Annotations for Amos

1:3–2:3 Amos described the reasons for God’s judgment on six neighbors of Israel and Judah. These nations were condemned primarily for their inhumane treatment of others. The basic structure for each announcement of judgment is as follows: the introductory formula, the charge, the specific punishment and the concluding formula. God would not revoke or “relent” in his judgment on the nations (Am 1:3,6,9,11,13; 2:1).

1:3 A specific pattern is generally repeated with each announcement of judgment on a nation. “For three sins . . . even for four” begins each oracle (vv. 3,6,9,11,13; Am 2:1,4,6). The phrase “three sins” indicates that the Lord has had enough of the people’s sin. “Sins” often refers to rebellion or deliberate revolt (see Ps 32:1–2, note). “Four” represents the fact that their sin is overflowing and intolerable. Damascus had sinned again and again. They had reached the limit, and God’s judgment upon them was now certain. Most mothers have felt frustration similar to this when a child disobeys again and again and correction is made with boundaries clearly defined. Finally, punishment comes swiftly and effectively.

1:3–5 Damascus, the capital of Aram, was indicted for cruelty in warfare toward Gilead, their less powerful neighbors to the south. “Sledges having iron teeth,” normally used to thresh grain, may have been used by the Arameans to rake over their prisoners of war. Hazael murdered Ben-Hadad and succeeded him as king of Aram. Both led border wars against Israel (v. 4; see 2Ki 6:24–25; 8:7–15; 10:32–33; 13:3; see chart, The Kings of Aram). “Fire” symbolizes warfare.

1:6–8 Gaza was the chief Philistine city during the time of Amos and one of a league of five Philistine cities located southwest of Israel. The Philistines were indicted for slave trade with Edom. Their sin was compounded by the fact that they carried an entire people into captivity (v. 6), leaving no hope for repopulation.

1:9–10 Tyre, a prominent Phoenician city, disregarded basic human rights. Phoenicia was located northwest of Israel in what is modern Lebanon. Tyre received condemnation for delivering an entire population to Edom. They went beyond the sin of the Philistines with the added treachery of attacking their allies, thus violating “a treaty of brotherhood” (v. 9). This covenant may refer to the relationship of friendship and mutual assistance established between kings David and Solomon of Israel and Hiram of Tyre (v. 9; see 2Sa 5:11; 1Ki 5:1–11).

1:11–12 The inhabitants of Edom descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob. Hostility between the twins Jacob and Esau began in their mother’s womb, persisted throughout their lives and continued in their descendants. The Edomites refused passage through their land to the children of Israel bound for Canaan (Nu 20:14–21). They served as the intermediary for the slave trade between the Philistines and Phoenicians and distant nations (Am 1:11).

1:13–15 The Ammonites, descendants of Lot, lived north of Moab east of the Jordan River. Ripping open pregnant women, a means of controlling the population in neighboring Gilead, alludes to a common wartime atrocity in the ancient Near East. A sword was used to slash open the stomachs of pregnant women and rip the unborn baby from the womb (see 2Ki 8:12; 15:16; Hos 13:16). This barbaric practice is documented in an Assyrian text praising Tiglath-pileser I (about 1100 BC) and in Homer’s Iliad, which advises that not even “the manchild whom his mother bears in her womb” be allowed to escape from battle. Amos cited this atrocity as evidence of the depth of depravity of those who consumed the poor, the weak and the helpless. For any society, killing the unborn child is the ultimate sin against the helpless (see Ge 9, Sanctity of Life; Jer 1, Abortion). The Ammonites engaged in this cruelty for the purpose of enlarging their own borders. Rabbah served as the capital of Ammon (Am 1:14).

2:1–3 Moab was situated east of the Dead Sea between Ammon and Edom. The Moabites descended from Lot. The exact nature of Moab’s crime is unclear. Probably the reference is to violating the sanctity of a tomb and treating the remains of a dead Edomite king with indignity. Punishment came in the form of “fire” or warfare (v. 2). Kerioth was a major city of Moab (Jer 48:41).

