Yesaya 3:2-3

3:2 the mighty men and warriors,

judges and prophets,

omen readers and leaders, ¹ 

3:3 captains of groups of fifty,

the respected citizens, ² 

advisers and those skilled in magical arts, ³ 

and those who know incantations.

Yesaya 19:15

19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,

head or tail, shoots and stalk. ⁴ 

Yesaya 19:2

19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, ⁵ 

brothers will fight with each other,

as will neighbors,

cities, and kingdoms. ⁶ 

Kisah Para Rasul 17:6-20

17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged ⁷  Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, ⁸  screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble ⁹  throughout the world ¹⁰  have come here too, 17:7 and ¹¹  Jason has welcomed them as guests! They ¹²  are all acting against Caesar’s ¹³  decrees, saying there is another king named ¹⁴  Jesus!” ¹⁵  17:8 They caused confusion among ¹⁶  the crowd and the city officials ¹⁷  who heard these things. 17:9 After ¹⁸  the city officials ¹⁹  had received bail ²⁰  from Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul and Silas at Berea

17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea ²¹  at once, during the night. When they arrived, ²²  they went to the Jewish synagogue. ²³  17:11 These Jews ²⁴  were more open-minded ²⁵  than those in Thessalonica, ²⁶  for they eagerly ²⁷  received ²⁸  the message, examining ²⁹  the scriptures carefully every day ³⁰  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ³¹  prominent ³²  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ³³  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ³⁴  in Berea, ³⁵  they came there too, inciting ³⁶  and disturbing ³⁷  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ³⁸  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ³⁹  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ⁴⁰  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ⁴¹ 

Paul at Athens

17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, ⁴²  his spirit was greatly upset ⁴³  because he saw ⁴⁴  the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing ⁴⁵  the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles ⁴⁶  in the synagogue, ⁴⁷  and in the marketplace every day ⁴⁸  those who happened to be there. 17:18 Also some of the Epicurean ⁴⁹  and Stoic ⁵⁰  philosophers were conversing ⁵¹  with him, and some were asking, ⁵²  “What does this foolish babbler ⁵³  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ⁵⁴  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ⁵⁵  17:19 So they took Paul and ⁵⁶  brought him to the Areopagus, ⁵⁷  saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ⁵⁸  to our ears, so we want to know what they ⁵⁹  mean.”

Hosea 1:4

1:4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, ⁶⁰  “Name him ‘Jezreel,’ because in a little while I will punish ⁶¹  the dynasty ⁶²  of Jehu on account of the bloodshed ⁶³  in the valley of Jezreel, ⁶⁴  and I will put an end to the kingdom ⁶⁵  of Israel. ⁶⁶ 

Hosea 1:6

1:6 She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord ⁶⁷  said to him, “Name her ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah) because I will no longer have pity ⁶⁸  on the nation ⁶⁹  of Israel. For ⁷⁰  I will certainly not forgive ⁷¹  their guilt. ⁷² 

Hosea 1:9

1:9 Then the Lord ⁷³  said: “Name him ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), because you ⁷⁴  are not my people and I am not your ⁷⁵  God.” ⁷⁶ 

Hosea 4:5

4:5 You stumble day and night,

and the false prophets stumble with you;

You have destroyed your own people! ⁷⁷ 

Hosea 5:12-14

The Curse of the Incurable Wound

5:12 I will be like a moth to Ephraim,

like wood rot ⁷⁸  to the house of Judah.

5:13 When Ephraim saw ⁷⁹  his sickness

and Judah saw his wound,

then Ephraim turned ⁸⁰  to Assyria,

and begged ⁸¹  its great king ⁸²  for help.

But he will not be able to heal you!

He cannot cure your wound! ⁸³ 

The Lion Will Carry Israel Off Into Exile

5:14 I will be like a lion to Ephraim,

like a young lion to the house of Judah.

I myself will tear them to pieces,

then I will carry them off, and no one will be able to rescue them!

Hosea 8:8

8:8 Israel will be swallowed up among the nations;

they will be like a worthless piece of pottery.

Hosea 9:11-17

The Fertility Worshipers Will Become Infertile

9:11 Ephraim will be like a bird;

what they value ⁸⁴  will fly away.

They will not bear children –

they will not enjoy pregnancy –

they will not even conceive! ⁸⁵ 

9:12 Even if they raise their children,

I will take away every last one of them. ⁸⁶ 

Woe to them!

