Amos 9:9

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. ¹ 

Amos 6:1

The Party is over for the Rich

6:1 Woe ²  to those who live in ease in Zion, ³ 

to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.

They think of themselves as ⁴  the elite class of the best nation.

The family ⁵  of Israel looks to them for leadership. ⁶ 

Amos 9:12

9:12 As a result they ⁷  will conquer those left in Edom ⁸ 

and all the nations subject to my rule.” ⁹ 

The Lord, who is about to do this, is speaking!

Amos 6:14

6:14 “Look! I am about to bring ¹⁰  a nation against you, family ¹¹  of Israel.”

The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking.

“They will oppress ¹²  you all the way from Lebo-Hamath ¹³  to the Stream of the Arabah.” ¹⁴ 

Amos 3:2

3:2 “I have chosen ¹⁵  you alone from all the clans of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all your sins.”

Amos 5:1

Death is Imminent

5:1 Listen to this funeral song I am ready to sing about you, ¹⁶  family ¹⁷  of Israel:

Amos 5:4

5:4 The Lord says this to the family ¹⁸  of Israel:

“Seek me ¹⁹  so you can live!

Amos 1:6

1:6 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Gaza ²⁰  has committed three crimes ²¹  –

make that four! ²²  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ²³ 

They deported a whole community ²⁴  and sold them ²⁵  to Edom.

Amos 3:1

Every Effect has its Cause

3:1 Listen, you Israelites, to this message which the Lord is proclaiming against ²⁶  you! This message is for the entire clan I brought up ²⁷  from the land of Egypt:

Amos 5:6

5:6 Seek the Lord so you can live!

Otherwise he will break out ²⁸  like fire against Joseph’s ²⁹  family; ³⁰ 

the fire ³¹  will consume

and no one will be able to quench it and save Bethel. ³² 

Amos 9:8

9:8 Look, the sovereign Lord is watching ³³  the sinful nation, ³⁴ 

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

But I will not completely destroy the family ³⁵  of Jacob,” says the Lord.

Amos 8:7

8:7 The Lord confirms this oath ³⁶  by the arrogance of Jacob: ³⁷ 

“I swear ³⁸  I will never forget all you have done! ³⁹ 

Amos 7:16

7:16 So now listen to the Lord’s message! You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach ⁴⁰  against the family of Isaac!’

Amos 1:9

1:9 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Tyre has committed three crimes ⁴¹  –

make that four! ⁴²  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ⁴³ 

They sold ⁴⁴  a whole community ⁴⁵  to Edom;

they failed to observe ⁴⁶  a treaty of brotherhood. ⁴⁷ 

Amos 7:10

Amos Confronts a Priest

7:10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel ⁴⁸  sent this message ⁴⁹  to King Jeroboam of Israel: “Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of the kingdom of Israel! ⁵⁰  The land cannot endure all his prophecies. ⁵¹ 

Amos 5:3

5:3 The sovereign Lord says this:

“The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers ⁵²  will have only a hundred left;

the town ⁵³  that marches out with a hundred soldiers ⁵⁴  will have only ten left for the family of Israel.” ⁵⁵ 

Amos 5:15

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

Promote ⁵⁶  justice at the city gate! ⁵⁷ 

Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on ⁵⁸  those who are left from ⁵⁹  Joseph. ⁶⁰ 

Amos 5:25

5:25 You did not bring me ⁶¹  sacrifices and grain offerings during the forty years you spent in the wilderness, family ⁶²  of Israel.

Amos 7:9

7:9 Isaac’s centers of worship ⁶³  will become desolate;

Israel’s holy places will be in ruins.

I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.” ⁶⁴ 

Amos 8:14

8:14 These are the ones who now take oaths ⁶⁵  in the name of the sinful idol goddess ⁶⁶  of Samaria.

They vow, ⁶⁷  ‘As surely as your god ⁶⁸  lives, O Dan,’ or ‘As surely as your beloved one ⁶⁹  lives, O Beer Sheba!’

But they will fall down and not get up again.”

Amos 1:1

Introduction

1:1 The following is a record of what Amos prophesied. ⁷⁰  He ⁷¹  was one of the herdsmen from Tekoa. These prophecies about Israel were revealed to him ⁷²  during the time of ⁷³  King Uzziah of Judah and ⁷⁴  King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake. ⁷⁵ 

Amos 1:5

1:5 I will break the bar ⁷⁶  on the gate of Damascus.