2:4–5 Amos denounced Judah, having the rapt attention of his audience in Israel. The inhabitants of Judah, who had sunk to the level of the pagan nations, were condemned because they “rejected the law of the LORD” (the revelation of God’s will and way) and did not obey the Torah. “Led astray” refers to idolatry (v. 4). The Lord’s people were held accountable for the greater revelation they had received.

2:6–16 The indictment against Israel is the most lengthy of Amos’s pronouncements against the nations. The prophet especially pointed out the crimes against their own countrymen. The poor of the land were being sold for money (silver) or property (represented by “a pair of sandals,” the most insignificant item) because they could not pay debts owed to wealthy creditors (see also Ru 4:7, note, for another reference to the sandal).

2:7–8 Both son and father consorted sexually with the same maiden, a practice forbidden in Israel (Lev 18:8,15; 20:11; Dt 22:30; 23:17–18). They compounded their sin of sensual indulgence with idolatry, perhaps the practice of cultic prostitution associated with the worship of Baal. Here the worshipers lay down by the altars for luxurious religious feasts on garments taken in pledge, in order to keep their own clothing clean. The borrowed clothes were to have been returned before sundown so that the owners would not be deprived of their coverings (Ex 22:26–27). The idol worshipers indulged themselves at the expense of the poor. They went to the place of worship but defied God’s law and brought more misery to the least of his people.

2:9–12 The Lord rehearsed his mighty acts on behalf of his people accompanied by a note of his exasperation with their disobedience (vv. 13–16). God raised up prophets to instruct his people in righteousness and Nazirites to be an example of devotion to the Lord by separating themselves from wine or strong drink, the razor and dead bodies (v. 12; Nu 6:1–8). The Israelites rejected the message of the prophets and ridiculed the Nazirite vow (Am 2:12). Amos had experienced firsthand Israel’s sin of commanding the prophets not to prophesy (v. 12, see Am 7:12–13,16).

2:13–16 The Lord’s judgment on Israel was inevitable and inescapable. A cart loaded with grain would have been a common sight and illustrated graphically how God was burdened with the sins of his people (v. 13). The tragic irony lay in the fact that the Lord had used Israel to destroy the sinful Amorites who previously occupied the land (v. 10). Now Israel had fallen into the same sins as the Amorites. They, too, would face God’s judgment at the hands of an invading nation.

3:1–2 The people of Israel had experienced a unique, covenant relationship with the Lord because he had elected them from among all the nations to be his people. They had forgotten that along with covenant promise comes covenant responsibility. Israel’s special relationship with the Lord did not result in immunity from the Lord’s judgment. Instead his suzerainty covenant (between unequal parties) formed the basis for God’s judgment of his people (see Ex 19:5, note). If God had not judged his people, he would have been in violation of his own covenant. “Sins” refers to moral crookedness and perversion (Am 3:2; see Ps 32:1–2, note).

3:3–8 The rhetorical questions raised reveal that events do not occur in nature or history without causes. The first six questions needed no response. However, the seventh did: Can God bring about disaster (Isa 45:7; see Ex 14, Justice; Jos 6, Justice)? God had pronounced certain disaster: The appointment had been made, the lion had roared, the trap had been set and the trumpet had blown (Am 3:7–8). Amos explained the cause behind his preaching as the call of the Lord (v. 8). The Lord desired to disclose himself and his ways to his servants the prophets so they could deliver his words before God carried out his judgment (v. 7). This principle provided a method of authenticating a prophet’s ministry.

3:13–15 Houses adorned with ivory have an interesting archaeological corroboration. Numerous fragments of ivory, some dating from the 8th century BC, have been uncovered in Samaria. Some scholars believe these were inlays in the furniture and wall paneling of the homes of the wealthy Israelites against whom Amos prophesied. When God destroyed Samaria at the hands of the Assyrians, the ivory was smashed and the ruins of this wealthy society lay buried for many generations. God’s pronouncement of impending disaster was fulfilled in history exactly as spoken by Amos.

