TEXT [Commentary]
IV. Further Oracles against Israel (3:1–6:14)
A. Listen, People of Israel (3:1-15)
1 Listen to this message that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel—against the entire family I rescued from Egypt:
2 “From among all the families on the earth,
I have been intimate with you alone.
That is why I must punish you
for all your sins.”
3 Can two people walk together
without agreeing on the direction?
4 Does a lion ever roar in a thicket
without first finding a victim?
Does a young lion growl in its den
without first catching its prey?
5 Does a bird ever get caught in a trap
that has no bait?
Does a trap spring shut
when there’s nothing to catch?
6 When the ram’s horn blows a warning,
shouldn’t the people be alarmed?
Does disaster come to a city
unless the LORD has planned it?
7 Indeed, the Sovereign LORD never does anything
until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.
8 The lion has roared—
so who isn’t frightened?
The Sovereign LORD has spoken—
so who can refuse to proclaim his message?
9 Announce this to the leaders of Philistia[*]
and to the great ones of Egypt:
“Take your seats now on the hills around Samaria,
and witness the chaos and oppression in Israel.”
10 “My people have forgotten how to do right,”
says the LORD.
“Their fortresses are filled with wealth
taken by theft and violence.
11 Therefore,” says the Sovereign LORD,
“an enemy is coming!
He will surround them and shatter their defenses.
Then he will plunder all their fortresses.”
12 This is what the LORD says:
“A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion’s mouth
will recover only two legs or a piece of an ear.
So it will be for the Israelites in Samaria lying on luxurious beds,
and for the people of Damascus reclining on couches.[*]
13 “Now listen to this, and announce it throughout all Israel,[*]” says the Lord, the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies.
14 “On the very day I punish Israel for its sins,
I will destroy the pagan altars at Bethel.
The horns of the altar will be cut off
and fall to the ground.
15 And I will destroy the beautiful homes of the wealthy—
their winter mansions and their summer houses, too—
all their palaces filled with ivory,”
says the LORD.
NOTES
3:1 Listen. This imperative verb (shama‘ [TH8085, ZH9048]) introduces a formulaic summons to listen (cf. Deut 4:1; 6:4; Hos 4:1; Mic 6:1). In prophetic contexts the word typically denotes “listen to; heed by acting upon or putting into practice what has been said” (NIDOTTE 5.178). The formula signals that “an important message is coming. A principle, an issue, a teaching, or a truth is about to be revealed” (Stuart 1987:321). Amos used the imperative, “listen,” to open three of his messages in this central section of the book (3:1; 4:1; 5:1).
family. The term mishpakhah [TH4940, ZH5476] denotes the largest sub-tribal unit between the tribe and the family and may be called a “clan.” Amos 3:1 is the only reference to Israel as a “family” in the OT. According to Andersen and Freedman (1989:380-381), the prophet used the designation to “downgrade” Israel by placing them beside all other nations (“families on the earth,” 3:2) as members of a larger unit, a single tribe of humanity. This leveling of the two “houses” (Israel and Judah) in the family of the Hebrew people with the six other people groups surrounding Israel (chs 1–2) places all equally under the jurisdiction of the one God.
3:2 intimate. The word yada‘ [TH3045, ZH3359] usually means “to know.” In this context the term refers to an experiential or relational knowledge and indicates a special intimacy that God enjoys with Israel. No doubt Amos has in mind God’s election of Israel by means of the covenant relationship established with Abram and later with the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai (Gen 12:3; 28:14; Exod 19:4-6). Andersen and Freedman (1989:381) note that equally pertinent is the use of the word “know” (yada‘) in marital relations (e.g., Gen 4:1, 25). The representation of Yahweh as husband and Israel as wife is common in prophetic literature (especially Hosea, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel), so the similar reference in Amos is entirely appropriate.
punish. This verb (paqad [TH6485, ZH7212]) means “to visit” (with the purpose of inspection) in a neutral sense (cf. 3:14; NIDOTTE 3.659). When coupled with the word “sins,” the expression is an idiom for divine judgment (i.e., punishment results if God’s inspection reveals a flaw, a fault, some disobedience or sin).
3:7 reveals. The term galah [TH1540, ZH1655] means “to uncover”; in the context of prophetic speech the word indicates the disclosing of a secret. Thus, the expression became a “theologically filled concept” capable of conveying the essential features of the Hebrew understanding of divine revelation (cf. TDOT 2.487). God’s knowledge of the future and his ability to declare this information to his prophets separates him from all would-be gods (cf. Isa 41:22-23; 42:8-9; 44:25-26; 45:21-22).
