Amos 5:1--9:15
Konteks5:1 Listen to this funeral song I am ready to sing about you, 1 family 2 of Israel:
5:2 “The virgin 3 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.” 4
5:3 The sovereign Lord says this:
“The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers 5 will have only a hundred left;
the town 6 that marches out with a hundred soldiers 7 will have only ten left for the family of Israel.” 8
5:4 The Lord says this to the family 9 of Israel:
“Seek me 10 so you can live!
Do not visit Gilgal!
Do not journey down 12 to Beer Sheba!
For the people of Gilgal 13 will certainly be carried into exile; 14
and Bethel will become a place where disaster abounds.” 15
5:6 Seek the Lord so you can live!
Otherwise he will break out 16 like fire against Joseph’s 17 family; 18
the fire 19 will consume
and no one will be able to quench it and save Bethel. 20
5:7 The Israelites 21 turn justice into bitterness; 22
they throw what is fair and right 23 to the ground. 24
5:8 (But there is one who made the constellations Pleiades and Orion;
he can turn the darkness into morning
and daylight 25 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 26 destruction down upon the strong
so that destruction overwhelms 27 the fortified places.)
5:10 The Israelites 28 hate anyone who arbitrates at the city gate; 29
they despise anyone who speaks honestly.
5:11 Therefore, because you make the poor pay taxes on their crops 30
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 31 vineyards you planted. 32
5:12 Certainly 33 I am aware of 34 your many rebellious acts 35
and your numerous sins.
You 36 torment the innocent, you take bribes,
and you deny justice to 37 the needy at the city gate. 38
5:13 For this reason whoever is smart 39 keeps quiet 40 in such a time,
for it is an evil 41 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 42 justice at the city gate! 43
Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on 44 those who are left from 45 Joseph. 46
5:16 Because of Israel’s sins 47 this is what the Lord, the God who commands armies, the sovereign One, 48 says:
“In all the squares there will be wailing,
in all the streets they will mourn the dead. 49
They will tell the field workers 50 to lament
and the professional mourners 51 to wail.
5:17 In all the vineyards there will be wailing,
for I will pass through 52 your midst,” says the Lord.
5:18 Woe 53 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, 54
as if a man ran from a lion only to meet a bear,
then escaped 55 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 56 darkness, not light –
gloomy blackness, not bright light?
5:21 “I absolutely despise 57 your festivals!
I get no pleasure 58 from your religious assemblies!
5:22 Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, 59 I will not be satisfied;
I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. 60
5:23 Take away from me your 61 noisy songs;
I don’t want to hear the music of your stringed instruments. 62
5:24 Justice must flow like torrents of water,
righteous actions 63 like a stream that never dries up.
5:25 You did not bring me 64 sacrifices and grain offerings during the forty years you spent in the wilderness, family 65 of Israel.
5:26 You will pick up your images 66 of Sikkuth, 67 your king, 68
and Kiyyun, 69 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 70 to those who live in ease in Zion, 71
to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.
They think of themselves as 72 the elite class of the best nation.
The family 73 of Israel looks to them for leadership. 74
6:2 They say to the people: 75
“Journey over to Calneh and look at it!
Then go from there to Hamath-Rabbah! 76
Then go down to Gath of the Philistines!
Are they superior to our two 77 kingdoms?
Is their territory larger than yours?” 78
6:3 You refuse to believe a day of disaster will come, 79
but you establish a reign of violence. 80
6:4 They lie around on beds decorated with ivory, 81
and sprawl out on their couches.
They eat lambs from the flock,
and calves from the middle of the pen.
6:5 They sing 82 to the tune of 83 stringed instruments; 84
like David they invent 85 musical instruments.
6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, 86
and pour the very best oils on themselves. 87
Yet they are not concerned over 88 the ruin 89 of Joseph.
6:7 Therefore they will now be the first to go into exile, 90
and the religious banquets 91 where they sprawl on couches 92 will end.
6:8 The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his very own life. 93
The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking:
“I despise Jacob’s arrogance;
I hate their 94 fortresses.
I will hand over to their enemies 95 the city of Samaria 96 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, 97 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!” 98
6:11 Indeed, look! The Lord is giving the command. 99
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? 100
Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant,
and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant. 101
6:13 You are happy because you conquered Lo-Debar. 102
You say, “Did we not conquer Karnaim 103 by our own power?”