4:1–3 In this stinging indictment of Israel’s women, the designation “cows of Bashan” refers to the insensitive wives of wealthy officials living in luxury. Although they may not have oppressed the poor overtly, these women pressured their husbands to provide them with luxuries to satisfy their self-indulgence at the expense of the poor and needy. They had forfeited their right to be respected (Isa 3:16–4:1). The Lord’s judgment on them takes the form of an oath (Am 4:2). Bashan was a fertile, well-watered region (now the Golan Heights; see Dt 32:14; Ps 22:12; Mic 7:14) where sheep and cattle grazed in lush pastures. Animals for cultic sacrifice were raised here. Just as the fattening cattle were oblivious to their sure but pending slaughter, the Israelite women were living in luxury unaware of the catastrophe about to crush them. The Lord would lead them away like slaves with fishhooks, a humiliating captivity.

4:4–5 Bethel, one of the sites where Jeroboam I had set up a golden calf, was Israel’s primary worship center in Amos’s time (Am 7:13). It had become a center for idolatry. Gilgal was the second most important place for worship. Amos’s invitation to “go” and “burn” was a form of satire. The religious practices of the people did not draw them closer to God, but rather led them further from him. Their worship resulted in multiplied transgression or rebellion against the Lord.

5:1–3 A funeral song over “Israel,” the northern kingdom, is found here. The house of Israel is designated as “Virgin Israel” (v. 2). This phrase represents the earliest reference to Israel as a woman and indicates youthfulness as well as virginity. Israel was doomed for untimely destruction. Failure to live according to God’s holy law would bring about the tithe of a remnant: “a hundred left” out of “a thousand”; “ten left” out of “a hundred” (v. 3).

5:4–7 The Lord’s people could find life only by seeking him, not by performing the prescribed ritual at traditional religious sites such as Bethel and Gilgal, for these cities had become centers for idolatry.

5:8–9 The Pleiades and Orion are two primary constellations (see Job 9:9, note). The stars were worshiped by many ancient peoples, but they are created objects, not gods.

5:10–13 The elders and judges of the city officially met at the “court” where legal transactions took place (see vv. 10,12; see Ru 4:1,7). “Times are evil” probably refers to a time of calamity (Am 5:13). They would not benefit from any of their labors because they had denied justice to the poor, who could not pay the “bribes.”

5:14–15 The way of life lies in seeking God and doing right. The way of death is to persist in sinning. Each woman chooses the way she will take (see Ps 1; chart, The Choice Between Life and Death).

5:16–27 The people of Israel perceived the day of the Lord as a day of victory for themselves and a day of judgment for their enemies. Amos corrected that popular misconception. He presented the day of the Lord as a day of judgment for the Lord’s people. Their judgment would be greater because they had received greater revelation (see Am 3:1–2, note). The Israelites misunderstood and asked for the day of the Lord (Am 5:18), but Amos warned that this “day” would not bring “brightness” or blessing but doom and “darkness” (v. 20). The Israelites kept “religious festivals,” attended “assemblies,” and offered “burnt offerings” but neglected justice and righteousness (vv. 21–22).

5:18–6:7 Oracles of Woe (Heb. hoy, lit. “pain” or “bereavement”) were delivered by Amos against the Israelites. Jesus used this same form of address in a series of woes against the scribes and Pharisees (Mt 23:13–36; see chart, Jewish Sects). The self-righteous Jews saw themselves as fulfilling all the law, but Jesus said that they “neglected the more important matters of the law” (see Mt 23:23). God wanted justice and righteousness from his people (Am 5:24).

6:1–7 Amos condemned the rich, powerful leaders for living in luxury gained through violence and for ignoring the poor of the land. Israel felt safe on the mountain of Samaria. Similarly, Judah felt “complacent in Zion.” The ruling class felt secure in their religion because they went through the prescribed rituals. The people had blinded themselves to the serious nature of their sin, which had made them indistinguishable from the pagan nations. Israel was not exempt from God’s judgment (see Lk 12:48).