3:8 lion. Smith and Page (1995:76) connect the clause “the lion has roared” with God on the basis of parallelism with the following line: “the Sovereign LORD has spoken.” Andersen and Freedman (1989:400) associate the “lion” with the nation of Assyria and the “tramp of the Assyrian army” on the move (since they were known as the “lion-people” and were often symbolized by the lion in their iconography). Stuart (1987:325) is probably correct in recognizing this as an instance of double entendre.
proclaim. This verb (naba’ [TH5012, ZH5547]) means “to speak as a prophet (nabi’ [TH5030, ZH5566]).” The prophet was one who delivered a message on behalf of another (in this case the Sovereign Lord). Typically, the prophet’s message was one of warning and instruction based on the blessings and curses attached to Israel’s obedience to the law of Moses (e.g., Lev 26; Deut 28).
3:9 Announce. The prophet rhetorically sets up a scenario where heralds are “sent to two pagan nations with an invitation to come as witnesses to the violence and oppression in Samaria” (Smith and Page 1995:77).
Philistia. The MT reads “Ashdod,” one of the five principal cities of the Philistines.
Egypt. The summons to the leaders of Ashdod and Egypt bring unlikely witnesses to the “courtroom drama”—historically, both nations were brutal oppressors of the Hebrews. Ironically, the rich and powerful of Philistia and Egypt are brought to witness Yahweh’s indictment of the rich and powerful of Samaria who had stored up ill-gotten treasures at the expense of the poor. According to Hubbard (1989:151), this startling device has a twofold purpose: First, it served to spotlight the depth of corruption in Israel by having nations that were the epitome of evil judge their misconduct. Second, it showed that covenant law was not the only criterion that would condemn Israel’s behavior; by any standards of human decency they stood guilty as charged.
Samaria. The city was located seven miles northwest of Shechem and was established as the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel by King Omri (1 Kgs 16:24). In Amos, God turns the environs of Samaria into a great outdoor courtroom where he will make his case against his people (so Hubbard 1989:151).
witness. The Mosaic law required at least two witnesses in legal cases where the death penalty was imposed (Deut 17:6).
chaos and oppression. The combination of plural nouns (mehumoth [TH4103, ZH4539], “tumult, panic, unrest” and ‘ashuqim [TH6217, ZH6935], “oppression”) depict “a scene of unchecked social chaos” (Smith and Page 1995:78). Andersen and Freedman (1989:406) suggest that there was a relationship between the oppression of the poor and the social upheaval Israel experienced. This should not be surprising given the cause-and-effect character of the retribution principle in God’s economy of divine punishment—people “harvest what [they] plant” (Gal 6:7).
3:10 theft and violence. The terms (khamas [TH2555, ZH2805] and shod [TH7701, ZH8719]) are hendiadys for the “rewards of lawless behavior” (Andersen and Freedman 1989:407). There is a certain irony in the pattern of God’s judgment. Those material goods garnered by theft and violence will be removed from Israelite storerooms in like manner—theft and violence on the part of the Assyrians (cf. Hosea’s punishment for those Israelites seduced by fertility cult worship, “wombs that don’t give birth and breasts that give no milk”; Hos 9:14).
3:12 luxurious beds . . . reclining on couches. These are symbols of wealth and ease for the prophet Amos (6:4; cf. Ezek 23:41). Such wealth and ease for these few had come at a high price—namely, the exploitation and oppression of the poor and needy (2:6-7; 4:1; 5:12).
3:14 Bethel. A town 12 miles north of Jerusalem on the Benjamin–Ephraim tribal border. The sites of Dan and Bethel were the locations where King Jeroboam established rival shrines housing golden calves so that the citizens of the northern kingdom would not make pilgrimages to worship at the Jerusalem Temple (1 Kgs 12:25-30). Amos delivered his message in Bethel and condemned the idolatrous worship conducted there (4:4; 5:5-6; 7:10-13).
horns of the altar. The altars for burning sacrifices had projections, or “horns,” at the corners. They served the practical function of holding the wood and the sacrificial victim in place on top of the altar. The priest dabbed the blood of sacrificial offerings on the horns of the altar as a symbol of atonement or the covering of sin (Lev 4:30; 16:18). The horns of the altar were also a place of sanctuary for those appealing to the king for mercy in legal cases that were capital offenses (cf. 1 Kgs 1:50; 2:28). The destruction of the horns of the altar “means the loss of the last refuge; the destroyer will be undeterred by the holiest taboos” (Andersen and Freedman 1989:411).