6:14 “Look! I am about to bring 104 a nation against you, family 105 of Israel.”
The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking.
“They will oppress 106 you all the way from Lebo-Hamath 107 to the Stream of the Arabah.” 108
7:1 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw 109 him making locusts just as the crops planted late 110 were beginning to sprout. (The crops planted late sprout after the royal harvest. 111 ) 7:2 When they had completely consumed the earth’s vegetation, I said,
“Sovereign Lord, forgive Israel! 112
How can Jacob survive? 113
He is too weak!” 114
7:3 The Lord decided not to do this. 115 “It will not happen,” the Lord said.
7:4 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw 116 the sovereign Lord summoning a shower of fire. 117 It consumed the great deep and devoured the fields.
7:5 I said, “Sovereign Lord, stop!
How can Jacob survive? 118
He is too weak!” 119
7:6 The Lord decided not to do this. 120 The sovereign Lord said, “This will not happen either.”
7:7 He showed me this: I saw 121 the sovereign One 122 standing by a tin 123 wall holding tin in his hand. 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. 124
7:9 Isaac’s centers of worship 125 will become desolate;
Israel’s holy places will be in ruins.
I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.” 126
7:10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel 127 sent this message 128 to King Jeroboam of Israel: “Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of the kingdom of Israel! 129 The land cannot endure all his prophecies. 130 7:11 As a matter of fact, 131 Amos is saying this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly be carried into exile 132 away from its land.’”
7:12 Amaziah then said to Amos, “Leave, you visionary! 133 Run away to the land of Judah! Earn your living 134 and prophesy there! 7:13 Don’t prophesy at Bethel 135 any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here!” 136
7:14 Amos replied 137 to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. 138 No, 139 I was a herdsman who also took care of 140 sycamore fig trees. 141 7:15 Then the Lord took me from tending 142 flocks and gave me this commission, 143 ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!’ 7:16 So now listen to the Lord’s message! You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach 144 against the family of Isaac!’
7:17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:
‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets 145
and your sons and daughters will die violently. 146
Your land will be given to others 147
and you will die in a foreign 148 land.
Israel will certainly be carried into exile 149 away from its land.’”
8:1 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw 150 a basket of summer fruit. 151
8:2 He said, “What do you see, Amos?” I replied, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end 152 has come for my people Israel! I will no longer overlook their sins. 153
8:3 The women singing in the temple 154 will wail in that day.”
The sovereign Lord is speaking.
“There will be many corpses littered everywhere! 155 Be quiet!”
8:4 Listen to this, you who trample 156 the needy,
and do away with 157 the destitute in the land.
8:5 You say,
“When will the new moon festival 158 be over, 159 so we can sell grain?
When will the Sabbath end, 160 so we can open up the grain bins? 161
We’re eager 162 to sell less for a higher price, 163
and to cheat the buyer with rigged scales! 164
8:6 We’re eager to trade silver for the poor, 165
a pair of sandals 166 for the needy!
We want to mix in some chaff with the grain!” 167
8:7 The Lord confirms this oath 168 by the arrogance of Jacob: 169
“I swear 170 I will never forget all you have done! 171
8:8 Because of this the earth 172 will quake, 173
and all who live in it will mourn.
The whole earth 174 will rise like the River Nile, 175
it will surge upward 176 and then grow calm, 177 like the Nile in Egypt. 178
8:9 In that day,” says the sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun set at noon,
and make the earth dark in the middle of the day. 179
8:10 I will turn your festivals into funerals, 180
and all your songs into funeral dirges.
I will make everyone wear funeral clothes 181
and cause every head to be shaved bald. 182
I will make you mourn as if you had lost your only son; 183
when it ends it will indeed have been a bitter day. 184
8:11 Be certain of this, 185 the time is 186 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! 187
8:12 People 188 will stagger from sea to sea, 189
and from the north around to the east.
They will wander about looking for a revelation from 190 the Lord,
but they will not find any. 191
8:13 In that day your 192 beautiful young women 193 and your 194 young men will faint from thirst. 195 8:14 These are the ones who now take oaths 196 in the name of the sinful idol goddess 197 of Samaria.