I will remove ⁷⁷  the ruler ⁷⁸  from Wicked Valley, ⁷⁹ 

the one who holds the royal scepter from Beth Eden. ⁸⁰ 

The people of Aram will be deported to Kir.” ⁸¹ 

The Lord has spoken!

Amos 1:13

1:13 This is what the Lord says:

“Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes ⁸²  –

make that four! ⁸³  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ⁸⁴ 

They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women ⁸⁵ 

so they could expand their territory.

Amos 7:17

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

‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets ⁸⁶ 

and your sons and daughters will die violently. ⁸⁷ 

Your land will be given to others ⁸⁸ 

and you will die in a foreign ⁸⁹  land.

Israel will certainly be carried into exile ⁹⁰  away from its land.’”

Amos 9:7

9:7 “You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight,” ⁹¹  says the Lord.

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

but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor ⁹²  and the Arameans from Kir. ⁹³ 

[9:9]  ¹ 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).

[6:1]  ² tn On the Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy; “ah, woe”) as a term of mourning, see the notes in 5:16, 18.

[6:1]  ³ sn Zion is a reference to Jerusalem.

[6:1]  ⁴ tn The words “They think of themselves as” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the term נְקֻבֵי (nÿquvey; “distinguished ones, elite”) is in apposition to the substantival participles in the first line.

[6:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “house.”

[6:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “comes to them.”

[9:12]  ⁷ sn They probably refers to the Israelites or to the Davidic rulers of the future.

[9:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “take possession of the remnant of Edom”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “possess the remnant of Edom.”

[9:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “nations over whom my name is proclaimed.” The Hebrew idiom indicates ownership, sometimes as a result of conquest. See 2 Sam 12:28.

[9:12]  sn This verse envisions a new era of Israelite rule, perhaps patterned after David’s imperialistic successes (see 2 Sam 8-10). At the same time, however, the verse does not specify how this rule is to be accomplished. Note that the book ends with a description of peace and abundance, and its final reference to God (v. 15) does not include the epithet “the Lord who commands armies,” which has militaristic overtones. This is quite a different scene than what the book began with: nations at war and standing under the judgment of God.

[6:14]  ¹⁰ tn Or “raise up” (KJV, NASB); NIV “stir up.”

[6:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “house.”

[6:14]  ¹² sn Once again there is irony in the divine judgment. The oppressive nation itself will suffer oppression. The verb “oppress” (לָחַץ, lakhats) in this verse is not the same as that used in 4:1 (עָשַׁק, ’ashaq).

[6:14]  ¹³ tn Or “from the entrance to Hamath.” The Hebrew term לְבוֹא (lÿvo’) can either be translated or considered a part of the place name.

[6:14]  ¹⁴ sn Lebo-Hamath refers to the northern border of Israel, the Stream of the Arabah to its southern border. See 2 Kgs 14:25. Through this invader the Lord would reverse the victories and territorial expansion Israel experienced during the reign of Jeroboam II.

[3:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “You only have I known.” The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’) is used here in its covenantal sense of “recognize in a special way.”

[5:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Listen to this word which I am about to take up against you, a funeral song.”

[5:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “house.”

[5:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[5:4]  ¹⁹ sn The following verses explain what it meant to seek the Lord. Israel was to abandon the mere formalism and distorted view of God and reality that characterized religious activity at the worship sites, as well as the social injustice that permeated Israelite society. Instead the people were to repent and promote justice in the land. This call to seek the Lord echoes the challenge in 4:13 to prepare to meet him as he truly is.

[1:6]  ²⁰ sn Gaza was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath). It was considered to mark the southern limit of Canaan at the point on the coast where it was located (Gen 10:19).

[1:6]  ²¹ tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.

[1:6]  ²² tn Heb “Because of three violations of Gaza, even because of four.”

[1:6]  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.

[1:6]  ²³ 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.

[1:6]  ²⁴ tn Heb “[group of] exiles.” A number of English translations take this as a collective singular and translate it with a plural (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[1:6]  ²⁵ tn Heb “in order to hand them over.”

[3:1]  ²⁶ tn Or “about.”

[3:1]  ²⁷ tn One might expect a third person verb form (“he brought up”), since the Lord apparently refers to himself in the third person in the preceding sentence. This first person form, however, serves to connect this message to the earlier indictment (2:10) and anticipates the words of the following verse.

[5:6]  ²⁸ tn Heb “rush.” The verb depicts swift movement.

[5:6]  ²⁹ sn Here Joseph (= Ephraim and Manasseh), as the most prominent of the Israelite tribes, represents the entire northern kingdom.

