Amos 5:24

5:24 Justice must flow like torrents of water,

righteous actions ¹  like a stream that never dries up.

Amos 2:12

2:12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine; ² 

you commanded the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy!’

Amos 7:15

7:15 Then the Lord took me from tending ³  flocks and gave me this commission, ⁴  ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!’

Amos 7:13

7:13 Don’t prophesy at Bethel ⁵  any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here!” ⁶ 

Amos 6:6

6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, ⁷ 

and pour the very best oils on themselves. ⁸ 

Yet they are not concerned over ⁹  the ruin ¹⁰  of Joseph.

Amos 8:12

8:12 People ¹¹  will stagger from sea to sea, ¹² 

and from the north around to the east.

They will wander about looking for a revelation from ¹³  the Lord,

but they will not find any. ¹⁴ 

Amos 5:11

5:11 Therefore, because you make the poor pay taxes on their crops ¹⁵ 

and exact a grain tax from them,

you will not live in the houses you built with chiseled stone,

nor will you drink the wine from the fine ¹⁶  vineyards you planted. ¹⁷ 

Amos 5:5

5:5 Do not seek Bethel! ¹⁸ 

Do not visit Gilgal!

Do not journey down ¹⁹  to Beer Sheba!

For the people of Gilgal ²⁰  will certainly be carried into exile; ²¹ 

and Bethel will become a place where disaster abounds.” ²² 

Amos 4:7

4:7 “I withheld rain from you three months before the harvest. ²³ 

I gave rain to one city, but not to another.

One field ²⁴  would get rain, but the field that received no rain dried up.

Amos 2:4

2:4 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions ²⁵  –

make that four! ²⁶  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ²⁷ 

They rejected the Lord’s law; ²⁸ 

they did not obey his commands.

Their false gods, ²⁹ 

to which their fathers were loyal, ³⁰ 

led them astray.

Amos 9:7

9:7 “You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight,” ³¹  says the Lord.

“Certainly I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt,

but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor ³²  and the Arameans from Kir. ³³ 

Amos 4:8

4:8 People from ³⁴  two or three cities staggered into one city to get ³⁵  water,

but remained thirsty. ³⁶ 

Still you did not come back to me.”

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 4:6

4:6 “But surely I gave ³⁷  you no food to eat in any of your cities;

you lacked food everywhere you live. ³⁸ 

Still you did not come back to me.”

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 6:3

6:3 You refuse to believe a day of disaster will come, ³⁹ 

but you establish a reign of violence. ⁴⁰ 

Amos 2:9

2:9 For Israel’s sake I destroyed the Amorites. ⁴¹ 

They were as tall as cedars ⁴² 

and as strong as oaks,

but I destroyed the fruit on their branches ⁴³ 

and their roots in the ground. ⁴⁴ 

Amos 6:12

6:12 Can horses run on rocky cliffs?

Can one plow the sea with oxen? ⁴⁵ 

Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant,

and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant. ⁴⁶ 

Amos 9:8-9

9:8 Look, the sovereign Lord is watching ⁴⁷  the sinful nation, ⁴⁸ 

and I will destroy it from the face of the earth.

But I will not completely destroy the family ⁴⁹  of Jacob,” says the Lord.

9:9 “For look, I am giving a command

and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations.

It will resemble a sieve being shaken,

when not even a pebble falls to the ground. ⁵⁰ 

Amos 1:7

1:7 So I will set Gaza’s city wall ⁵¹  on fire;

fire ⁵²  will consume her fortresses.

Amos 1:10

1:10 So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; ⁵³ 

fire ⁵⁴  will consume her fortresses.”

Amos 1:12

1:12 So I will set Teman ⁵⁵  on fire;

fire ⁵⁶  will consume Bozrah’s ⁵⁷  fortresses.”

Amos 2:5

2:5 So I will set Judah on fire,

and it will consume Jerusalem’s fortresses.” ⁵⁸ 

Amos 5:26

5:26 You will pick up your images ⁵⁹  of Sikkuth, ⁶⁰  your king, ⁶¹ 

and Kiyyun, ⁶²  your star god, which you made for yourselves,

Amos 3:7

3:7 Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

Amos 4:9

4:9 “I destroyed your crops ⁶³  with blight and disease.

Locusts kept ⁶⁴  devouring your orchards, ⁶⁵  vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees.

Still you did not come back to me.”

