: 70
“Certainly the time is approaching 71
when you will be carried away 72 in baskets, 73
every last one of you 74 in fishermen’s pots. 75
4:3 Each of you will go straight through the gaps in the walls; 76
you will be thrown out 77 toward Harmon.” 78
The Lord is speaking!
4:4 “Go to Bethel 79 and rebel! 80
At Gilgal 81 rebel some more!
Bring your sacrifices in 82 the morning,
your tithes on 83 the third day!
4:5 Burn a thank offering of bread made with yeast! 84
Make a public display of your voluntary offerings! 85
For you love to do this, you Israelites.”
The sovereign Lord is speaking!
4:6 “But surely I gave 86 you no food to eat in any of your cities;
you lacked food everywhere you live. 87
Still you did not come back to me.”
The Lord is speaking!
4:7 “I withheld rain from you three months before the harvest. 88
I gave rain to one city, but not to another.
One field 89 would get rain, but the field that received no rain dried up.
4:8 People from 90 two or three cities staggered into one city to get 91 water,
but remained thirsty. 92
Still you did not come back to me.”
The Lord is speaking!
4:9 “I destroyed your crops 93 with blight and disease.
Locusts kept 94 devouring your orchards, 95 vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees.
Still you did not come back to me.”
The Lord is speaking!
4:10 “I sent against you a plague like one of the Egyptian plagues. 96
I killed your young men with the sword,
along with the horses you had captured.
I made the stench from the corpses 97 rise up into your nostrils.
Still you did not come back to me.”
The Lord is speaking!
4:11 “I overthrew some of you the way God 98 overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 99
You were like a burning stick 100 snatched from the flames.
Still you did not come back to me.”
The Lord is speaking!
4:12 “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel.
Because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, Israel! 101
4:13 For here he is!
He 102 formed the mountains and created the wind.
He reveals 103 his plans 104 to men.
He turns the dawn into darkness 105
and marches on the heights of the earth.
The Lord, the God who commands armies, 106 is his name!”
5:1 Listen to this funeral song I am ready to sing about you, 107 family 108 of Israel:
5:2 “The virgin 109 Israel has fallen down and will not get up again.
She is abandoned on her own land
with no one to help her get up.” 110
5:3 The sovereign Lord says this:
“The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers 111 will have only a hundred left;
the town 112 that marches out with a hundred soldiers 113 will have only ten left for the family of Israel.” 114
5:4 The Lord says this to the family 115 of Israel:
“Seek me 116 so you can live!
Do not visit Gilgal!
Do not journey down 118 to Beer Sheba!
For the people of Gilgal 119 will certainly be carried into exile; 120
and Bethel will become a place where disaster abounds.” 121
5:6 Seek the Lord so you can live!
Otherwise he will break out 122 like fire against Joseph’s 123 family; 124
the fire 125 will consume
and no one will be able to quench it and save Bethel. 126
5:7 The Israelites 127 turn justice into bitterness; 128
they throw what is fair and right 129 to the ground. 130
5:8 (But there is one who made the constellations Pleiades and Orion;
he can turn the darkness into morning
and daylight 131 into night.
He summons the water of the seas
and pours it out on the earth’s surface.
The Lord is his name!
5:9 He flashes 132 destruction down upon the strong
so that destruction overwhelms 133 the fortified places.)
5:10 The Israelites 134 hate anyone who arbitrates at the city gate; 135
they despise anyone who speaks honestly.
5:11 Therefore, because you make the poor pay taxes on their crops 136
and exact a grain tax from them,
you will not live in the houses you built with chiseled stone,
nor will you drink the wine from the fine 137 vineyards you planted. 138
5:12 Certainly 139 I am aware of 140 your many rebellious acts 141
and your numerous sins.
You 142 torment the innocent, you take bribes,
and you deny justice to 143 the needy at the city gate. 144
5:13 For this reason whoever is smart 145 keeps quiet 146 in such a time,
for it is an evil 147 time.
5:14 Seek good and not evil so you can live!
Then the Lord, the God who commands armies, just might be with you,
as you claim he is.
5:15 Hate what is wrong, love what is right!
Promote 148 justice at the city gate! 149
Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on 150 those who are left from 151 Joseph. 152
5:16 Because of Israel’s sins 153 this is what the Lord, the God who commands armies, the sovereign One, 154 says:
“In all the squares there will be wailing,
in all the streets they will mourn the dead. 155
They will tell the field workers 156 to lament
and the professional mourners 157 to wail.
5:17 In all the vineyards there will be wailing,
for I will pass through 158 your midst,” says the Lord.
5:18 Woe 159 to those who wish for the day of the Lord!
Why do you want the Lord’s day of judgment to come?
It will bring darkness, not light.
5:19 Disaster will be inescapable, 160
as if a man ran from a lion only to meet a bear,
then escaped 161 into a house,
leaned his hand against the wall,
and was bitten by a poisonous snake.
5:20 Don’t you realize the Lord’s day of judgment will bring 162 darkness, not light –
gloomy blackness, not bright light?
5:21 “I absolutely despise 163 your festivals!
I get no pleasure 164 from your religious assemblies!
5:22 Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, 165 I will not be satisfied;
I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. 166
5:23 Take away from me your 167 noisy songs;
I don’t want to hear the music of your stringed instruments. 168
5:24 Justice must flow like torrents of water,
righteous actions 169 like a stream that never dries up.
5:25 You did not bring me 170 sacrifices and grain offerings during the forty years you spent in the wilderness, family 171 of Israel.