7:1–3 In Amos’s first vision, he saw “swarms of locusts” in the spring after the king’s crop but before the people harvested their crop. Amos interceded with one-word prayers: “forgive” (v. 2) and “stop” (v. 5). The Lord “relented,” altered his course and canceled the judgment (vv. 3,6). Between “it shall come to pass” and “it came to pass” stands God’s mercy.

7:4–6 Fire referred to war or drought. Again Amos asked the Lord to cease his judgment (see vv. 1–3, note) because Jacob or Israel (see Ge 32:28; chart, Terminology for the Divided Kingdom) could not survive the devastation. Again the Lord relented.

7:7–9 God as a building inspector set a plumb line in the midst of Israel. To test the straightness of a wall, the builder used a plumb line, a cord with a heavy weight at one end. Israel failed God’s test of straightness or righteousness. Therefore, impending judgment was inevitable.

7:10–17 This encounter between Amos and Amaziah occurred at Bethel, the king’s sanctuary (v. 13). Amaziah the priest, who probably had been appointed by the king, accused Amos of being a traitor. The authorities at Bethel (Heb., lit. “house of God”) could not tolerate the prophet of God. Amaziah strongly encouraged Amos to return to Judah and earn his living as a prophet there (see Introduction: Author). Amos refused to flee. His authority was from God, not men. The Lord’s judgment would fall on Amaziah as well as on Israel (v. 17). Amaziah, as chief priest in the northern kingdom, was rejecting the authority of God, not of Amos. Thus, the consequences would be both personal and national (v. 17).

8:1–14 Judgment was an accomplished fact in this vision. Amos used a play on words to convey his message: “ripe fruit” (Heb. qayits, v. 1) and “the time is ripe” (Heb. qets, v. 2) sound similar in Hebrew. Like the “ripe fruit,” the end had come for Israel. The vision was followed by the indictment of Israel (vv. 4–14). The charges included insincere worship, mistreatment of the poor, and unethical business practices. “That day” refers to the day of the Lord (v. 9; see Am 5:16–27, note). Egypt had once known such desperate “mourning” when the Lord struck down the firstborn in every family (Ex 12:30); now Israel would also know this “bitter day” of God’s judgment (Am 8:10). Because the people rejected the Word of God, God would make his Word scarce (v. 11). “Lovely young women and strong young men” indicates that the vigor and attraction of youth alone cannot provide strength to meet moral and spiritual crises (v. 13). Only God’s Word can do this (v. 11).

9:1–10 The Lord appeared at the altar to announce the total devastation of Israel in this final vision of Amos. None would be able to escape the Lord’s judgment, which began with those who claimed to believe him as Israel had believed. The sovereignty of the Lord permitted no hiding place. “The depths below” (Heb. she’ol), is the place of the dead (v. 2). Compare the list of hiding places in verses 2–4 with those of Psalm 139:7–12. In Psalm 139 the Lord’s omnipresence is related to his benevolent care for his people. In Amos 9:1–10 the Lord’s omnipresence is related to his judgment. Israel could not claim privileged status with the Lord (v. 7). The Lord’s sovereignty was behind the movement of Israel’s enemies, the Philistines and the Arameans, just as the Lord had initiated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. God’s eyes focused on his people for calamity and not for good (vv. 4,8). Judgment would fall on those who least expected it (v. 10).

9:11–15 Hope existed for Israel beyond judgment. “The days are coming” (v. 13) is language used in the OT to describe the future blessings and hope of the messianic age (see Jer 31:31–34). The judgment message of Amos 5:11 stands in contrast to the restoration message of Amos 9:14. Amos saw the restoration of Israel as complete and permanent (v. 15). The Lord’s judgments have a redemptive purpose in the lives of his people.