For I will turn away from them.

9:13 Just as lion cubs are born predators, ⁸⁷ 

so Ephraim will bear his sons for slaughter.

9:14 Give them, O Lord –

what will you give them?

Give them wombs that miscarry,

and breasts that cannot nurse! ⁸⁸ 

9:15 Because of all their evil in Gilgal,

I hate them there.

On account of their evil deeds,

I will drive them out of my land. ⁸⁹ 

I will no longer love them;

all their rulers are rebels.

9:16 Ephraim will be struck down ⁹⁰  –

their root will be dried up;

they will not yield any fruit.

Even if they do bear children,

I will kill their precious offspring.

9:17 My God will reject them,

for they have not obeyed him;

so they will be fugitives among the nations.

Hosea 13:3

13:3 Therefore they will disappear like ⁹¹  the morning mist, ⁹² 

like early morning dew that evaporates, ⁹³ 

like chaff that is blown away ⁹⁴  from a threshing floor,

like smoke that disappears through an open window.

Amos 2:14-16

2:14 Fast runners will find no place to hide; ⁹⁵ 

strong men will have no strength left; ⁹⁶ 

warriors will not be able to save their lives.

2:15 Archers ⁹⁷  will not hold their ground; ⁹⁸ 

fast runners will not save their lives,

nor will those who ride horses. ⁹⁹ 

2:16 Bravehearted ¹⁰⁰  warriors will run away naked in that day.”

The Lord is speaking!

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 5:2-3

5:2 “The virgin ¹⁰⁴  Israel has fallen down and will not get up again.

She is abandoned on her own land

with no one to help her get up.” ¹⁰⁵ 

5:3 The sovereign Lord says this:

“The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers ¹⁰⁶  will have only a hundred left;

the town ¹⁰⁷  that marches out with a hundred soldiers ¹⁰⁸  will have only ten left for the family of Israel.” ¹⁰⁹ 

Amos 6:11

6:11 Indeed, look! The Lord is giving the command. ¹¹⁰ 

He will smash the large house to bits,

and the small house into little pieces.

Amos 7:8-9

7:8 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” I said, “Tin.” The sovereign One then said,

“Look, I am about to place tin among my people Israel.

I will no longer overlook their sin. ¹¹¹ 

7:9 Isaac’s centers of worship ¹¹²  will become desolate;

Israel’s holy places will be in ruins.

I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.” 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 9:1-9

9:1 I saw the sovereign One ¹¹⁹  standing by the altar ¹²⁰  and he said, “Strike the tops of the support pillars, ¹²¹  so the thresholds shake!

Knock them down on the heads of all the people, ¹²² 

and I will kill the survivors ¹²³  with the sword.

No one will be able to run away; ¹²⁴ 

no one will be able to escape. ¹²⁵ 

9:2 Even if they could dig down into the netherworld, ¹²⁶ 

my hand would pull them up from there.

Even if they could climb up to heaven,

I would drag them down from there.

9:3 Even if they were to hide on the top of Mount Carmel,

I would hunt them down and take them from there.

Even if they tried to hide from me ¹²⁷  at the bottom of the sea,

from there ¹²⁸  I would command the Sea Serpent ¹²⁹  to bite them.

9:4 Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, ¹³⁰ 

from there ¹³¹  I will command the sword to kill them.

I will not let them out of my sight;

they will experience disaster, not prosperity.” ¹³² 

9:5 The sovereign Lord who commands armies will do this. ¹³³ 

He touches the earth and it dissolves; ¹³⁴ 

all who live on it mourn.

The whole earth ¹³⁵  rises like the River Nile, ¹³⁶ 

and then grows calm ¹³⁷  like the Nile in Egypt. ¹³⁸ 

9:6 He builds the upper rooms of his palace ¹³⁹  in heaven

and sets its foundation supports ¹⁴⁰  on the earth. ¹⁴¹ 

He summons the water of the sea

and pours it out on the earth’s surface.

The Lord is his name.

9:7 “You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight,” ¹⁴²  says the Lord.