5:26 You will pick up your images 172 of Sikkuth, 173 your king, 174
and Kiyyun, 175 your star god, which you made for yourselves,
5:27 and I will drive you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord.
He is called the God who commands armies!
6:1 Woe 176 to those who live in ease in Zion, 177
to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.
They think of themselves as 178 the elite class of the best nation.
The family 179 of Israel looks to them for leadership. 180
6:2 They say to the people: 181
“Journey over to Calneh and look at it!
Then go from there to Hamath-Rabbah! 182
Then go down to Gath of the Philistines!
Are they superior to our two 183 kingdoms?
Is their territory larger than yours?” 184
6:3 You refuse to believe a day of disaster will come, 185
but you establish a reign of violence. 186
6:4 They lie around on beds decorated with ivory, 187
and sprawl out on their couches.
They eat lambs from the flock,
and calves from the middle of the pen.
6:5 They sing 188 to the tune of 189 stringed instruments; 190
like David they invent 191 musical instruments.
6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, 192
and pour the very best oils on themselves. 193
Yet they are not concerned over 194 the ruin 195 of Joseph.
6:7 Therefore they will now be the first to go into exile, 196
and the religious banquets 197 where they sprawl on couches 198 will end.
6:8 The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his very own life. 199
The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking:
“I despise Jacob’s arrogance;
I hate their 200 fortresses.
I will hand over to their enemies 201 the city of Samaria 202 and everything in it.”
6:9 If ten men are left in one house, they too will die. 6:10 When their close relatives, the ones who will burn the corpses, 203 pick up their bodies to remove the bones from the house, they will say to anyone who is in the inner rooms of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” He will respond, “Be quiet! Don’t invoke the Lord’s name!” 204
6:11 Indeed, look! The Lord is giving the command. 205
He will smash the large house to bits,
and the small house into little pieces.
6:12 Can horses run on rocky cliffs?
Can one plow the sea with oxen? 206
Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant,
and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant. 207
6:13 You are happy because you conquered Lo-Debar. 208
You say, “Did we not conquer Karnaim 209 by our own power?”
6:14 “Look! I am about to bring 210 a nation against you, family 211 of Israel.”
The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking.
“They will oppress 212 you all the way from Lebo-Hamath 213 to the Stream of the Arabah.” 214
[2:6] 1 tn For this translation see the note at 2:4.
[2:6] 2 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Israel, even because of four.”
[2:6] 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. Only in this last oracle against Israel does one find the list of four specific violations expected based on the use of a similar formula elsewhere in wisdom literature (see Prov 30:18-19, 29-31). This adaptation of the normal pattern indicates the
[2:6] 3 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.
[2:6] 4 tn Or “honest” (CEV, NLT). The Hebrew word sometimes has a moral-ethical connotation, “righteous, godly,” but the parallelism (note “poor”) suggests a socio-economic or legal sense here. The practice of selling debtors as slaves is in view (Exod 21:2-11; Lev 25:35-55; Deut 15:12-18) See the note at Exod 21:8 and G. C. Chirichigno, Debt-Slavery in Israel and the Ancient Near East (JSOTSup). Probably the only “crime” the victim had committed was being unable to pay back a loan or an exorbitant interest rate on a loan. Some have suggested that this verse refers to bribery in legal proceedings: The innocent are “sold” in the sense that those in power pay off the elders or judges for favorable decisions (5:12; cf. Exod 23:6-7).
[2:6] 5 tn Perhaps the expression “for a pair of sandals” indicates a relatively small price or debt. Some suggest that the sandals may have been an outward token of a more substantial purchase price. Others relate the sandals to a ritual attached to the transfer of property, signifying here that the poor would be losing their inherited family lands because of debt (Ruth 4:7; cf. Deut 25:8-10). Still others emend the Hebrew form slightly to נֶעְלָם (ne’lam, “hidden thing”; from the root עָלַם, ’alam, “to hide”) and understand this as referring to a bribe.
[2:7] 6 tn Most scholars now understand this verb as derived from the root II שָׁאַף (sha’af, “to crush; to trample”), an alternate form of שׁוּף (shuf), rather than from I שָׁאַף (sha’af, “to pant, to gasp”; cf. KJV, ASV, NASB).
[2:7] 7 tn Heb “those who stomp on the dirt of the ground on the head of the poor.” It is possible to render the line as “they trample the heads of the poor into the dust of the ground,” thereby communicating that the poor are being stepped on in utter contempt (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 79-80). The participial form הַשֹּׁאֲפִים (hasho’afim) is substantival and stands in apposition to the pronominal suffix on מִכְרָם (mikhram, v. 6b).
[2:7] sn The picture of the poor having dirt-covered heads suggests their humiliation before their oppressors and/or their sorrow (see 2 Sam 1:2; 15:32).
[2:7] 8 tn Heb “they turn aside the way of the destitute.” Many interpreters take “way” to mean “just cause” and understand this as a direct reference to the rights of the destitute being ignored. The injustice done to the poor is certainly in view, but the statement is better taken as a word picture depicting the powerful rich pushing the “way of the poor” (i.e., their attempt to be treated justly) to the side. An even more vivid picture is given in Amos 5:12, where the rich are pictured as turning the poor away from the city gate (where legal decisions were made, and therefore where justice should be done).