They vow, 198 ‘As surely as your god 199 lives, O Dan,’ or ‘As surely as your beloved one 200 lives, O Beer Sheba!’
But they will fall down and not get up again.”
9:1 I saw the sovereign One 201 standing by the altar 202 and he said, “Strike the tops of the support pillars, 203 so the thresholds shake!
Knock them down on the heads of all the people, 204
and I will kill the survivors 205 with the sword.
No one will be able to run away; 206
no one will be able to escape. 207
9:2 Even if they could dig down into the netherworld, 208
my hand would pull them up from there.
Even if they could climb up to heaven,
I would drag them down from there.
9:3 Even if they were to hide on the top of Mount Carmel,
I would hunt them down and take them from there.
Even if they tried to hide from me 209 at the bottom of the sea,
from there 210 I would command the Sea Serpent 211 to bite them.
9:4 Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, 212
from there 213 I will command the sword to kill them.
I will not let them out of my sight;
they will experience disaster, not prosperity.” 214
9:5 The sovereign Lord who commands armies will do this. 215
He touches the earth and it dissolves; 216
all who live on it mourn.
The whole earth 217 rises like the River Nile, 218
and then grows calm 219 like the Nile in Egypt. 220
9:6 He builds the upper rooms of his palace 221 in heaven
and sets its foundation supports 222 on the earth. 223
He summons the water of the sea
and pours it out on the earth’s surface.
The Lord is his name.
9:7 “You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight,” 224 says the Lord.
“Certainly I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt,
but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor 225 and the Arameans from Kir. 226
9:8 Look, the sovereign Lord is watching 227 the sinful nation, 228
and I will destroy it from the face of the earth.
But I will not completely destroy the family 229 of Jacob,” says the Lord.
9:9 “For look, I am giving a command
and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations.
It will resemble a sieve being shaken,
when not even a pebble falls to the ground. 230
9:10 All the sinners among my people will die by the sword –
the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’
9:11 “In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut 231 of David.
I will seal its 232 gaps,
repair its 233 ruins,
and restore it to what it was like in days gone by. 234
9:12 As a result they 235 will conquer those left in Edom 236
and all the nations subject to my rule.” 237
The Lord, who is about to do this, is speaking!
9:13 “Be sure of this, 238 the time is 239 coming,” says the Lord,
“when the plowman will catch up to the reaper 240
and the one who stomps the grapes 241 will overtake 242 the planter. 243
Juice will run down the slopes, 244
it will flow down all the hillsides. 245
9:14 I will bring back my people, Israel; 246
they will rebuild the cities lying in rubble 247 and settle down. 248
They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce; 249
they will grow orchards 250 and eat the fruit they produce. 251
9:15 I will plant them on their land
and they will never again be uprooted from the 252 land I have given them,”
says the Lord your God.
[5:1] 1 tn Heb “Listen to this word which I am about to take up against you, a funeral song.”
[5:2] 3 tn Or “young lady.” The term “Israel” is an appositional genitive.
[5:2] 4 tn Or “with no one to lift her up.”
[5:3] 5 tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:3] 6 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] 7 tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:3] 8 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] 10 sn The following verses explain what it meant to seek the
[5:5] 11 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] 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] 13 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] 14 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] 15 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] 16 tn Heb “rush.” The verb depicts swift movement.
[5:6] 17 sn Here Joseph (= Ephraim and Manasseh), as the most prominent of the Israelite tribes, represents the entire northern kingdom.
[5:6] 19 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[5:6] 20 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] 21 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] 22 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] 23 tn Heb “they throw righteousness.”
[5:7] 24 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] 25 tn Heb “darkens the day into night.”
[5:9] 26 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb בָּלַג (balag, translated here “flashes”) is uncertain.
[5:9] 27 tn Heb “comes upon.” Many prefer to repoint the verb as Hiphil and translate, “he brings destruction upon the fortified places.”
[5:10] 28 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:10] 29 sn In ancient Israelite culture, legal disputes were resolved in the city gate, where the town elders met.
[5:11] 30 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] 31 tn Or “lovely”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “pleasant”; NAB “choice”; NIV “lush.”
[5:11] 32 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] 34 tn Or “I know” (so most English versions).