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

but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor ¹⁴³  and the Arameans from Kir. ¹⁴⁴ 

9:8 Look, the sovereign Lord is watching ¹⁴⁵  the sinful nation, ¹⁴⁶ 

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

But I will not completely destroy the family ¹⁴⁷  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. ¹⁴⁸ 

Mikha 1:6-8

1:6 “I will turn Samaria ¹⁴⁹  into a heap of ruins in an open field –

vineyards will be planted there! ¹⁵⁰ 

I will tumble ¹⁵¹  the rubble of her stone walls ¹⁵²  down into the valley,

and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. ¹⁵³ 

1:7 All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces;

all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. ¹⁵⁴ 

I will make a waste heap ¹⁵⁵  of all her images.

Since ¹⁵⁶  she gathered the metal ¹⁵⁷  as a prostitute collects her wages,

the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.” ¹⁵⁸ 

1:8 For this reason I ¹⁵⁹  will mourn and wail;

I will walk around barefoot ¹⁶⁰  and without my outer garments. ¹⁶¹ 

I will howl ¹⁶²  like a wild dog, ¹⁶³ 

and screech ¹⁶⁴  like an owl. ¹⁶⁵ 

[3:2]  ¹ tn Heb “elder” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “older leaders.”

[3:3]  ² tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.

[3:3]  ³ tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB).

[19:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.

[19:2]  ⁵ tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).

[19:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.

[17:6]  ⁷ tn See BDAG 977-78 s.v. σύρω on this verb. It was used in everyday speech of dragging in fish by a net, or dragging away someone’s (presumably) dead body (Paul in Acts 14:19).

[17:6]  ⁸ tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official’” (see also BDAG 845 s.v.).

[17:6]  ⁹ tn Or “rebellion.” BDAG 72 s.v. ἀναστατόω has “disturb, trouble, upset,” but in light of the references in the following verse to political insurrection, “stirred up rebellion” would also be appropriate.

[17:6]  ¹⁰ tn Or “the empire.” This was a way of referring to the Roman empire (BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 2.b).

[17:6]  sn Throughout the world. Note how some of those present had knowledge of what had happened elsewhere. Word about Paul and his companions and their message was spreading.

[17:7]  ¹¹ tn Grk “whom.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who have stirred up trouble…whom Jason has welcomed”) the relative pronoun here (“whom”) has been replaced by the conjunction “and,” creating a clause that is grammatically coordinate but logically subordinate in the translation.

[17:7]  ¹² tn Grk “and they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[17:7]  ¹³ tn Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[17:7]  ¹⁴ tn The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.

[17:7]  ¹⁵ sn Acting…saying…Jesus. The charges are serious, involving sedition (Luke 23:2). If the political charges were true, Rome would have to react.

[17:8]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “They troubled the crowd and the city officials”; but this could be understood to mean “they bothered” or “they annoyed.” In reality the Jewish instigators managed to instill doubt and confusion into both the mob and the officials by their false charges of treason. Verse 8 suggests the charges raised again Paul, Silas, Jason, and the others were false.

[17:8]  ¹⁷ tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official.’”

[17:9]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[17:9]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the city officials) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:9]  ²⁰ tn That is, “a payment” or “a pledge of security” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 1) for which “bail” is the most common contemporary English equivalent.

[17:10]  ²¹ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) west of Thessalonica.

[17:10]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[17:10]  ²² tn Grk “who arriving there, went to.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (οἵτινες, Joitine") has been left untranslated and a new English sentence begun. The participle παραγενόμενοι (paragenomenoi) has been taken temporally.

[17:10]  ²³ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:11]  ²⁴ tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ²⁵ tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.

[17:11]  ²⁶ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:11]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[17:11]  ²⁷ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

[17:11]  ²⁸ tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.

[17:11]  ²⁹ tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

[17:11]  ³⁰ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:12]  ³¹ tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).

[17:12]  ³² tn Or “respected.”

[17:13]  ³³ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:13]  ³⁴ tn Grk “that the word of God had also been proclaimed by Paul.” This passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:13]  ³⁵ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.

[17:13]  ³⁶ tn BDAG 911 s.v. σαλεύω 2 has “incite” for σαλεύοντες (saleuonte") in Acts 17:13.

[17:13]  sn Inciting. Ironically, it was the Jews who were disturbing the peace, not the Christians.

[17:13]  ³⁷ tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.

