Amos 5:15

5:15 Hate what is wrong, love what is right!

Promote ¹  justice at the city gate! ² 

Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on ³  those who are left from ⁴  Joseph. ⁵ 

Amos 5:14

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.

Amos 9:4

9:4 Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, ⁶ 

from there ⁷  I will command the sword to kill them.

I will not let them out of my sight;

they will experience disaster, not prosperity.” ⁸ 

Amos 6:2

6:2 They say to the people: ⁹ 

“Journey over to Calneh and look at it!

Then go from there to Hamath-Rabbah! ¹⁰ 

Then go down to Gath of the Philistines!

Are they superior to our two ¹¹  kingdoms?

Is their territory larger than yours?” ¹² 

Amos 1:15

1:15 Ammon’s ¹³  king will be deported; ¹⁴ 

he and his officials ¹⁵  will be carried off ¹⁶  together.”

The Lord has spoken!

Amos 5:24

5:24 Justice must flow like torrents of water,

righteous actions ¹⁷  like a stream that never dries up.

Amos 9:11

The Restoration of the Davidic Dynasty

9:11 “In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut ¹⁸  of David.

I will seal its ¹⁹  gaps,

repair its ²⁰  ruins,

and restore it to what it was like in days gone by. ²¹ 

Amos 6:6

6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, ²² 

and pour the very best oils on themselves. ²³ 

Yet they are not concerned over ²⁴  the ruin ²⁵  of Joseph.

Amos 2:7

2:7 They trample ²⁶  on the dirt-covered heads of the poor; ²⁷ 

they push the destitute away. ²⁸ 

A man and his father go to the same girl; ²⁹ 

in this way they show disrespect ³⁰  for my moral purity. ³¹ 

Amos 3:15

3:15 I will destroy both the winter and summer houses. ³² 

The houses filled with ivory ³³  will be ruined,

the great ³⁴  houses will be swept away.” ³⁵ 

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 5:12

5:12 Certainly ³⁶  I am aware of ³⁷  your many rebellious acts ³⁸ 

and your numerous sins.

You ³⁹  torment the innocent, you take bribes,

and you deny justice to ⁴⁰  the needy at the city gate. ⁴¹ 

Amos 6:11

6:11 Indeed, look! The Lord is giving the command. ⁴² 

He will smash the large house to bits,

and the small house into little pieces.

Amos 5:13

5:13 For this reason whoever is smart ⁴³  keeps quiet ⁴⁴  in such a time,

for it is an evil ⁴⁵  time.

Amos 6:12

6:12 Can horses run on rocky cliffs?

Can one plow the sea with oxen? ⁴⁶ 

Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant,

and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant. ⁴⁷ 

Amos 8:6

8:6 We’re eager to trade silver for the poor, ⁴⁸ 

a pair of sandals ⁴⁹  for the needy!

We want to mix in some chaff with the grain!” ⁵⁰ 

[5:15]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn Or “will show favor to.”

[5:15]  ⁴ tn Or “the remnant of” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “what’s left of your people.”

[5:15]  ⁵ sn Joseph (= Ephraim and Manasseh), as the most prominent of the Israelite tribes, represents the entire northern kingdom.

[9:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “Even if they go into captivity before their enemies.”

[9:4]  ⁷ tn Or perhaps simply, “there,” if the מ (mem) prefixed to the adverb is dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem).

[9:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “I will set my eye on them for disaster, not good.”

[6:2]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Or “Great Hamath” (cf. NIV); or “Hamath the great” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); the word “rabbah” means “great” in Hebrew.

[6:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “to these,” referring to Judah and Israel (see v. 1a).

[6:2]  ¹² 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).

[1:15]  ¹³ tn Heb “their”; the referent (Ammon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:15]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “will go into exile.”

[1:15]  ¹⁵ tn Or “princes” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT); TEV “officers”; CEV “leaders.”

[1:15]  ¹⁶ tn The words “will be carried off” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:24]  ¹⁷ tn Traditionally, “righteousness.”

[9:11]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ 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]  ²⁰ 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]  ²¹ tn Heb “and I will rebuild as in days of antiquity.”

[6:6]  ²² 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]  ²³ tn Heb “with the best of oils they anoint [themselves].”

[6:6]  ²⁴ tn Or “not sickened by.”

[6:6]  ²⁵ sn The ruin of Joseph may refer to the societal disintegration in Israel, or to the effects of the impending judgment.

[2:7]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ 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]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ tn Or “pollute”; “desecrate”; “dishonor.”

[2:7]  ³¹ 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.

[3:15]  ³² 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]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ tn Or “many,” cf. NAB “their many rooms.”

[3:15]  ³⁵ 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.

[5:12]  ³⁶ tn Or “for.”

[5:12]  ³⁷ tn Or “I know” (so most English versions).

[5:12]  ³⁸ 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]  ³⁹ tn Heb “Those who.”

[5:12]  ⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴¹ sn Legal disputes were resolved in the city gate, where the town elders met.

[6:11]  ⁴² tn Or “is issuing the decree.”

[5:13]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ 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.

[6:12]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ 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.

[8:6]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ tn See the note on the word “sandals” in 2:6.

[8:6]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “The chaff of the grain we will sell.”