[5:12] 35 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] 37 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] 38 sn Legal disputes were resolved in the city gate, where the town elders met.
[5:13] 39 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] 40 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] 41 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] 42 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] 43 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] 44 tn Or “will show favor to.”
[5:15] 45 tn Or “the remnant of” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “what’s left of your people.”
[5:15] 46 sn Joseph (= Ephraim and Manasseh), as the most prominent of the Israelite tribes, represents the entire northern kingdom.
[5:16] 47 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] 48 tn Or “the Lord.” The Hebrew term translated “sovereign One” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[5:16] 49 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] 50 tn Or “farmers” (NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
[5:16] 51 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] 52 sn The expression pass through your midst alludes to Exod 12:12, where the
[5:18] 53 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] 54 tn The words “Disaster will be inescapable” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:19] 55 tn Heb “went” (so KJV, NRSV).
[5:20] 56 tn Heb “Will not the day of the Lord be.”
[5:21] 57 tn Heb “I hate”; “I despise.”
[5:21] 58 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] 59 tn Heb “burnt offerings and your grain offerings.”
[5:22] 60 tn Heb “Peace offering[s], your fattened calves, I will not look at.”
[5:23] 61 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] 62 tn The Hebrew word probably refers to “harps” (NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “lutes” (NEB).
[5:24] 63 tn Traditionally, “righteousness.”
[5:25] 64 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] 66 tn This word appears in an awkward position in the Hebrew, following “Kiyyun.” It is placed here for better sense.
[5:26] 67 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] 68 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] 69 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] 70 tn On the Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy; “ah, woe”) as a term of mourning, see the notes in 5:16, 18.
[6:1] 71 sn Zion is a reference to Jerusalem.
[6:1] 72 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] 74 tn Heb “comes to them.”
[6:2] 75 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] 76 tn Or “Great Hamath” (cf. NIV); or “Hamath the great” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); the word “rabbah” means “great” in Hebrew.
[6:2] 77 tn Heb “to these,” referring to Judah and Israel (see v. 1a).
[6:2] 78 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] 79 tn Heb “those who push away a day of disaster.”
[6:3] 80 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] 81 tn Heb “beds of ivory.”
[6:5] 82 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] 83 tn Heb “upon the mouth of,” that is, “according to.”
[6:5] 84 sn The stringed instruments mentioned here are probably harps (cf. NIV, NRSV) or lutes (cf. NEB).
[6:5] 85 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] 86 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] 87 tn Heb “with the best of oils they anoint [themselves].”
[6:6] 88 tn Or “not sickened by.”
[6:6] 89 sn The ruin of Joseph may refer to the societal disintegration in Israel, or to the effects of the impending judgment.
[6:7] 90 tn Heb “they will go into exile at the head of the exiles.”
[6:7] 91 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] 92 tn Heb “of the sprawled out.” See v. 4.
[6:8] 93 tn Heb “swears by his life”; or “swears by himself.”
[6:8] 94 tn Heb “his,” referring to Jacob, which stands here for the nation of Israel.
[6:8] 95 tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[6:8] 96 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] 97 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] 98 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] 99 tn Or “is issuing the decree.”
[6:12] 100 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] 101 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] 102 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] 103 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] 104 tn Or “raise up” (KJV, NASB); NIV “stir up.”
[6:14] 106 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] 107 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] 108 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.
[7:1] 109 tn Heb “behold” or “look.”
[7:1] 110 sn The crops planted late (consisting of vegetables) were planted in late January-early March and sprouted in conjunction with the spring rains of March-April. For a discussion of the ancient Israelite agricultural calendar, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 31-44.
[7:1] 111 tn Or “the mowings of the king.”
[7:1] sn This royal harvest may refer to an initial mowing of crops collected as taxes by the royal authorities.
[7:2] 112 tn “Israel” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[7:2] 113 tn Heb “stand” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[7:3] 115 tn Or “changed his mind about this.”
[7:4] 116 tn Heb “behold” or “look.”
[7:4] 117 tc The Hebrew appears to read, “summoning to contend with fire,” or “summoning fire to contend,” but both are problematic syntactically (H. W. Wolff, Joel and Amos [Hermeneia], 292; S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 230-31). Many emend the text to לרבב אשׁ, “(calling) for a shower of fire,” though this interpretation is also problematic (see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Amos [AB], 746-47).