[17:14]  ³⁸ tn Grk “to the sea.” Here ἕως ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ({ew" epi thn qalassan) must mean “to the edge of the sea,” that is, “to the coast.” Since there is no mention of Paul taking a ship to Athens, he presumably traveled overland. The journey would have been about 340 mi (550 km).

[17:14]  ³⁹ tn Grk “remained there”; the referent (Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:15]  ⁴⁰ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:15]  ⁴¹ sn They left. See 1 Thess 3:1-2, which shows they went from here to Thessalonica.

[17:16]  ⁴² map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:16]  ⁴³ tn Grk “greatly upset within him,” but the words “within him” were not included in the translation because they are redundant in English. See L&N 88.189. The term could also be rendered “infuriated.”

[17:16]  sn His spirit was greatly upset. See Rom 1:18-32 for Paul’s feelings about idolatry. Yet he addressed both Jews and Gentiles with tact and reserve.

[17:16]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “when he saw.” The participle θεωροῦντος (qewrounto") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle; it could also be translated as temporal.

[17:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:17. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[17:17]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “and the devout,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44, and the note on the phrase “God-fearing Greeks” in 17:4.

[17:17]  ⁴⁷ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:17]  ⁴⁸ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:18]  ⁴⁹ sn An Epicurean was a follower of the philosophy of Epicurus, who founded a school in Athens about 300 b.c. Although the Epicureans saw the aim of life as pleasure, they were not strictly hedonists, because they defined pleasure as the absence of pain. Along with this, they desired the avoidance of trouble and freedom from annoyances. They saw organized religion as evil, especially the belief that the gods punished evildoers in an afterlife. In keeping with this, they were unable to accept Paul’s teaching about the resurrection.

[17:18]  ⁵⁰ sn A Stoic was a follower of the philosophy founded by Zeno (342-270 b.c.), a Phoenician who came to Athens and modified the philosophical system of the Cynics he found there. The Stoics rejected the Epicurean ideal of pleasure, stressing virtue instead. The Stoics emphasized responsibility for voluntary actions and believed risks were worth taking, but thought the actual attainment of virtue was difficult. They also believed in providence.

[17:18]  ⁵¹ tn BDAG 956 s.v. συμβάλλω 1 has “converse, confer” here.

[17:18]  ⁵² tn Grk “saying.”

[17:18]  ⁵³ tn Or “ignorant show-off.” The traditional English translation of σπερμολόγος (spermologo") is given in L&N 33.381 as “foolish babbler.” However, an alternate view is presented in L&N 27.19, “(a figurative extension of meaning of a term based on the practice of birds in picking up seeds) one who acquires bits and pieces of relatively extraneous information and proceeds to pass them off with pretense and show – ‘ignorant show-off, charlatan.’” A similar view is given in BDAG 937 s.v. σπερμολόγος: “in pejorative imagery of persons whose communication lacks sophistication and seems to pick up scraps of information here and there scrapmonger, scavenger…Engl. synonyms include ‘gossip’, ‘babbler’, chatterer’; but these terms miss the imagery of unsystematic gathering.”

[17:18]  ⁵⁴ tn The meaning of this phrase is not clear. Literally it reads “strange deities” (see BDAG 210 s.v. δαιμόνιον 1). The note of not being customary is important. In the ancient world what was new was suspicious. The plural δαιμονίων (daimoniwn, “deities”) shows the audience grappling with Paul’s teaching that God was working through Jesus.

[17:18]  ⁵⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[17:19]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:19]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “to the council of the Areopagus.” See also the term in v. 22.

[17:19]  sn The Areopagus has been traditionally understood as reference to a rocky hill near the Acropolis in Athens, although this place may well have been located in the marketplace at the foot of the hill (L&N 93.412; BDAG 129 s.v. ῎Αρειος πάγος). This term does not refer so much to the place, however, as to the advisory council of Athens known as the Areopagus, which dealt with ethical, cultural, and religious matters, including the supervision of education and controlling the many visiting lecturers. Thus it could be translated the council of the Areopagus. See also the term in v. 22.

[17:20]  ⁵⁸ tn BDAG 684 s.v. ξενίζω 2 translates the substantival participle ξενίζοντα (xenizonta) as “astonishing things Ac 17:20.”

[17:20]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “these things”; but since the referent (“surprising things”) is so close, the repetition of “these things” sounds redundant in English, so the pronoun “they” was substituted in the translation.