[2:7] 9 sn Most interpreters see some type of sexual immorality here (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT), even though the Hebrew phrase הָלַךְ אֶל (halakh ’el, “go to”) never refers elsewhere to sexual intercourse. (The usual idiom is בוֹא אֶל [bo’ ’el]. However, S. M. Paul (Amos [Hermeneia], 82) attempts to develop a linguistic case for a sexual connotation here.) The precise identification of the “girl” in question is not clear. Some see the referent as a cultic prostitute (cf. NAB; v. 8 suggests a cultic setting), but the term נַעֲרָה (na’arah) nowhere else refers to a prostitute. Because of the contextual emphasis on social oppression, some suggest the exploitation of a slave girl is in view. H. Barstad argues that the “girl” is the hostess at a pagan מַרְזֵחַ (marzeakh) banquet (described at some length in 6:4-7). In his view the sin described here is not sexual immorality, but idolatry (see H. Barstad, The Religious Polemics of Amos [VTSup], 33-36). In this case, one might translate, “Father and son go together to a pagan banquet.” In light of this cultic context, F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman argue that this is a reference to a specific female deity (“the Girl”) and correlate this verse with 8:14 (Amos [AB], 318-19).
[2:7] 10 tn Or “pollute”; “desecrate”; “dishonor.”
[2:7] 11 tn Heb “my holy name.” Here “name” is used metonymically for God’s moral character or reputation, while “holy” has a moral and ethical connotation.
[2:8] 12 tn The words “They do so right” are supplied twice in the translation of this verse for clarification.
[2:8] 14 tn Or “gods.” The Hebrew term אֱלֹהֵיהֶם (’elohehem) may be translated “their gods” (referring to pagan gods), “their god” (referring to a pagan god, cf. NAB, NIV, NLT), or “their God” (referring to the God of Israel, cf. NASB, NRSV).
[2:9] 15 tn Heb “I destroyed the Amorites from before them.” The translation takes מִפְּנֵי (mippÿney) in the sense of “for the sake of.” See BDB 818 s.v. פָּנֻה II.6.a and H. W. Wolff, Joel and Amos (Hermeneia), 134. Another option is to take the phrase in a spatial sense, “I destroyed the Amorites, [clearing them out] from before them [i.e., Israel]” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[2:9] 16 tn Heb “whose height was like the height of cedars.”
[2:9] 17 tn Heb “his fruit from above.”
[2:9] 18 tn Heb “and his roots from below.”
[2:11] 19 tn Or perhaps “religious devotees” (also in the following verse). The Hebrew term נָזִיר (nazir) refers to one who “consecrated” or “devoted” to God (see Num 6:1-21).
[2:12] 20 sn Nazirites were strictly forbidden to drink wine (Num 6:2-3).
[2:13] 21 tn The precise meaning of this verse is unclear. Various suggested meanings have been proposed (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 94): (1) One option is to relate the verb to an Arabic verb, meaning “to hinder; to hamper,” and translate, “I am making you immobile, like a cart filled with grain is immobile.” In this case, the
[2:14] 22 tn Heb “and a place of refuge will perish from the swift.”
[2:14] 23 tn Heb “the strong will not increase his strength.”
[2:15] 24 tn Heb “the one who holds the bow.”
[2:15] 25 tn For the idiom of “holding [or “standing”] one’s ground” in battle, there is a similar phrase in Ezek 13:5; also related is the expression “to hold one’s own against” (or “to withstand”) in Judg 2:14; 2 Kgs 10:4; Dan 8:7 (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 97). Other options include “will not endure” or “will not survive.”
[2:15] 26 tn The last two lines read literally, “The one fast in his feet will not rescue [his life], and the rider of the horse will not rescue his life.” The phrase “his life” does double duty in the parallelism and should be understood in both lines.
[2:16] 27 tn Or “the most stouthearted” (NAB); NRSV “those who are stout of heart.”
[3:1] 29 tn One might expect a third person verb form (“he brought up”), since the
[3:2] 30 tn Heb “You only have I known.” The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’) is used here in its covenantal sense of “recognize in a special way.”
[3:3] 31 sn The rhetorical questions in vv. 3-5 expect the answer, “No, of course not!” Those in v. 6 anticipate the answer, “Yes, of course they do/he is.” They all draw attention to the principle of cause and effect and lay the logical foundation for the argument in vv. 7-8. Also note the progression from a general question in v. 3 to the “meetings” of two animals (v. 4), to that of an animal and a human trap (v. 5), to a climax with the confrontation with the Lord (v. 6). Each of these meetings is disastrous.
[3:4] 32 tn Heb “without having prey [or “food”].”
[3:6] 33 tn Heb “If the ram’s horn is blown.”
[3:6] 34 tn Or “tremble” (NASB, NIV, NCV); or “shake.”
[3:6] 35 tn Heb “is in”; NIV, NCV, NLT “comes to.”
[3:6] 36 tn Heb “has the
[3:8] 37 sn The roar of the lion is here a metaphor for impending judgment (see 1:2; cf. 3:4, 12). Verses 7-8 justify Amos’ prophetic ministry and message of warning and judgment. The people should expect a prophetic message prior to divine action.
[3:8] 38 sn Who can refuse to prophesy? When a message is revealed, the prophet must speak, and the news of impending judgment should cause people to fear.
[3:9] 39 tn Heb “on” or “over” (also later in this verse).
[3:9] 40 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.
[3:9] map For location of the city see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[3:9] 41 tn The Hebrew noun carries the nuance of “panic” or “confusion.” Here it refers metonymically to the violent deeds that terrorize the oppressed.
[3:9] 42 tn Heb “in her midst” (so NAB, NASB); NIV “among her people.”
[3:9] 43 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).