[7:6] 120 tn Or “changed his mind about this.”
[7:7] 121 tn Heb “behold” or “look.”
[7:7] 122 tn Or “the Lord.” The Hebrew term translated “sovereign One” here and in the following verse is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[7:7] 123 tn The Hebrew word אֲנָךְ (’anakh, “tin”) occurs only in this passage (twice in this verse and twice in the following verse). (Its proposed meaning is based on an Akkadian cognate annaku.) The tin wall of the vision, if it symbolizes Israel, may suggest weakness and vulnerability to judgment. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 233-35. The symbolic significance of God holding tin in his hand and then placing tin among the people is unclear. Possibly the term אֲנָךְ in v. 8b is a homonym meaning “grief” (this term is attested in postbiblical Hebrew). In this case there is a wordplay, the אֲנָךְ (“tin”) of the vision suggesting the אֲנָךְ (“grief”) that judgment will bring upon the land. See F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Amos (AB), 759. Another option is to maintain the meaning “tin” and understand that the Lord has ripped off a piece of the tin wall and placed it in front of all to see. Their citadels, of which the nation was so proud and confident, are nothing more than tin fortresses. The traditional interpretation of these verses (reflected in many English versions) understands the term אֲנָךְ to mean “lead,” and by extension, “plumb line.” In this case, one may translate: “I saw the sovereign one standing by a wall built true to plumb holding a plumb line in his hand. The
[7:8] 124 tn Heb “And I will no longer pass over him.”
[7:9] 125 tn Traditionally, “the high places” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “pagan shrines.”
[7:9] 126 tn Heb “And I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword.”
[7:10] 127 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[7:10] 128 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] 129 tn Heb “in the middle of the house of Israel.”
[7:11] 132 tn See the note on the word “exile” in 5:5.
[7:12] 133 tn Traditionally, “seer.” The word is a synonym for “prophet,” though it may carry a derogatory tone on the lips of Amaziah.
[7:12] 134 tn Heb “Eat bread there.”
[7:13] 135 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[7:13] 136 tn Heb “for it is a temple of a king and it is a royal house.” It is possible that the phrase “royal house” refers to a temple rather than a palace. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 243.
[7:14] 137 tn Heb “replied and said.” The phrase “and said” is pleonastic (redundant) and has not been included in the translation.
[7:14] 138 tn Heb “I was not a prophet nor was I the son of a prophet.” The phrase “son of a prophet” refers to one who was trained in a prophetic guild. Since there is no equative verb present in the Hebrew text, another option is to translate with the present tense, “I am not a prophet by profession.” In this case Amos, though now carrying out a prophetic ministry (v. 15), denies any official or professional prophetic status. Modern English versions are divided about whether to understand the past (JB, NIV, NKJV) or present tense (NASB, NEB, NRSV, NJPS) here.
[7:14] 140 tn Heb “gashed”; or “pierced.”
[7:14] sn For a discussion of the agricultural background, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 128-29.
[7:14] 141 sn It is possible that herdsmen agreed to care for sycamore fig trees in exchange for grazing rights. See P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 116-17. Since these trees do not grow around Tekoa but rather in the lowlands, another option is that Amos owned other property outside his hometown. In this case, this verse demonstrates his relative wealth and is his response to Amaziah; he did not depend on prophecy as a profession (v. 13).
[7:15] 142 tn Heb “from [following] after.”
[7:15] 143 tn Heb “and the
[7:16] 144 tn The verb, which literally means “to drip,” appears to be a synonym of “to prophesy,” but it might carry a derogatory tone here, perhaps alluding to the impassioned, frenzied way in which prophets sometimes delivered their messages. If so, one could translate, “to drivel; to foam at the mouth” (see HALOT 694 s.v. נטף).
[7:17] 145 tn Heb “in the city,” that is, “in public.”
[7:17] 146 tn Heb “will fall by the sword.”
[7:17] 147 tn Heb “will be divided up with a [surveyor’s] measuring line.”
[7:17] 148 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] 149 tn See the note on the word “exile” in 5:5.
[8:1] 150 tn Heb “behold” or “look.”