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 4:11

4:11 “I overthrew some of you the way God ⁶⁶  overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. ⁶⁷ 

You were like a burning stick ⁶⁸  snatched from the flames.

Still you did not come back to me.”

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 8:11

8:11 Be certain of this, ⁶⁹  the time is ⁷⁰  coming,” says the sovereign Lord,

“when I will send a famine through the land –

not a shortage of food or water

but an end to divine revelation! ⁷¹ 

Amos 1:14

1:14 So I will set fire to Rabbah’s ⁷²  city wall; ⁷³ 

fire ⁷⁴  will consume her fortresses.

War cries will be heard on the day of battle; ⁷⁵ 

a strong gale will blow on the day of the windstorm. ⁷⁶ 

Amos 2:2

2:2 So I will set Moab on fire, ⁷⁷ 

and it will consume Kerioth’s ⁷⁸  fortresses.

Moab will perish ⁷⁹  in the heat of battle ⁸⁰ 

amid war cries and the blaring ⁸¹  of the ram’s horn. ⁸² 

Amos 5:3

5:3 The sovereign Lord says this:

“The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers ⁸³  will have only a hundred left;

the town ⁸⁴  that marches out with a hundred soldiers ⁸⁵  will have only ten left for the family of Israel.” ⁸⁶ 

Amos 5:18-19

The Lord Demands Justice

5:18 Woe ⁸⁷  to those who wish for the day of the Lord!

Why do you want the Lord’s day of judgment to come?

It will bring darkness, not light.

5:19 Disaster will be inescapable, ⁸⁸ 

as if a man ran from a lion only to meet a bear,

then escaped ⁸⁹  into a house,

leaned his hand against the wall,

and was bitten by a poisonous snake.

Amos 5:25

5:25 You did not bring me ⁹⁰  sacrifices and grain offerings during the forty years you spent in the wilderness, family ⁹¹  of Israel.

Amos 7:14

7:14 Amos replied ⁹²  to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. ⁹³  No, ⁹⁴  I was a herdsman who also took care of ⁹⁵  sycamore fig trees. ⁹⁶ 

Amos 9:10-11

9:10 All the sinners among my people will die by the sword –

the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’

The Restoration of the Davidic Dynasty

9:11 “In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut ⁹⁷  of David.

I will seal its ⁹⁸  gaps,

repair its ⁹⁹  ruins,

and restore it to what it was like in days gone by. ¹⁰⁰ 

Amos 3:12

3:12 This is what the Lord says:

“Just as a shepherd salvages from the lion’s mouth a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear,

so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged. ¹⁰¹ 

They will be left with just a corner of a bed, ¹⁰² 

and a part ¹⁰³  of a couch.”

Amos 4:10

4:10 “I sent against you a plague like one of the Egyptian plagues. ¹⁰⁴ 

I killed your young men with the sword,

along with the horses you had captured.

I made the stench from the corpses ¹⁰⁵  rise up into your nostrils.

Still you did not come back to me.”

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 6:2

6:2 They say to the people: ¹⁰⁶ 

“Journey over to Calneh and look at it!

Then go from there to Hamath-Rabbah! ¹⁰⁷ 

Then go down to Gath of the Philistines!

Are they superior to our two ¹⁰⁸  kingdoms?

Is their territory larger than yours?” ¹⁰⁹ 

Amos 7:10

Amos Confronts a Priest

7:10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel ¹¹⁰  sent this message ¹¹¹  to King Jeroboam of Israel: “Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of the kingdom of Israel! ¹¹²  The land cannot endure all his prophecies. ¹¹³ 

Amos 7:17

7:17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets ¹¹⁴ 

and your sons and daughters will die violently. ¹¹⁵ 

Your land will be given to others ¹¹⁶ 

and you will die in a foreign ¹¹⁷  land.

Israel will certainly be carried into exile ¹¹⁸  away from its land.’”

Amos 8:5

8:5 You say,

“When will the new moon festival ¹¹⁹  be over, ¹²⁰  so we can sell grain?

When will the Sabbath end, ¹²¹  so we can open up the grain bins? ¹²² 

We’re eager ¹²³  to sell less for a higher price, ¹²⁴ 

and to cheat the buyer with rigged scales! ¹²⁵ 

[5:24]  ¹ tn Traditionally, “righteousness.”

[2:12]  ² sn Nazirites were strictly forbidden to drink wine (Num 6:2-3).

[7:15]  ³ tn Heb “from [following] after.”