[5:6]  ³⁰ tn Heb “house.”

[5:6]  ³¹ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:6]  ³² tn Heb “to/for Bethel.” The translation assumes that the preposition indicates advantage, “on behalf of.” Another option is to take the preposition as vocative, “O Bethel.”

[9:8]  ³³ tn Heb “the eyes of the sovereign Lord are on.”

[9:8]  ³⁴ tn Or “kingdom.”

[9:8]  ³⁵ tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).

[8:7]  ³⁶ tn Or “swears.”

[8:7]  ³⁷ sn In an oath one appeals to something permanent to emphasize one’s commitment to the promise. Here the Lord sarcastically swears by the arrogance of Jacob, which he earlier had condemned (6:8), something just as enduring as the Lord’s own life (see 6:8) or unchanging character (see 4:2). Other suggestions include that the Lord is swearing by the land, his most valuable possession (cf. Isa 4:2; Ps 47:4 [47:5 HT]); that this is a divine epithet analogous to “the Glory of Israel” (1 Sam 15:29); or that an ellipsis should be understood here, in which case the meaning is the same as that of 6:8 (“The Lord has sworn [by himself] against the arrogance of Jacob”).

[8:7]  ³⁸ tn The words “I swear” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation because a self-imprecation is assumed in oaths of this type.

[8:7]  ³⁹ tn Or “I will never forget all your deeds.”

[7:16]  ⁴⁰ tn The verb, which literally means “to drip,” appears to be a synonym of “to prophesy,” but it might carry a derogatory tone here, perhaps alluding to the impassioned, frenzied way in which prophets sometimes delivered their messages. If so, one could translate, “to drivel; to foam at the mouth” (see HALOT 694 s.v. נטף).

[1:9]  ⁴¹ tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.

[1:9]  ⁴² tn Heb “Because of three violations of Tyre, even because of four.”

[1:9]  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.

[1:9]  ⁴³ 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.

[1:9]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “handed over.”

[1:9]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “[group of] exiles.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 6.

[1:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “did not remember.”

[1:9]  ⁴⁷ sn A treaty of brotherhood. In the ancient Near Eastern world familial terms were sometimes used to describe treaty partners. In a treaty between superior and inferior parties, the lord would be called “father” and the subject “son.” The partners in a treaty between equals referred to themselves as “brothers.” For biblical examples, see 1 Kgs 9:13; 20:32-33.

[7:10]  ⁴⁸ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[7:10]  ⁴⁹ 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]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “in the middle of the house of Israel.”

[7:10]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “words.”

[5:3]  ⁵² tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ⁵³ 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]  ⁵⁴ tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ⁵⁵ 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).

[5:15]  ⁵⁶ 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]  ⁵⁷ 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]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “will show favor to.”

[5:15]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “the remnant of” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “what’s left of your people.”

[5:15]  ⁶⁰ sn Joseph (= Ephraim and Manasseh), as the most prominent of the Israelite tribes, represents the entire northern kingdom.

[5:25]  ⁶¹ 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]  ⁶² tn Heb “house.”

[7:9]  ⁶³ tn Traditionally, “the high places” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “pagan shrines.”

[7:9]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “And I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword.”

[8:14]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “those who swear.”

[8:14]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “the sin [or “guilt”] of Samaria.” This could be a derogatory reference to an idol-goddess popular in the northern kingdom, perhaps Asherah (cf. 2 Chr 24:18, where this worship is labeled “their guilt”), or to the golden calf at the national sanctuary in Bethel (Hos 8:6, 10:8). Some English versions (e.g., NEB, NRSV, CEV) repoint the word and read “Ashimah,” the name of a goddess worshiped in Hamath in Syria (see 2 Kgs 17:30).

[8:14]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “say.”

[8:14]  ⁶⁸ sn Your god is not identified. It may refer to another patron deity who was not the God of Israel, a local manifestation of the Lord that was worshiped by the people there, or, more specifically, the golden calf image erected in Dan by Jeroboam I (see 1 Kgs 12:28-30).

[8:14]  ⁶⁹ tc The MT reads, “As surely as the way [to] Beer Sheba lives,” or “As surely as the way lives, O Beer Sheba.” Perhaps the term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “the way”) refers to the pilgrimage route to Beersheba (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 272) or it may be a title for a god. The notion of pilgrimage appears elsewhere in the book (cf. 4:4-5; 5:4-5; 8:12). The translation above assumes an emendation to דֹּדְךְ (dodÿkh, “your beloved” or “relative”; the term also is used in 6:10) and understands this as referring either to the Lord (since other kinship terms are used of him, such as “Father”) or to another deity that was particularly popular in Beer Sheba. Besides the commentaries, see S. M. Olyan, “The Oaths of Amos 8:14” Priesthood and Cult in Ancient Israel, 121-49.