[8:1] 151 sn The basket of summer fruit (also in the following verse) probably refers to figs from the summer crop, which ripens in August-September. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 115.
[8:2] 152 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] 153 tn Heb “I will no longer pass over him.”
[8:3] 154 tn Or “palace” (NASB, NCV, TEV).
[8:3] 155 tn Heb “Many corpses in every place he will throw out.” The subject of the verb is probably impersonal, though many emend the active (Hiphil) form to a passive (Hophal): “Many corpses in every place will be thrown out.”
[8:4] 156 tn See the note on the word “trample” in 2:7.
[8:4] 157 tn Or “put an end to”; or “exterminate.”
[8:5] 158 sn Apparently work was prohibited during the new moon festival, just as it was on the Sabbath.
[8:5] 160 tn The verb, though omitted in the Hebrew text, is supplied in the translation from the parallel line.
[8:5] 161 tn Heb “sell grain.” Here “grain” could stand by metonymy for the bins where it was stored.
[8:5] 162 tn Here and in v. 6 the words “we’re eager” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[8:5] 163 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] 164 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.
[8:6] 165 tn Heb “to buy the poor for silver.”
[8:6] sn The expression trade silver for the poor refers to the slave trade.
[8:6] 166 tn See the note on the word “sandals” in 2:6.
[8:6] 167 tn Heb “The chaff of the grain we will sell.”
[8:7] 169 sn In an oath one appeals to something permanent to emphasize one’s commitment to the promise. Here the
[8:7] 170 tn The words “I swear” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation because a self-imprecation is assumed in oaths of this type.
[8:7] 171 tn Or “I will never forget all your deeds.”
[8:8] 172 tn Or “land” (also later in this verse).
[8:8] 173 tn It is not clear whether the speaker in this verse is the
[8:8] 175 tc The MT reads “like the light” (כָאֹר, kha’or; note this term also appears in v. 9), which is commonly understood to be an error for “like the Nile” (כִּיאוֹר, ki’or). See the parallel line and Amos 9:5. The word “River” is supplied in the translation for clarity. If this emendation is correct, in the Hebrew of Amos “Nile” is actually spelled three slightly different ways.
[8:8] sn The movement of the quaking earth is here compared to the annual flooding and receding of the River Nile.
[8:8] 177 tn Or “sink back down.” The translation assumes the verb שָׁקַע (shaqa’), following the Qere.
[8:8] 178 tn The entire verse is phrased in a series of rhetorical questions which anticipate the answer, “Of course!” (For example, the first line reads, “Because of this will the earth not quake?”). The rhetorical questions entrap the listener in the logic of the judgment of God (cf. 3:3-6; 9:7). The rhetorical questions have been converted to affirmative statements in the translation for clarity.
[8:9] 179 tn Heb “in a day of light.”
[8:10] 181 tn Heb “I will place sackcloth on all waists.”
[8:10] sn Mourners wore sackcloth (funeral clothes) as an outward expression of grief.
[8:10] 182 tn Heb “and make every head bald.” This could be understood in a variety of ways, while the ritual act of mourning typically involved shaving the head (although occasionally the hair could be torn out as a sign of mourning).
[8:10] sn Shaving the head or tearing out one’s hair was a ritual act of mourning. See Lev 21:5; Deut 14:1; Isa 3:24; 15:2; Jer 47:5; 48:37; Ezek 7:18; 27:31; Mic 1:16.
[8:10] 183 tn Heb “I will make it like the mourning for an only son.”
[8:10] 184 tn Heb “and its end will be like a bitter day.” The Hebrew preposition כְּ (kaf) sometimes carries the force of “in every respect,” indicating identity rather than mere comparison.
[8:11] 185 tn Heb “behold” or “look.”
[8:11] 186 tn Heb “the days are.”
[8:11] 187 tn Heb “not a hunger for food or a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the
[8:12] 188 tn Heb “they”; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:12] 189 tn That is, from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east – that is, across the whole land.
[8:12] 190 tn Heb “looking for the word of.”
[8:12] 191 tn It is not clear whether the speaker in this verse is the
[8:13] 195 tn It is not clear whether the speaker in this verse is the
[8:14] 196 tn Heb “those who swear.”