[3:10] 46 tn Heb “violence and destruction.” The expression “violence and destruction” stand metonymically for the goods the oppressors have accumulated by their unjust actions.
[3:11] 47 tc The MT reads “an enemy and around the land.” It is also possible to take the MT as an exclamation (“an enemy, and all about the land!”; see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 118; NJPS; cf. NLT).Most scholars and versions emend the text to יְסוֹבֵב (yÿsovev, Polel imperfect), “will encircle.”
[3:11] 48 tn Heb “He will bring down your power from you.” Some emend the text to read “Your power will be brought down from you.” The shift, however, from an active to a passive sense also appears at 3:14 (“I will destroy Bethel’s altars. The horns of the altar will be cut off.”) The pronouns (“your…you”) are feminine singular, indicating that the personified city of Samaria is addressed here. Samaria’s “power” here is her defenses and/or wealth.
[3:12] 49 sn The verb translated salvaged, though often used in a positive sense of deliverance from harm, is here employed in a sarcastic manner. A shepherd would attempt to salvage part of an animal to prove that a predator had indeed killed it. In this way he could prove that he had not stolen the missing animal and absolve himself from any responsibility to repay the owner (see Exod 22:12-13).
[3:12] 50 tn Heb “with a corner of a bed.”
[3:12] 51 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word דְּמֶשֶׁק (dÿmesheq), which occurs only here, is uncertain. If not emended, it is usually related to the term ַדּמֶּשֶׂק (dammeseq) and translated as the “Damask linens” of the bed (cf. NASB “the cover”) or as “in Damascus” (so KJV, NJB, NIV). The differences in spelling (Damascus is spelled correctly in 5:27), historical considerations, and the word order make both of these derivations unlikely. Many emendations have been proposed (e.g., “a part from the foot [of a bed],” based on a different division of the Hebrew letters (cf. NEB, NRSV); “on the edge,” based on a Hebrew term not attested in the Bible (NKJV). Some suggest a resemblance to an Akkadian term which means “sideboard [of a bed],” which is sometimes incorrectly rendered “headboard” (NJPS; see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 121-22). Most likely another part of a bed or couch is in view, but it is difficult to be more specific.
[3:13] 52 tn Or “testify against.”
[3:13] 54 tn These words are spoken to either the unidentified heralds addressed at the beginning of v. 9, or to the Egyptians and Philistines (see v. 9b). Another possibility is that one is not to look for a specific addressee but rather appreciate the command simply as a rhetorical device to grab the attention of the listeners and readers of the prophetic message.
[3:13] 55 tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.”
[3:14] 56 tn Heb “in the day.”
[3:14] 57 tn Heb “his.” With the referent “Israel” here, this amounts to a collective singular.
[3:14] 58 tn Traditionally, “transgressions, sins,” but see the note on the word “crimes” in 1:3.
[3:14] 59 tn Heb “punish” (so NASB, NRSV).
[3:14] 60 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[3:14] 61 sn The horns of an ancient altar projected upwards from the four corners and resembled an animal’s horns in appearance. Fugitives could seek asylum by grabbing hold of these corners (see Exod 21:14; 1 Kgs 1:50; 2:28). When the altar’s horns were cut off, there would be no place of asylum left for the
[3:15] 62 tn Heb “the winter house along with the summer house.”
[3:15] sn Like kings, many in Israel’s wealthy class owned both winter and summer houses (cf. 1 Kgs 21:1,18; Jer 36:22). For a discussion of archaeological evidence relating to these structures, see P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 64-65.
[3:15] 63 tn Heb “houses of ivory.” These houses were not made of ivory, but they had ivory panels and furniture decorated with ivory inlays. See P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 139-48.
[3:15] 64 tn Or “many,” cf. NAB “their many rooms.”
[3:15] 65 tn The translation assumes the form is from the Hebrew verb סָפָה (safah, “to sweep away”) rather than סוּף (suf, “to come to an end”), which is the choice of most versions. Either option effectively communicates the destruction of the structures.
[4:1] 66 sn The expression cows of Bashan is used by the prophet to address the wealthy women of Samaria, who demand that their husbands satisfy their cravings. The derogatory language perhaps suggests that they, like the livestock of Bashan, were well fed, ironically in preparation for the coming slaughter. This phrase is sometimes cited to critique the book’s view of women.
[4:1] 67 tn Heb “the ones who” (three times in this verse).
[4:1] 69 sn Some commentators relate this scene to the description of the marzeah feast of 6:3-6, in which drinking played a prominent part (see the note at 6:6).
[4:2] 70 tn Heb “swears by his holiness.”
[4:2] sn The message that follows is an unconditional oath, the fulfillment of which is just as certain as the
[4:2] 71 tn Heb “Look, certainly days are coming upon you”; NRSV “the time is surely coming upon you.”
[4:2] 72 tn Heb “one will carry you away”; NASB “they will take you away.”
[4:2] 73 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “baskets” is uncertain. The translation follows the suggestion of S. M. Paul (Amos [Hermeneia], 128), who discusses the various options (130-32): “shields” (cf. NEB); “ropes”; “thorns,” which leads to the most favored interpretation, “hooks” (cf. NASB “meat hooks”; NIV, NRSV “hooks”); “baskets,” and (derived from “baskets”) “boats.” Against the latter, it is unlikely that Amos envisioned a deportation by boat for the inhabitants of Samaria! See also the note on the expression “fishermen’s pots” later in this verse.
[4:2] 74 tn Or “your children”; KJV “your posterity.”