[1:1]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “The words of Amos.” Among the prophetic books this opening phrase finds a parallel only at Jer 1:1 but is not that uncommon in other genres (note, e.g., Prov 30:1; 31:1; Eccl 1:1; Neh 1:1).

[1:1]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “who.” Here a new sentence has been started in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:1]  ⁷² tn Heb “which he saw concerning Israel.”

[1:1]  ⁷³ tn Heb “in the days of.”

[1:1]  ⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew text repeats, “and in the days of.” This phrase has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:1]  ⁷⁵ sn This refers to a well-known earthquake that occurred during the first half of the 8th century b.c. According to a generally accepted dating system, Uzziah was a co-regent with his father Amaziah from 792-767 b.c. and ruled independently from 767-740 b.c. Jeroboam II was a co-regent with his father Joash from 793-782 b.c. and ruled independently from 782-753 b.c. Since only Uzziah and Jeroboam are mentioned in the introduction it is likely that Amos’ mission to Israel and the earthquake which followed occurred between 767-753 b.c. The introduction validates the genuine character of Amos’ prophetic ministry in at least two ways: (1) Amos was not a native Israelite or a prophet by trade. Rather he was a herdsman in Tekoa, located in Judah. His mere presence in the northern kingdom as a prophet was evidence that he had been called by God (see 7:14-15). (2) The mighty earthquake shortly after Amos’ ministry would have been interpreted as an omen or signal of approaching judgment. The clearest references to an earthquake are 1:1 and 9:1, 5. It is possible that the verb הָפַךְ (hafakh, “overturn”) at 3:13-15, 4:11, 6:11, and 8:8 also refers to an earthquake, as might the descriptions at 2:13 and 6:9-10. Evidence of a powerful earthquake has been correlated with a destruction layer at Hazor and other sites. Its lasting impact is evident by its mention in Zech 14:5 and 2 Chr 26:16-21. Earthquake imagery appears in later prophets as well (cf. D. N. Freedman and A. Welch, “Amos’s Earthquake and Israelite Prophecy,” Scripture and Other Artifacts, 188-98). On the other hand, some of these verses in Amos could allude to the devastation that would be caused by the imminent military invasion.

[1:5]  ⁷⁶ sn The bar on the city gate symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

[1:5]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “cut off.”

[1:5]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “the one who sits.” Some English versions take the Hebrew term in a collective sense as “inhabitants” (e.g., KJV, NKJV, NASB, NRSV). The context and the parallel in the next clause (“the one who holds the royal scepter”), however, suggest that the royal house is in view. For this term (יוֹשֵׁב, yoshev), see N. K. Gottwald, The Tribes of Yahweh, 512-30.

[1:5]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “valley of wickedness.” Though many English versions take the Hebrew phrase בִקְעַת־אָוֶן (biq’-at ’aven) as a literal geographical place name (“Valley of Aven,” so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), it appears to be a derogatory epithet for Damascus and the kingdom of Aram.

[1:5]  ⁸⁰ tn Many associate the name “Beth Eden” with Bit Adini, an Aramean state located near the Euphrates River, but it may be a sarcastic epithet meaning “house of pleasure.”

[1:5]  ⁸¹ sn According to Amos 9:7, the Arameans originally came from Kir. The Lord threatens to reverse their history and send them back there.

[1:13]  ⁸² tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.

[1:13]  ⁸³ tn Heb “Because of three violations of the Ammonites, even because of four.”
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.

[1:13]  ⁸⁴ 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.

[1:13]  ⁸⁵ sn The Ammonites ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women in conjunction with a military invasion designed to expand their territory. Such atrocities, although repugnant, were not uncommon in ancient Near Eastern warfare.

[7:17]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “in the city,” that is, “in public.”

[7:17]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “will fall by the sword.”

[7:17]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “will be divided up with a [surveyor’s] measuring line.”

[7:17]  ⁸⁹ 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]  ⁹⁰ tn See the note on the word “exile” in 5:5.

[9:7]  ⁹¹ 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]  ⁹² sn Caphtor may refer to the island of Crete.

[9:7]  ⁹³ 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.