[7:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the Lord said to me.”

[7:13]  ⁵ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[7:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “for it is a temple of a king and it is a royal house.” It is possible that the phrase “royal house” refers to a temple rather than a palace. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 243.

[6:6]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Heb “with the best of oils they anoint [themselves].”

[6:6]  ⁹ tn Or “not sickened by.”

[6:6]  ¹⁰ sn The ruin of Joseph may refer to the societal disintegration in Israel, or to the effects of the impending judgment.

[8:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:12]  ¹² tn That is, from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east – that is, across the whole land.

[8:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “looking for the word of.”

[8:12]  ¹⁴ tn It is not clear whether the speaker in this verse is the Lord or the prophet.

[5:11]  ¹⁵ tn Traditionally, “because you trample on the poor” (cf. KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). The traditional view derives the verb from בּוּס (bus, “to trample”; cf. Isa. 14:25), but more likely it is cognate to an Akkadian verb meaning “to exact an agricultural tax” (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 49; S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 172-73).

[5:11]  ¹⁶ tn Or “lovely”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “pleasant”; NAB “choice”; NIV “lush.”

[5:11]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Houses of chiseled stone you built, but you will not live in them. Fine vineyards you planted, but you will not drink their wine.”

[5:5]  ¹⁸ sn Ironically, Israel was to seek after the Lord, but not at Bethel (the name Bethel means “the house of God” in Hebrew).

[5:5]  map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[5:5]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “cross over.”

[5:5]  sn To worship at Beer Sheba, northern worshipers had to journey down (i.e., cross the border) between Israel and Judah. Apparently, the popular religion of Israel for some included pilgrimage to holy sites in the South.

[5:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “For Gilgal.” By metonymy the place name “Gilgal” is used instead of referring directly to the inhabitants. The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:5]  ²¹ tn In the Hebrew text the statement is emphasized by sound play. The name “Gilgal” sounds like the verb גָּלָה (galah, “to go into exile”), which occurs here in the infinitival + finite verb construction (גָּלֹה יִגְלֶה, galoh yigleh). The repetition of the “ג” (g) and “ל” (l) sounds draws attention to the announcement and suggests that Gilgal’s destiny is inherent in its very name.

[5:5]  sn That the people of Gilgal would be taken into exile is ironic, for Gilgal was Israel’s first campsite when the people entered the land under Joshua and the city became a symbol of Israel’s possession of the promised land.

[5:5]  ²² tn Heb “disaster,” or “nothing”; NIV “Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”

[5:5]  sn Again there is irony. The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew. How surprising and tragic that Bethel, the “house of God” where Jacob received the inheritance given to Abraham, would be overrun by disaster.

[4:7]  ²³ sn Rain…three months before the harvest refers to the rains of late March-early April.

[4:7]  ²⁴ tn Heb “portion”; KJV, ASV “piece”; NASB “part.” The same word occurs a second time later in this verse.

[2:4]  ²⁵ tn This is the same Hebrew term that is translated “crimes” in the previous oracles (see at 1:3). The change to “covenant transgressions” reflects the probability that the prophet is condemning the nation of Israel for violating stipulations of the Mosaic Law.

[2:4]  ²⁶ tn Heb “Because of three violations of Judah, even because of four.”

[2:4]  sn On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3.

[2:4]  ²⁷ tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.

[2:4]  ²⁸ tn Or “instruction”; NCV “teachings.”

[2:4]  ²⁹ tn Heb “lies.” This may very well be a derogatory term for idols (perhaps also at Ps. 40:4 [Heb 40:5]). Elsewhere false gods are called “vanities” (Deut 32:21; 1 Kgs 16:13, 26) and a delusion (Isa 66:3). In no other prophetic passages, however, are they called “lies.” The term could refer to the deceptions of false prophets (note Ezek 13:6-9; cf. Hab 2:3). See F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Amos (AB), 301-6.

[2:4]  ³⁰ tn Heb “after which their fathers walked.” The expression “to walk after” is an idiom meaning “to be loyal to.” See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 75-76.

[2:4]  sn Here the idolatry of the parents carried over to the children, who persisted in worshiping the idols to which their fathers were loyal.

[9:7]  ³¹ tn The Hebrew text has a rhetorical question, “Are you children of Israel not like the Cushites to me?” The rhetorical question has been converted to an affirmative statement in the translation for clarity. See the comment at 8:8.