[4:2] 75 tn The meaning of the Hebrew expression translated “in fishermen’s pots” is uncertain. The translation follows that of S. M. Paul (Amos [Hermeneia], 128), who discusses the various options (132-33): “thorns,” understood by most modern interpreters to mean (by extension) “fishhooks” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV); “boats,” but as mentioned in the previous note on the word “baskets,” a deportation of the Samaritans by boat is geographically unlikely; and “pots,” referring to a container used for packing fish (cf. NEB “fish-baskets”). Paul (p. 134) argues that the imagery comes from the ancient fishing industry. When hauled away into exile, the women of Samaria will be like fish packed and transported to market.
[4:2] sn The imagery of catching fish in connection with the captivity of Israel is also found in Jer 16:16 and Hab 1:14.
[4:3] 76 tn Heb “and [through the] breaches you will go out, each straight ahead.”
[4:3] 77 tn The Hiphil verb form has no object. It may be intransitive (F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Amos [AB], 425), though many emend it to a Hophal.
[4:3] 78 tn The meaning of this word is unclear. Many understand it as a place name, though such a location is not known. Some (e.g., H. W. Wolff, Joel and Amos [Hermeneia[, 204) emend to “Hermon” or to similarly written words, such as “the dung heap” (NEB, NJPS), “the garbage dump” (NCV), or “the fortress” (cf. NLT “your fortresses”).
[4:4] 79 sn Bethel and Gilgal were important formal worship centers because of their importance in Israel’s history. Here the Lord ironically urges the people to visit these places so they can increase their sin against him. Their formal worship, because it was not accompanied by social justice, only made them more guilty in God’s sight by adding hypocrisy to their list of sins. Obviously, theirs was a twisted view of the Lord. They worshiped a god of their own creation in order to satisfy their religious impulses (see 4:5: “For you love to do this”). Note that none of the rituals listed in 4:4-5 have to do with sin.
[4:4] map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[4:4] 80 tn The Hebrew word translated “rebel” (also in the following line) could very well refer here to Israel’s violations of their covenant with God (see also the term “crimes” in 1:3 [with note] and the phrase “covenant transgressions” in 2:4 [with note]; 3:14).
[4:4] 81 sn See the note on Bethel earlier in this verse.
[4:5] 84 sn For the background of the thank offering of bread made with yeast, see Lev 7:13.
[4:5] 85 tn Heb “proclaim voluntary offerings, announce.”
[4:6] 86 tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic (pronoun + verb). It underscores the stark contrast between the judgments that the Lord had been sending with the God of blessing Israel was celebrating in its worship (4:4-5).
[4:6] 87 tn Heb “But I gave to you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of food in all your places.” The phrase “cleanness of teeth” is a vivid way of picturing the famine Israel experienced.
[4:7] 88 sn Rain…three months before the harvest refers to the rains of late March-early April.
[4:7] 89 tn Heb “portion”; KJV, ASV “piece”; NASB “part.” The same word occurs a second time later in this verse.
[4:8] 90 tn The words “people from” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[4:8] 92 tn Or “were not satisfied.”
[4:9] 93 tn Heb “you.” By metonymy the crops belonging to these people are meant. See the remainder of this verse, which describes the agricultural devastation caused by locusts.
[4:9] 94 tn The Hiphil infinitive construct is taken adverbially (“kept”) and connected to the activity of the locusts (NJPS). It also could be taken with the preceding sentence and related to the Lord’s interventions (“I kept destroying,” cf. NEB, NJB, NIV, NRSV), or it could be understood substantivally in construct with the following nouns (“Locusts devoured your many orchards,” cf. NASB; cf. also KJV, NKJV).
[4:10] 96 tn Heb “in the manner [or “way”] of Egypt.”
[4:10] 97 tn Heb “of your camps [or “armies”].”
[4:11] 98 tn Several English versions substitute the first person pronoun (“I”) here for stylistic reasons (e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
[4:11] 99 tn Heb “like God’s overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.” The divine name may be used in an idiomatic superlative sense here, in which case one might translate, “like the great [or “disastrous”] overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.”
[4:11] sn The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is described in Gen 19:1-29.
[4:11] 100 tn Heb “like that which is burning.”
[4:12] 101 tn The
[4:13] 102 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] 103 tn Or “declares” (NAB, NASB).
[4:13] 104 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] 105 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
[4:13] 106 tn Traditionally, “God of hosts.”
[5:1] 107 tn Heb “Listen to this word which I am about to take up against you, a funeral song.”
[5:2] 109 tn Or “young lady.” The term “Israel” is an appositional genitive.
[5:2] 110 tn Or “with no one to lift her up.”
[5:3] 111 tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:3] 112 tn Heb “The one.” The word “town” has been used in the translation in keeping with the relative sizes of the armed contingents sent out by each. It is also possible that this line is speaking of the same city of the previous line. In other words, the contingent sent by that one city would have suffered a ninety-nine percent casualty loss.
[5:3] 113 tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:3] 114 tn Heb “for/to the house of Israel.” The translation assumes that this is a graphic picture of what is left over for the defense of the nation (NEB, NJB, NASB, NKJV). Others suggest that this phrase completes the introductory formula (“The sovereign
[5:4] 116 sn The following verses explain what it meant to seek the
[5:5] 117 sn Ironically, Israel was to seek after the Lord, but not at Bethel (the name Bethel means “the house of God” in Hebrew).
[5:5] map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[5:5] 118 tn Heb “cross over.”