[8:14] 197 tn Heb “the sin [or “guilt”] of Samaria.” This could be a derogatory reference to an idol-goddess popular in the northern kingdom, perhaps Asherah (cf. 2 Chr 24:18, where this worship is labeled “their guilt”), or to the golden calf at the national sanctuary in Bethel (Hos 8:6, 10:8). Some English versions (e.g., NEB, NRSV, CEV) repoint the word and read “Ashimah,” the name of a goddess worshiped in Hamath in Syria (see 2 Kgs 17:30).
[8:14] 199 sn Your god is not identified. It may refer to another patron deity who was not the God of Israel, a local manifestation of the Lord that was worshiped by the people there, or, more specifically, the golden calf image erected in Dan by Jeroboam I (see 1 Kgs 12:28-30).
[8:14] 200 tc The MT reads, “As surely as the way [to] Beer Sheba lives,” or “As surely as the way lives, O Beer Sheba.” Perhaps the term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “the way”) refers to the pilgrimage route to Beersheba (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 272) or it may be a title for a god. The notion of pilgrimage appears elsewhere in the book (cf. 4:4-5; 5:4-5; 8:12). The translation above assumes an emendation to דֹּדְךְ (dodÿkh, “your beloved” or “relative”; the term also is used in 6:10) and understands this as referring either to the Lord (since other kinship terms are used of him, such as “Father”) or to another deity that was particularly popular in Beer Sheba. Besides the commentaries, see S. M. Olyan, “The Oaths of Amos 8:14” Priesthood and Cult in Ancient Israel, 121-49.
[9:1] 201 tn Or “the Lord.” The Hebrew term translated “sovereign One” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[9:1] 202 sn The altar is perhaps the altar at Bethel.
[9:1] 203 tn Or “the capitals.” The Hebrew singular form is collective.
[9:1] 204 tn Heb “cut them off on the head of all of them.” The translation assumes the objective suffix on the verb refers to the tops of the pillars and that the following prepositional phrase refers to the people standing beneath. Another option is to take this phrase as referring to the pillars, in which case one could translate, “Knock all the tops of the pillars off.”
[9:1] 205 tn Heb “the remnant of them.” One could possibly translate, “every last one of them” (cf. NEB “to the last man”). This probably refers to those who survive the collapse of the temple, which may symbolize the northern kingdom.
[9:1] 206 tn Heb “a fugitive belonging to them will not run away.”
[9:1] 207 tn Heb “a survivor belonging to them will not escape.”
[9:2] 208 tn Heb “into Sheol” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV), that is, the land of the dead localized in Hebrew thought in the earth’s core or the grave. Cf. KJV “hell”; NCV, NLT “the place of the dead”; NIV “the depths of the grave.”
[9:3] 209 tn Heb “from before my eyes.”
[9:3] 210 tn Or perhaps simply, “there,” if the מ (mem) prefixed to the adverb is dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem).
[9:3] 211 sn If the article indicates a definite serpent, then the mythological Sea Serpent, symbolic of the world’s chaotic forces, is probably in view. See Job 26:13 and Isa 27:1 (where it is also called Leviathan). Elsewhere in the OT this serpent is depicted as opposing the
[9:4] 212 tn Heb “Even if they go into captivity before their enemies.”
[9:4] 213 tn Or perhaps simply, “there,” if the מ (mem) prefixed to the adverb is dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem).
[9:4] 214 tn Heb “I will set my eye on them for disaster, not good.”
[9:5] 215 tn The words “will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:5] 216 tn Or “melts.” The verb probably depicts earthquakes and landslides. See v. 5b.
[9:5] 218 tn Heb “the Nile.” The word “River” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:5] 219 tn Or “sinks back down.”
[9:5] 220 sn See Amos 8:8, which is very similar to this verse.
[9:6] 221 tc The MT reads “his steps.” If this is correct, then the reference may be to the steps leading up to the heavenly temple or the throne of God (cf. 1 Kgs 10:19-20). The prefixed מ (mem) may be dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem). The translation assumes an emendation to עֲלִיָּתוֹ (’aliyyato, “his upper rooms”).
[9:6] 222 tn Traditionally, “vault” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV). The precise meaning of this word in this context is unclear. Elsewhere it refers to objects grouped or held together. F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman (Amos [AB], 845-46) suggest the foundational structure of a building is in view.