[9:7]  sn Though Israel was God’s special covenant people (see 3:2a), the Lord emphasizes they are not inherently superior to the other nations subject to his sovereign rule.

[9:7]  ³² sn Caphtor may refer to the island of Crete.

[9:7]  ³³ tn The second half of v. 7 is also phrased as a rhetorical question in the Hebrew text, “Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and Aram from Kir?” The translation converts the rhetorical question into an affirmation for clarity.

[4:8]  ³⁴ tn The words “people from” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[4:8]  ³⁵ tn Heb “to drink.”

[4:8]  ³⁶ tn Or “were not satisfied.”

[4:6]  ³⁷ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic (pronoun + verb). It underscores the stark contrast between the judgments that the Lord had been sending with the God of blessing Israel was celebrating in its worship (4:4-5).

[4:6]  ³⁸ tn Heb “But I gave to you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of food in all your places.” The phrase “cleanness of teeth” is a vivid way of picturing the famine Israel experienced.

[6:3]  ³⁹ tn Heb “those who push away a day of disaster.”

[6:3]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “you bring near a seat of violence.” The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שֶׁבֶת (shevet, “seat, sitting”) is unclear in this context. The translation assumes that it refers to a throne from which violence (in the person of the oppressive leaders) reigns. Another option is that the expression refers not to the leaders’ oppressive rule, but to the coming judgment when violence will overtake the nation in the person of enemy invaders.

[2:9]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “I destroyed the Amorites from before them.” The translation takes מִפְּנֵי (mippÿney) in the sense of “for the sake of.” See BDB 818 s.v. פָּנֻה II.6.a and H. W. Wolff, Joel and Amos (Hermeneia), 134. Another option is to take the phrase in a spatial sense, “I destroyed the Amorites, [clearing them out] from before them [i.e., Israel]” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[2:9]  ⁴² tn Heb “whose height was like the height of cedars.”

[2:9]  ⁴³ tn Heb “his fruit from above.”

[2:9]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and his roots from below.”

[6:12]  ⁴⁵ 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]  ⁴⁶ 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.

[9:8]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “the eyes of the sovereign Lord are on.”

[9:8]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “kingdom.”

[9:8]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).

[9:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “like being shaken with a sieve, and a pebble does not fall to the ground.” The meaning of the Hebrew word צְרוֹר (tsÿror), translated “pebble,” is unclear here. In 2 Sam 17:13 it appears to refer to a stone. If it means “pebble,” then the sieve described in v. 6 allows the grain to fall into a basket while retaining the debris and pebbles. However, if one interprets צְרוֹר as a “kernel of grain” (cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NLT) then the sieve is constructed to retain the grain and allow the refuse and pebbles to fall to the ground. In either case, the simile supports the last statement in v. 8 by making it clear that God will distinguish between the righteous (the grain) and the wicked (the pebbles) when he judges, and will thereby preserve a remnant in Israel. Only the sinners will be destroyed (v. 10).

[1:7]  ⁵¹ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

[1:7]  ⁵² tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:10]  ⁵³ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

[1:10]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:12]  ⁵⁵ sn Teman was an important region (or perhaps city) in Edom.

[1:12]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:12]  ⁵⁷ sn Bozrah was a city located in northern Edom.

[2:5]  ⁵⁸ map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:26]  ⁵⁹ tn This word appears in an awkward position in the Hebrew, following “Kiyyun.” It is placed here for better sense.

[5:26]  ⁶⁰ tn The Hebrew term סִכּוּת (sikkut) apparently refers to Sakkuth, a Mesopotamian star god identified with Ninurta in an Ugaritic god list. The name is vocalized in the Hebrew text after the pattern of שִׁקוּץ (shiqquts, “detestable thing”). See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 195-96. Some English versions, following the LXX, translate as “tent” or “shrine” (NEB, NIV), pointing the term as סֻכַּת (sukkat; cf. 9:11).

[5:26]  ⁶¹ tc LXX, Vulgate, and Acts 7:43 read “Moloch” (cf. KJV). The Hebrew consonants are the same for both “king” and “Moloch” (מֹלֶךְ; molekh).

[5:26]  ⁶² tn The Hebrew term כִּיּוּן (kiyyun) apparently refers to the Mesopotamian god Kayamanu, or Saturn. The name, like “Sikkuth” in the previous line, is vocalized in the Hebrew text after the pattern of שִׁקוּץ (shiqquts, “detestable thing”). See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 195-96. Some versions translate as “pedestal” (NEB, NIV), relating the term to the root כּוּן (kun).