[5:5] sn To worship at Beer Sheba, northern worshipers had to journey down (i.e., cross the border) between Israel and Judah. Apparently, the popular religion of Israel for some included pilgrimage to holy sites in the South.
[5:5] 119 tn Heb “For Gilgal.” By metonymy the place name “Gilgal” is used instead of referring directly to the inhabitants. The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:5] 120 tn In the Hebrew text the statement is emphasized by sound play. The name “Gilgal” sounds like the verb גָּלָה (galah, “to go into exile”), which occurs here in the infinitival + finite verb construction (גָּלֹה יִגְלֶה, galoh yigleh). The repetition of the “ג” (g) and “ל” (l) sounds draws attention to the announcement and suggests that Gilgal’s destiny is inherent in its very name.
[5:5] sn That the people of Gilgal would be taken into exile is ironic, for Gilgal was Israel’s first campsite when the people entered the land under Joshua and the city became a symbol of Israel’s possession of the promised land.
[5:5] 121 tn Heb “disaster,” or “nothing”; NIV “Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”
[5:5] sn Again there is irony. The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew. How surprising and tragic that Bethel, the “house of God” where Jacob received the inheritance given to Abraham, would be overrun by disaster.
[5:6] 122 tn Heb “rush.” The verb depicts swift movement.
[5:6] 123 sn Here Joseph (= Ephraim and Manasseh), as the most prominent of the Israelite tribes, represents the entire northern kingdom.
[5:6] 125 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[5:6] 126 tn Heb “to/for Bethel.” The translation assumes that the preposition indicates advantage, “on behalf of.” Another option is to take the preposition as vocative, “O Bethel.”
[5:7] 127 tn Heb “Those who”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity. In light of vv. 11-13, it is also possible that the words are directed at a more limited group within the nation – those with social and economic power.
[5:7] 128 tn There is an interesting wordplay here with the verb הָפַךְ (hafakh, “overturn, turn”). Israel “turns” justice into wormwood (cf. 6:12), while the Lord “turns” darkness into morning (v. 8; cf. 4:11; 8:10). Israel’s turning is for evil, whereas the Lord’s is to demonstrate his absolute power and sovereignty.
[5:7] 129 tn Heb “they throw righteousness.”
[5:7] 130 sn In v. 7 the prophet begins to describe the guilty Israelites, but then interrupts his word picture with a parenthetical, but powerful, description of the judge they must face (vv. 8-9). He resumes his description of the sinners in v. 10.
[5:8] 131 tn Heb “darkens the day into night.”
[5:9] 132 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb בָּלַג (balag, translated here “flashes”) is uncertain.
[5:9] 133 tn Heb “comes upon.” Many prefer to repoint the verb as Hiphil and translate, “he brings destruction upon the fortified places.”
[5:10] 134 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:10] 135 sn In ancient Israelite culture, legal disputes were resolved in the city gate, where the town elders met.
[5:11] 136 tn Traditionally, “because you trample on the poor” (cf. KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). The traditional view derives the verb from בּוּס (bus, “to trample”; cf. Isa. 14:25), but more likely it is cognate to an Akkadian verb meaning “to exact an agricultural tax” (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 49; S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 172-73).
[5:11] 137 tn Or “lovely”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “pleasant”; NAB “choice”; NIV “lush.”
[5:11] 138 tn Heb “Houses of chiseled stone you built, but you will not live in them. Fine vineyards you planted, but you will not drink their wine.”
[5:12] 140 tn Or “I know” (so most English versions).
[5:12] 141 tn Or “transgressions,” “sins.” See the note on the word “crimes” in 1:3 and on the phrase “covenant violations” in 2:4.
[5:12] 142 tn Heb “Those who.”
[5:12] 143 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).
[5:12] 144 sn Legal disputes were resolved in the city gate, where the town elders met.
[5:13] 145 tn Or “the wise”; or “the prudent.” Another option is to translate “the successful, prosperous” and understand this as a reference to the rich oppressors. See G. V. Smith, Amos, 169-70. In this case the following verb will also have a different nuance, that is, the wealthy remain silent before the abuses they perpetuate. See the note on the verb translated “keeps quiet” later in this verse.
[5:13] 146 tn Or “moans, laments,” from a homonymic verbal root. If the rich oppressors are in view, then the verb (whether translated “will be silenced” or “will lament”) describes the result of God’s judgment upon them. See G. V. Smith, Amos, 170.
[5:13] 147 tn If this is a judgment announcement against the rich, then the Hebrew phrase עֵת רָעָה (’et ra’ah) must be translated, “[a] disastrous time.” See G. V. Smith, Amos, 170.
[5:15] 148 tn Heb “set up, establish.” In the ancient Near East it was the responsibility especially of the king to establish justice. Here the prophet extends that demand to local leaders and to the nation as a whole (cf. 5:24).
[5:15] 149 sn Legal disputes were resolved in the city gate (see the note in v. 12). This repetition of this phrase serves to highlight a deliberate contrast to the injustices cited in vv. 11-13.
[5:15] 150 tn Or “will show favor to.”
[5:15] 151 tn Or “the remnant of” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “what’s left of your people.”
[5:15] 152 sn Joseph (= Ephraim and Manasseh), as the most prominent of the Israelite tribes, represents the entire northern kingdom.
[5:16] 153 tn Heb “Therefore.” This logical connector relates back to the accusation of vv. 10-13, not to the parenthetical call to repentance in vv. 14-15. To indicate this clearly, the phrase “Because of Israel’s sins” is used in the translation.