3:15 winter mansions . . . summer houses. Given the extremes of the climate in Palestine, having a separate residence for each season marked the height of luxury.
ivory. The use of ivory inlay in furniture was a decorative feature restricted to the wealthy in the ancient world. The word symbolizes the extravagant lifestyle of royalty and the very rich (6:4; cf. 1 Kgs 10:18, 22; 22:39).
COMMENTARY [Text]
The middle portion of the book of Amos is comprised of five prophetic “messages” or sermons delivered by the prophet against the kingdom of Israel (chs 3–6). Dorsey (1999:278) has observed a partial chiastic structure in the arrangement of the themes of the five messages:
A. Destruction of Bethel’s cult center (3:1-15)
B. Condemnation of wealthy Israelite women (4:1-13)
C. Call to repentance and lament (5:1-17)
B´. Condemnation of wealthy Israelite men (5:18–6:14)
A´. Destruction of Bethel’s cult center (7:1–8:3)
The chiasm is actually completed with the early portions of the prophetic visions section of the book (7:1–8:3). The call to repentance (5:1-17) functions as the centerpiece of the book, both literarily and theologically.
Gitay (1980:293-309) has analyzed the rhetorical structure of chapter 3 and outlines the message of the sermon in this fashion: summons to listen (3:1); thesis statement concerning God’s “visitation” (3:2); refutation of opponents’ denial of divine punishment by means of a series of rhetorical questions asserting the certainty of God’s judgment (3:3-6); statement of the prophet’s divine authority (3:7-8); indictment and declaration of punishment (3:9-12); epilogue (3:13-15).
The message of Amos to the people of Israel and Judah (ch 3) underscores several theological truths concerning the nature and character of God. First, God is a deliverer, as attested by the prophet’s reference to the Exodus from Egypt (3:1). The Old Testament prophets knew only one God, the Lord, who is mighty to save or deliver—there is no other deliverer (Isa 43:3, 11; Jer 14:8; Zeph 3:17). This suggests that deliverance is still possible; Israel had the opportunity to heed the prophet’s warning and “come back to [God] and live” (5:4).
Second, implicit in the citation of God’s special relationship with the Hebrews (3:2) is the idea that, by means of the covenant with Abraham, God chose one nation to bless all nations (Gen 12:1-3). This quite naturally calls attention to the fact that, elsewhere in the Old Testament, God is understood to be the creator or father of all nations (Isa 42:5; 45:12; Mal 2:10). In fact, an important theme in the Old Testament portrayal of God is his supremacy over the “local deities” of the nations as the “universal deity” who rules all creation (Jer 10:16). For instance, God demonstrated his supremacy over the gods of the Egyptians in the Hebrew Exodus (Exod 12:12) and the gods of Canaan through Elijah in the contest at Mount Carmel (1 Kgs 18:21, 38-39). Even his title, El-Elyon (“the Most High God”) signifies his preeminence over all that is considered “god” by the nations (cf. Gen 14:18-20).
Third, the courtroom setting of the message (with heralds announcing a legal proceeding and the summoning of witnesses; see note on 3:9) reminds us that God is the just judge—the God of justice (Mal 3; see Van Gemeren 1990:219-220). He is a God who shows no partiality (Deut 10:17) and demonstrates great concern and care for the poor by maintaining their rights (Ps 140:12; cf. 1 Sam 2:8; Ps 82:3).
Finally, God not only knows the future but he declares it through his prophets (3:7; cf. Mic 3:8; 2 Pet 1:20-21). This foreknowledge makes him unique as God and marks him as the true God in contrast to all false gods (Isa 44:26; 45:21-22). For God’s prophets, the expression “the day of the LORD” (5:18) meant cosmic judgment for both the nations and disobedient Israel—a day of human accountability before God. The goal of the Day of the Lord is the total transformation of all creation, prompting the godly to prepare themselves for the day of deliverance (see VanGemeren 1990:214-225). In one sense, God’s foreknowledge concerning this cosmic judgment becomes a motivation for repentance (cf. Joel 2:12-14; 2 Pet 3:11-13).
None of these theological ideas is peculiar to the Old Testament, since it is the same triune God who speaks and acts in the New Testament as well. Thus, it is the living God who is the Savior or deliverer of all people (1 Tim 4:10). He remains supreme as the God who made the universe and everything in it and sustains it by his power (Heb 1:2-3). Peter understood that God shows no partiality, as evidenced by his acceptance of Gentiles who respond in faith to the good news of Jesus Christ (Acts 10:34-35). Like Amos and the Old Testament prophets, the apostles of the New Testament also knew God as the one who knew the future and declared it through his servants (John 16:13; Rev 22:6).