[9:6] 223 sn Verse 6a pictures the entire universe as a divine palace founded on the earth and extending into the heavens.
[9:7] 224 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] 225 sn Caphtor may refer to the island of Crete.
[9:7] 226 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.
[9:8] 227 tn Heb “the eyes of the sovereign
[9:8] 229 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
[9:9] 230 tn Heb “like being shaken with a sieve, and a pebble does not fall to the ground.” The meaning of the Hebrew word צְרוֹר (tsÿror), translated “pebble,” is unclear here. In 2 Sam 17:13 it appears to refer to a stone. If it means “pebble,” then the sieve described in v. 6 allows the grain to fall into a basket while retaining the debris and pebbles. However, if one interprets צְרוֹר as a “kernel of grain” (cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NLT) then the sieve is constructed to retain the grain and allow the refuse and pebbles to fall to the ground. In either case, the simile supports the last statement in v. 8 by making it clear that God will distinguish between the righteous (the grain) and the wicked (the pebbles) when he judges, and will thereby preserve a remnant in Israel. Only the sinners will be destroyed (v. 10).
[9:11] 231 tn The phrase translated “collapsing hut” refers to a temporary shelter (cf. NASB, NRSV “booth”) in disrepair and emphasizes the relatively weakened condition of the once powerful Davidic dynasty. Others have suggested that the term refers to Jerusalem, while still others argue that it should be repointed to read “Sukkoth,” a garrison town in Transjordan. Its reconstruction would symbolize the rebirth of the Davidic empire and its return to power (e.g., M. E. Polley, Amos and the Davidic Empire, 71-74).
[9:11] 232 tc The MT reads a third feminine plural suffix, which could refer to the two kingdoms (Judah and Israel) or, more literally, to the breaches in the walls of the cities that are mentioned in v. 4 (cf. 4:3). Some emend to third feminine singular, since the “hut” of the preceding line (a feminine singular noun) might be the antecedent. In that case, the final nun (ן) is virtually dittographic with the vav (ו) that appears at the beginning of the following word.
[9:11] 233 tc The MT reads a third masculine singular suffix, which could refer back to David. However, it is possible that an original third feminine singular suffix (יה-, yod-hey) has been misread as masculine (יו-, yod-vav). In later Hebrew script a ה (he) resembles a יו- (yod-vav) combination.
[9:11] 234 tn Heb “and I will rebuild as in days of antiquity.”
[9:12] 235 sn They probably refers to the Israelites or to the Davidic rulers of the future.
[9:12] 236 tn Heb “take possession of the remnant of Edom”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “possess the remnant of Edom.”
[9:12] 237 tn Heb “nations over whom my name is proclaimed.” The Hebrew idiom indicates ownership, sometimes as a result of conquest. See 2 Sam 12:28.
[9:12] sn This verse envisions a new era of Israelite rule, perhaps patterned after David’s imperialistic successes (see 2 Sam 8-10). At the same time, however, the verse does not specify how this rule is to be accomplished. Note that the book ends with a description of peace and abundance, and its final reference to God (v. 15) does not include the epithet “the Lord who commands armies,” which has militaristic overtones. This is quite a different scene than what the book began with: nations at war and standing under the judgment of God.
[9:13] 238 tn Heb “behold” or “look.”
[9:13] 239 tn Heb “the days are.”
[9:13] 240 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] 241 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] 242 tn The verb is omitted here in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation from the parallel line.
[9:13] 243 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] 244 tn Or “hills,” where the vineyards were planted.
[9:13] 245 tn Heb “and all the hills will melt.”
[9:14] 246 tn This line can also be translated “I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel” and is a common idiom (e.g., Deut 30:3; Jer 30:3; Hos 6:11; Zeph 3:20). This rendering is followed by several modern English versions (e.g., NEB, NRSV, NJPS).
[9:14] 247 tn Or “the ruined [or “desolate”] cities.”
[9:14] 248 tn Or “and live [in them].”
[9:14] 249 tn Heb “drink their wine.”
[9:14] 251 tn Heb “eat their fruit.”
[9:15] 252 tn Heb “their.” The pronoun was replaced by the English definite article in the translation for stylistic reasons.
