Amos 1:2

God Will Judge the Surrounding Nations

1:2 Amos ¹  said:

“The Lord comes roaring ²  out of Zion;

from Jerusalem ³  he comes bellowing! ⁴ 

The shepherds’ pastures wilt; ⁵ 

the summit of Carmel ⁶  withers.” ⁷ 

Amos 1:4

1:4 So I will set Hazael’s house ⁸  on fire;

fire ⁹  will consume Ben Hadad’s ¹⁰  fortresses.

Amos 1:7-8

1:7 So I will set Gaza’s city wall ¹¹  on fire;

fire ¹²  will consume her fortresses.

1:8 I will remove ¹³  the ruler ¹⁴  from Ashdod, ¹⁵ 

the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. ¹⁶ 

I will strike Ekron ¹⁷  with my hand; ¹⁸ 

the rest of the Philistines will also die.” ¹⁹ 

The sovereign Lord has spoken!

[1:2]  ¹ tn Heb “he;” the referent (Amos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:2]  ² sn The Lord, in his role of warrior-king, is compared to a lion. See 3:4, 8.

[1:2]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “gives his voice.”

[1:2]  ⁵ tn Lexicographers debate whether there are two roots אָבַל (’aval), one signifying “mourn” and the other “be dry,” or simply one (“mourn”). The parallel verb (“withers”) might favor the first option and have the meaning “wilt away.” It is interesting to note, however, that the root appears later in the book in the context of lament (5:16; 8:8, 10; 9:5). Either 1:2 is a possible wordplay to alert the reader to the death that will accompany the judgment (the option of two roots), or perhaps the translation “mourns” is appropriate here as well (cf. KJV, NASB, NKJV, NJPS; see also D. J. A. Clines, “Was There an ’BL II ‘Be Dry’ in Classical Hebrew?” VT 42 [1992]: 1-10).

[1:2]  ⁶ sn Carmel was a region known for its abundant plants and trees. See Isa 33:9; 35:2; Jer 50:19.

[1:2]  ⁷ sn Loss of a land’s fertility is frequently associated with judgment in the OT and ancient Near Eastern literature.

[1:4]  ⁸ tn “Hazael’s house” (“the house of Hazael”) refers to the dynasty of Hazael.

[1:4]  sn Hazael took the throne of Aram in 843 b.c. and established a royal dynasty. See 2 Kgs 8:7-15 and W. Pitard, Ancient Damascus, 145-60.

[1:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:4]  ¹⁰ sn Ben-hadad may refer to Hazael’s son and successor (2 Kgs 13:3, 24) or to an earlier king (see 1 Kgs 20), perhaps the ruler whom Hazael assassinated when he assumed power.

[1:7]  ¹¹ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

[1:7]  ¹² tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “cut off.”

[1:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the one who sits.” Some translations take this expression as a collective singular referring to the inhabitants rather than the ruler (e.g., NAB, NRSV, NLT).

[1:8]  ¹⁵ sn Ashdod was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).

[1:8]  ¹⁶ sn Ashkelon was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).

[1:8]  ¹⁷ sn Ekron was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Gath).

[1:8]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “I will turn my hand against Ekron.” For other uses of the idiom, “turn the hand against,” see Ps 81:14; Isa 1:25; Jer 6:9; Zech 13:7.

[1:8]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and the remnant of the Philistines will perish.” The translation above assumes that reference is made to other Philistines beside those living in the cities mentioned. Another option is to translate, “Every last Philistine will die.”