[4:9]  ⁶³ tn Heb “you.” By metonymy the crops belonging to these people are meant. See the remainder of this verse, which describes the agricultural devastation caused by locusts.

[4:9]  ⁶⁴ tn The Hiphil infinitive construct is taken adverbially (“kept”) and connected to the activity of the locusts (NJPS). It also could be taken with the preceding sentence and related to the Lord’s interventions (“I kept destroying,” cf. NEB, NJB, NIV, NRSV), or it could be understood substantivally in construct with the following nouns (“Locusts devoured your many orchards,” cf. NASB; cf. also KJV, NKJV).

[4:9]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “gardens.”

[4:11]  ⁶⁶ tn Several English versions substitute the first person pronoun (“I”) here for stylistic reasons (e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[4:11]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “like God’s overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.” The divine name may be used in an idiomatic superlative sense here, in which case one might translate, “like the great [or “disastrous”] overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.”

[4:11]  sn The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is described in Gen 19:1-29.

[4:11]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “like that which is burning.”

[8:11]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “behold” or “look.”

[8:11]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “the days are.”

[8:11]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “not a hunger for food or a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the Lord.”

[1:14]  ⁷² sn Rabbah was the Ammonite capital.

[1:14]  ⁷³ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

[1:14]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:14]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “with a war cry in the day of battle.”

[1:14]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “with wind in the day of the windstorm.”

[1:14]  sn A windstorm is a metaphor for judgment and destruction in the OT (see Isa 29:6; Jer 23:19) and ancient Near Eastern literature.

[2:2]  ⁷⁷ sn The destruction of Moab by fire is an example of a judgment in kind – as the Moabites committed the crime of “burning,” so the Lord will punish them by setting them on fire.

[2:2]  ⁷⁸ sn Kerioth was an important Moabite city. See Jer 48:24, 41.

[2:2]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “die” (KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV); NAB “shall meet death.”

[2:2]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “in the tumult.” This word refers to the harsh confusion of sounds that characterized an ancient battle – a mixture of war cries, shouts, shrieks of pain, clashes of weapons, etc.

[2:2]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “sound” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[2:2]  ⁸² sn The ram’s horn (used as a trumpet) was blown to signal the approaching battle.

[5:3]  ⁸³ tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “The one.” The word “town” has been used in the translation in keeping with the relative sizes of the armed contingents sent out by each. It is also possible that this line is speaking of the same city of the previous line. In other words, the contingent sent by that one city would have suffered a ninety-nine percent casualty loss.

[5:3]  ⁸⁵ tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “for/to the house of Israel.” The translation assumes that this is a graphic picture of what is left over for the defense of the nation (NEB, NJB, NASB, NKJV). Others suggest that this phrase completes the introductory formula (“The sovereign Lord says this…”; see v. 4a; NJPS). Another option is that the preposition has a vocative force, “O house of Israel” (F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Amos [AB], 476). Some simply delete the phrase as dittography from the following line (NIV).

[5:18]  ⁸⁷ tn The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe”) was used when mourning the dead (see the note on the word “dead” in 5:16). The prophet here either engages in role playing and mourns the death of the nation in advance or sarcastically taunts those who hold to this misplaced belief.

[5:19]  ⁸⁸ tn The words “Disaster will be inescapable” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:19]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “went” (so KJV, NRSV).

[5:25]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “Did you bring me…?” This rhetorical question expects a negative answer. The point seems to be this: Since sacrifices did not characterize God’s relationship with Israel during the nation’s formative years, the people should not consider them to be so fundamental. The Lord places a higher priority on justice than he does on empty ritual.

[5:25]  sn Like Jer 7:22-23, this passage seems to contradict the Pentateuchal accounts that indicate Israel did offer sacrifices during the wilderness period. It is likely that both Amos and Jeremiah overstate the case to emphasize the relative insignificance of sacrifices in comparison to weightier matters of the covenant. See R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 428.

[5:25]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “house.”

[7:14]  ⁹² tn Heb “replied and said.” The phrase “and said” is pleonastic (redundant) and has not been included in the translation.

[7:14]  ⁹³ tn Heb “I was not a prophet nor was I the son of a prophet.” The phrase “son of a prophet” refers to one who was trained in a prophetic guild. Since there is no equative verb present in the Hebrew text, another option is to translate with the present tense, “I am not a prophet by profession.” In this case Amos, though now carrying out a prophetic ministry (v. 15), denies any official or professional prophetic status. Modern English versions are divided about whether to understand the past (JB, NIV, NKJV) or present tense (NASB, NEB, NRSV, NJPS) here.