[5:16] 154 tn Or “the Lord.” The Hebrew term translated “sovereign One” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[5:16] 155 tn Heb “they will say, ‘Ah! Ah!’” The Hebrew term הוֹ (ho, “ah, woe”) is an alternate form of הוֹי (hoy), a word used to mourn the dead and express outwardly one’s sorrow. See 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5. This wordplay follows quickly, as v. 18 begins with הוֹי (“woe”).
[5:16] 156 tn Or “farmers” (NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
[5:16] 157 tn Heb “those who know lamentation.”
[5:16] sn Professional mourners are referred to elsewhere in the OT (2 Chr 35:25; Jer 9:17) and ancient Near Eastern literature. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 180.
[5:17] 158 sn The expression pass through your midst alludes to Exod 12:12, where the
[5:18] 159 tn The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe”) was used when mourning the dead (see the note on the word “dead” in 5:16). The prophet here either engages in role playing and mourns the death of the nation in advance or sarcastically taunts those who hold to this misplaced belief.
[5:19] 160 tn The words “Disaster will be inescapable” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:19] 161 tn Heb “went” (so KJV, NRSV).
[5:20] 162 tn Heb “Will not the day of the Lord be.”
[5:21] 163 tn Heb “I hate”; “I despise.”
[5:21] 164 tn Heb “I will not smell.” These verses are full of vivid descriptions of the Lord’s total rejection of Israelite worship. In the first half of this verse two verbs are used together for emphasis. Here the verb alludes to the sense of smell, a fitting observation since offerings would have been burned on the altar ideally to provide a sweet aroma to God (see, e.g., Lev 1:9, 13, 17; Num 29:36). Other senses that are mentioned include sight and hearing in vv. 22-23.
[5:22] 165 tn Heb “burnt offerings and your grain offerings.”
[5:22] 166 tn Heb “Peace offering[s], your fattened calves, I will not look at.”
[5:23] 167 tn In this verse the second person suffixes are singular and not plural like they are in vv. 21-22 and vv. 25-27. Some have suggested that perhaps a specific individual or group within the nation is in view.
[5:23] 168 tn The Hebrew word probably refers to “harps” (NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “lutes” (NEB).
[5:24] 169 tn Traditionally, “righteousness.”
[5:25] 170 tn Heb “Did you bring me…?” This rhetorical question expects a negative answer. The point seems to be this: Since sacrifices did not characterize God’s relationship with Israel during the nation’s formative years, the people should not consider them to be so fundamental. The
[5:25] sn Like Jer 7:22-23, this passage seems to contradict the Pentateuchal accounts that indicate Israel did offer sacrifices during the wilderness period. It is likely that both Amos and Jeremiah overstate the case to emphasize the relative insignificance of sacrifices in comparison to weightier matters of the covenant. See R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 428.
[5:26] 172 tn This word appears in an awkward position in the Hebrew, following “Kiyyun.” It is placed here for better sense.
[5:26] 173 tn The Hebrew term סִכּוּת (sikkut) apparently refers to Sakkuth, a Mesopotamian star god identified with Ninurta in an Ugaritic god list. The name is vocalized in the Hebrew text after the pattern of שִׁקוּץ (shiqquts, “detestable thing”). See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 195-96. Some English versions, following the LXX, translate as “tent” or “shrine” (NEB, NIV), pointing the term as סֻכַּת (sukkat; cf. 9:11).
[5:26] 174 tc LXX, Vulgate, and Acts 7:43 read “Moloch” (cf. KJV). The Hebrew consonants are the same for both “king” and “Moloch” (מֹלֶךְ; molekh).
[5:26] 175 tn The Hebrew term כִּיּוּן (kiyyun) apparently refers to the Mesopotamian god Kayamanu, or Saturn. The name, like “Sikkuth” in the previous line, is vocalized in the Hebrew text after the pattern of שִׁקוּץ (shiqquts, “detestable thing”). See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 195-96. Some versions translate as “pedestal” (NEB, NIV), relating the term to the root כּוּן (kun).
[6:1] 176 tn On the Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy; “ah, woe”) as a term of mourning, see the notes in 5:16, 18.
[6:1] 177 sn Zion is a reference to Jerusalem.
[6:1] 178 tn The words “They think of themselves as” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the term נְקֻבֵי (nÿquvey; “distinguished ones, elite”) is in apposition to the substantival participles in the first line.
[6:1] 180 tn Heb “comes to them.”
[6:2] 181 tn The words “They say to the people” are interpretive and supplied in the translation for clarification. The translation understands v. 2 as the boastful words, which the leaders (described in v. 1) spoke to those who came to them (v. 1b). Some interpret v. 2 differently, understanding the words as directed to the leaders by the prophet. Verse 2b would then be translated: “Are you (i.e., Israel and Judah) better than these kingdoms (i.e., Calneh, etc.)? Is your border larger than their border?” (This reading requires an emendation of the Hebrew text toward the end of the verse.) In this case the verse is a reminder to Judah/Israel that they are not superior to other nations, which have already fallen victim to military conquest. Consequently Judah/Israel should not expect to escape the same fate. Following this line of interpretation, some take v. 2 as a later addition since the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser III conquered Calneh, Hamath, and Gath after the time of Amos’ ministry. However, this conclusion is not necessary since the kingdoms mentioned here had suffered military setbacks prior to Amos’ time as well. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 201-4.
[6:2] 182 tn Or “Great Hamath” (cf. NIV); or “Hamath the great” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); the word “rabbah” means “great” in Hebrew.