[1:4]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “to him.” The referent (Hosea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:4]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “I will visit.” The verb פָּקַד (paqad, “to visit”) has a very broad range of meanings: (1) “to pay attention to; to look at” (a) favorably: to look after; to provide for; to care for; (b) unfavorably: to seek vengeance for; to punish for; (2) militarily: (a) “to muster; to enroll”; (b) “to inspect; to review”; (3) leadership: (a) “to rule over; to oversee”; (b) Hiphil: “to appoint an overseer” (see BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד; HALOT 955-58 s.v. פקד). In this context, the nuance “to punish” or “to take vengeance” (see 1b above) is most appropriate. Cf. KJV, ASV “I will avenge”; NAB, NASB, NRSV “I will punish.”

[1:4]  ⁶² tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV); NCV “family”; CEV “descendants.”

[1:4]  ⁶³ tn The plural form of דָּם (dam, “blood”) refers to “bloodshed” (BDB 196 s.v. דָּם 2.f). This is an example of a plural of abnormal condition (GKC 400 §124.n). The plural is used to represent natural objects which are found in an unnatural or abnormal condition. The plural is used because the natural object is normally found as a whole or in one unit, but in the abnormal condition the object is found in many parts. Normally, blood is contained as a whole within the body. However, when a brutal murder occurs, blood is shed and literally spilled all over the place. Cf. NIV “the massacre”; TEV, CEV, NLT “the murders.”

[1:4]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “I will visit the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu.”

[1:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “the kingdom of the house of Israel” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:4]  ⁶⁶ sn The proper name יִזְרְעֶאל (yizré’e’l, “Jezreel”) sounds like יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra’el, “Israel”). This phonetic wordplay associates the sin at Jezreel with the judgment on Israel, stressing poetic justice.

[1:6]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “Then he said”; the referent (the Lord) does not appear in Hebrew, but has been specified in the translation for clarity. Many English versions specify the speaker here (KJV “God”; ASV “Jehovah”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “the Lord”).

[1:6]  ⁶⁸ sn The negative particle לאֹ (lo’, “no, not”) and the root רָחַם (rakham, “compassion”) are repeated in 1:6, creating a wordplay between the name Lo-Ruhamah (literally “No-Pity”) and the announcement of divine judgment, “I will no longer have pity on the nation of Israel.”

[1:6]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “house”; cf. TEV, NLT “the people of Israel.”

[1:6]  ⁷⁰ tn The particle כִּי (ki) probably denotes cause (so NCV, TEV, CEV) or result here (GKC 505 §166.b; BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 3.c).

[1:6]  ⁷¹ tn The verb נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to take away”) frequently denotes “to forgive” meaning to take away sin (BDB 671 s.v. נָשָׂא 3.c). The construction נָשׂא אֶשָּׂא (naso’ ’esa’, “I will certainly take away,” infinitive absolute + imperfect of the same root) repeats the root נָשָׂא for rhetorical emphasis, stressing the divine resolution not to forgive Israel.

[1:6]  ⁷² tn The phrase “their guilt” does not appear in Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarification. The ellipsis of the accusative direct object of נָשׂא אֶשָּׂא (naso’ ’esa’, “I will certainly take away”) is an example of brachyology. The accusative “guilt” must be supplied frequently with נָשַׂא (see BDB 671 s.v. נָשָׂא 3.c; e.g., Num 14:19; Isa 2:9; Ps 99:8). Many recent English versions simplify this to “forgive them” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

[1:9]  ⁷³ tn Heb “Then he said”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity. As in v. 6, many English versions specify the speaker here.

[1:9]  ⁷⁴ tn The independent personal pronoun אַתֶּם (’attem, “you”) is a plural form, referring to the people of Israel as a whole. To make this clear TEV translates this as third person: “the people of Israel are not my people” (cf. CEV, NLT).

[1:9]  ⁷⁵ tn The pronominal suffix on the preposition לָכֶם (lakhem, “your”) is a plural form, referring to the people of Israel as a whole.

[1:9]  ⁷⁶ tc The MT reads לֹא־אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם (lo’-’ehyeh lakhem, “I will not be yours”). The editors of BHS suggest emending the text to לֹא־אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (lo’-’elohekhem, “I will not be your God”). The emendation creates a tighter parallel with the preceding אַתֶּם לֹא עַמִּי (’attem lo’ ’ammi, “you are not my people”). Because of a lack of external evidence, however, the reading of the MT should be retained.