[7:14]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “for.”

[7:14]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “gashed”; or “pierced.”

[7:14]  sn For a discussion of the agricultural background, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 128-29.

[7:14]  ⁹⁶ sn It is possible that herdsmen agreed to care for sycamore fig trees in exchange for grazing rights. See P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 116-17. Since these trees do not grow around Tekoa but rather in the lowlands, another option is that Amos owned other property outside his hometown. In this case, this verse demonstrates his relative wealth and is his response to Amaziah; he did not depend on prophecy as a profession (v. 13).

[9:11]  ⁹⁷ 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]  ⁹⁸ 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]  ⁹⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and I will rebuild as in days of antiquity.”

[3:12]  ¹⁰¹ sn The verb translated salvaged, though often used in a positive sense of deliverance from harm, is here employed in a sarcastic manner. A shepherd would attempt to salvage part of an animal to prove that a predator had indeed killed it. In this way he could prove that he had not stolen the missing animal and absolve himself from any responsibility to repay the owner (see Exod 22:12-13).

[3:12]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “with a corner of a bed.”

[3:12]  ¹⁰³ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word דְּמֶשֶׁק (dÿmesheq), which occurs only here, is uncertain. If not emended, it is usually related to the term ַדּמֶּשֶׂק (dammeseq) and translated as the “Damask linens” of the bed (cf. NASB “the cover”) or as “in Damascus” (so KJV, NJB, NIV). The differences in spelling (Damascus is spelled correctly in 5:27), historical considerations, and the word order make both of these derivations unlikely. Many emendations have been proposed (e.g., “a part from the foot [of a bed],” based on a different division of the Hebrew letters (cf. NEB, NRSV); “on the edge,” based on a Hebrew term not attested in the Bible (NKJV). Some suggest a resemblance to an Akkadian term which means “sideboard [of a bed],” which is sometimes incorrectly rendered “headboard” (NJPS; see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 121-22). Most likely another part of a bed or couch is in view, but it is difficult to be more specific.

[4:10]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “in the manner [or “way”] of Egypt.”

[4:10]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “of your camps [or “armies”].”

[6:2]  ¹⁰⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “Great Hamath” (cf. NIV); or “Hamath the great” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); the word “rabbah” means “great” in Hebrew.

[6:2]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “to these,” referring to Judah and Israel (see v. 1a).

[6:2]  ¹⁰⁹ 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).

[7:10]  ¹¹⁰ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[7:10]  ¹¹¹ tn The direct object of the verb translated “sent” is elided in the Hebrew text. The words “this message” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[7:10]  ¹¹² tn Heb “in the middle of the house of Israel.”

[7:10]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “words.”

[7:17]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “in the city,” that is, “in public.”

[7:17]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “will fall by the sword.”

[7:17]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “will be divided up with a [surveyor’s] measuring line.”

[7:17]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “[an] unclean”; or “[an] impure.” This fate would be especially humiliating for a priest, who was to distinguish between the ritually clean and unclean (see Lev 10:10).

[7:17]  ¹¹⁸ tn See the note on the word “exile” in 5:5.

[8:5]  ¹¹⁹ sn Apparently work was prohibited during the new moon festival, just as it was on the Sabbath.

[8:5]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “pass by.”

[8:5]  ¹²¹ tn The verb, though omitted in the Hebrew text, is supplied in the translation from the parallel line.

[8:5]  ¹²² tn Heb “sell grain.” Here “grain” could stand by metonymy for the bins where it was stored.

[8:5]  ¹²³ tn Here and in v. 6 the words “we’re eager” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:5]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “to make small the ephah and to make great the shekel.” The “ephah” was a unit of dry measure used to determine the quantity purchased, while the “shekel” was a standard weight used to determine the purchase price. By using a smaller than standard ephah and a heavier than standard shekel, these merchants were able to increase their profit (“sell less for a higher price”) by cheating the buyer.

[8:5]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “and to cheat with deceptive scales”; NASB, NIV “dishonest scales”; NRSV “false balances.”

[8:5]  sn Rigged scales may refer to bending the crossbar or shifting the center point of the scales to make the amount weighed appear heavier than it actually was, thus cheating the buyer.