Amos 3:10

3:10 “They do not know how to do what is right.” (The Lord is speaking.)

“They store up ¹  the spoils of destructive violence ²  in their fortresses.

Amos 3:15

3:15 I will destroy both the winter and summer houses. ³ 

The houses filled with ivory ⁴  will be ruined,

the great ⁵  houses will be swept away.” ⁶ 

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 6:4-6

6:4 They lie around on beds decorated with ivory, ⁷ 

and sprawl out on their couches.

They eat lambs from the flock,

and calves from the middle of the pen.

6:5 They sing ⁸  to the tune of ⁹  stringed instruments; ¹⁰ 

like David they invent ¹¹  musical instruments.

6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, ¹² 

and pour the very best oils on themselves. ¹³ 

Yet they are not concerned over ¹⁴  the ruin ¹⁵  of Joseph.

[3:10]  ¹ tn Heb “those who.”

[3:10]  ² tn Heb “violence and destruction.” The expression “violence and destruction” stand metonymically for the goods the oppressors have accumulated by their unjust actions.

[3:15]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Or “many,” cf. NAB “their many rooms.”

[3:15]  ⁶ 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.

[6:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “beds of ivory.”

[6:5]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb “upon the mouth of,” that is, “according to.”

[6:5]  ¹⁰ sn The stringed instruments mentioned here are probably harps (cf. NIV, NRSV) or lutes (cf. NEB).

[6:5]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn Heb “with the best of oils they anoint [themselves].”

[6:6]  ¹⁴ tn Or “not sickened by.”

[6:6]  ¹⁵ sn The ruin of Joseph may refer to the societal disintegration in Israel, or to the effects of the impending judgment.