[6:2] 183 tn Heb “to these,” referring to Judah and Israel (see v. 1a).
[6:2] 184 tn Both rhetorical questions in this verse expect the answer “no.” If these words do come from the leaders, then this verse underscores their self-delusion of power (compare 6:13). The prophet had no such mistaken sense of national grandeur (7:2, 5).
[6:3] 185 tn Heb “those who push away a day of disaster.”
[6:3] 186 tn Heb “you bring near a seat of violence.” The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שֶׁבֶת (shevet, “seat, sitting”) is unclear in this context. The translation assumes that it refers to a throne from which violence (in the person of the oppressive leaders) reigns. Another option is that the expression refers not to the leaders’ oppressive rule, but to the coming judgment when violence will overtake the nation in the person of enemy invaders.
[6:4] 187 tn Heb “beds of ivory.”
[6:5] 188 tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּרַט (parat), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. Some translate “strum,” “pluck,” or “improvise.”
[6:5] 189 tn Heb “upon the mouth of,” that is, “according to.”
[6:5] 190 sn The stringed instruments mentioned here are probably harps (cf. NIV, NRSV) or lutes (cf. NEB).
[6:5] 191 tn The meaning of the Hebrew phrase חָשְׁבוּ לָהֶם (khoshvu lahem) is uncertain. Various options include: (1) “they think their musical instruments are like David’s”; (2) “they consider themselves musicians like David”; (3) “they esteem musical instruments highly like David”; (4) “they improvise [new songs] for themselves [on] instruments like David”; (5) “they invent musical instruments like David.” However, the most commonly accepted interpretation is that given in the translation (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 206-7).
[6:6] 192 sn Perhaps some religious rite is in view, or the size of the bowls is emphasized (i.e., bowls as large as sacrificial bowls).
[6:6] 193 tn Heb “with the best of oils they anoint [themselves].”
[6:6] 194 tn Or “not sickened by.”
[6:6] 195 sn The ruin of Joseph may refer to the societal disintegration in Israel, or to the effects of the impending judgment.
[6:7] 196 tn Heb “they will go into exile at the head of the exiles.”
[6:7] 197 sn Religious banquets. This refers to the מַרְזֵחַ (marzeakh), a type of pagan religious banquet popular among the upper class of Israel at this time and apparently associated with mourning. See P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 137-61; J. L. McLaughlin, The “Marzeah” in the Prophetic Literature (VTSup). Scholars debate whether at this banquet the dead were simply remembered or actually venerated in a formal, cultic sense.
[6:7] 198 tn Heb “of the sprawled out.” See v. 4.
[6:8] 199 tn Heb “swears by his life”; or “swears by himself.”
[6:8] 200 tn Heb “his,” referring to Jacob, which stands here for the nation of Israel.
[6:8] 201 tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[6:8] 202 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.
[6:10] 203 tn The translation assumes that “their relatives” and “the ones who will burn the corpses” are in apposition. Another option is to take them as distinct individuals, in which case one could translate, “When their close relatives and the ones who will burn the corpses pick up…” The meaning of the form translated “the ones who burn the corpses” is uncertain. Another option is to translate, “the ones who prepare the corpses for burial” (NASB “undertaker”; cf. also CEV). See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 215-16.
[6:10] 204 tn This verse is notoriously difficult to interpret. The Hebrew text literally reads, “And he will lift him up, his uncle, and the one burning him, to bring out bones from the house. And he will say to the one who is in the inner parts of the house, ‘Is there [anyone] still with you?’ And he will say, ‘Be quiet for not to invoke the name of the
[6:11] 205 tn Or “is issuing the decree.”
[6:12] 206 tc Heb “Does one plow with oxen?” This obviously does not fit the parallelism, for the preceding rhetorical question requires the answer, “Of course not!” An error of fusion has occurred in the Hebrew, with the word יָם (yam, “sea”) being accidentally added as a plural ending to the collective noun בָּקָר (baqar, “oxen”). A proper division of the consonants produces the above translation, which fits the parallelism and also anticipates the answer, “Of course not!”
[6:12] 207 sn The botanical imagery, when juxtaposed with the preceding rhetorical questions, vividly depicts and emphasizes how the Israelites have perverted justice and violated the created order by their morally irrational behavior.
[6:13] 208 tn Heb “those who rejoice over Lo-Debar.”
[6:13] sn Lo-Debar was located across the Jordan River in Gilead, which the Israelite army had conquered. However, there is stinging irony here, for in Hebrew the name Lo-Debar means “nothing.” In reality Israel was happy over nothing of lasting consequence.
[6:13] 209 sn Karnaim was also located across the Jordan River. The name in Hebrew means “double horned.” Since an animal’s horn was a symbol of strength (see Deut 33:17), the Israelites boasted in this victory over a town whose very name symbolized military power.
[6:14] 210 tn Or “raise up” (KJV, NASB); NIV “stir up.”
[6:14] 212 sn Once again there is irony in the divine judgment. The oppressive nation itself will suffer oppression. The verb “oppress” (לָחַץ, lakhats) in this verse is not the same as that used in 4:1 (עָשַׁק, ’ashaq).
[6:14] 213 tn Or “from the entrance to Hamath.” The Hebrew term לְבוֹא (lÿvo’) can either be translated or considered a part of the place name.
[6:14] 214 sn Lebo-Hamath refers to the northern border of Israel, the Stream of the Arabah to its southern border. See 2 Kgs 14:25. Through this invader the Lord would reverse the victories and territorial expansion Israel experienced during the reign of Jeroboam II.
. [