[1:9]  tn Heb “I am not yours.” The divine name “God” is supplied in the translation for clarity even though the reading of the MT is followed (see previous tc note). Almost all English versions (including KJV, ASV, NASB) supply “God” here.

[1:9]  sn This is an allusion to Yahweh’s promise to Moses אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ (’ehyeh ’immakh, “I will be with you”; Exod 3:12, 14). In effect, it is a negation of Exod 3:12, 14 and a cancellation of Israel’s status as vassal of Yahweh in the conditional Mosaic covenant.

[4:5]  ⁷⁷ tc The MT reads וְדָמִיתִי אִמֶּךָ (vÿdamiti ’immekha, “and I will destroy your mother”), and is followed by most English versions; however, the text should probably be emended to וְדָמִית עַמֶּךָ (vÿdamit ’ammekha, “and you have destroyed your own people”). The 2nd person masculine singular form וְדָמִית (vÿdamit, “and you have destroyed”) is preserved in several medieval Hebrew mss and reflected in Jerome’s Vulgate. For discussion in favor of the MT reading, see D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:232.

[4:5]  tn Or “and I will destroy your mother” (so NASB, NRSV).

[5:12]  ⁷⁸ tn The noun רָקָב (raqav, “rottenness, decay”) refers to wood rot caused by the ravages of worms (BDB 955 s.v. רָקָב); cf. NLT “dry rot.” The related noun רִקָּבוֹן (riqqavon) refers to “rotten wood” (Job 41:27).

[5:13]  ⁷⁹ tn Hosea employs three preterites (vayyiqtol forms) in verse 13a-b to describe a past-time situation.

[5:13]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “went to” (so NAB, NRSV, TEV); CEV “asked help from.”

[5:13]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “sent to” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[5:13]  ⁸² tc The MT reads מֶלֶךְ יָרֵב (melekh yarev, “a contentious king”). This is translated as a proper name (“king Jareb”) by KJV, ASV, NASB. However, the stative adjective יָרֵב (“contentious”) is somewhat awkward. The words should be redivided as an archaic genitive-construct מַלְכִּי רָב (malki rav, “great king”; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) which preserves the old genitive hireq yod ending. This is the equivalent of the Assyrian royal epithet sarru rabbu (“the great king”). See also the tc note on the same phrase in 10:6.

[5:13]  ⁸³ tn Heb “your wound will not depart from you.”

[5:13]  sn Hosea personifies Ephraim’s “wound” as if it could depart from the sickly Ephraim (see the formal equivalent rendering in the preceding tn). Ephraim’s sinful action in relying upon an Assyrian treaty for protection will not dispense with its problems.

[9:11]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “their glory” (so NASB); TEV “Israel’s greateness.”

[9:11]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “no childbearing, no pregnancy, no conception.” The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to the three parallel nouns functions in a privative sense, indicating deprivation (BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7).

[9:12]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “I will bereave them from a man”; NRSV “I will bereave them until no one is left.”

[9:13]  ⁸⁷ tc The MT is corrupt in 9:13. The BHS editors suggest emending the text to follow the LXX reading. See D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:250-51.

[9:14]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “breasts that shrivel up dry”; cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV “dry breasts.”

[9:15]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “out of my house” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV, NCV, NLT “my land.”

[9:16]  ⁹⁰ tn Or perhaps, following the plant metaphor, “will be blighted” (NIV similar).

[13:3]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “they will be like” (so NASB, NIV).

[13:3]  ⁹² tn The phrase כְּעֲנַן־בֹּקֶר (kÿ’anan-boqer, “like a cloud of the morning”) occurs also in Hos 6:4 in a similar simile. The Hebrew poets and prophets refer to morning clouds as a simile for transitoriness (Job 7:9; Isa 44:22; Hos 6:4; 13:3; HALOT 858 s.v. עָנָן 1.b; BDB 778 s.v. עָנָן 1.c).

[13:3]  ⁹³ tn Heb “like the early rising dew that goes away”; TEV “like the dew that vanishes early in the day.”

[13:3]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “storm-driven away”; KJV, ASV “driven with the whirlwind out.” The verb יְסֹעֵר (yÿso’er, Poel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from סָעַר, sa’ar, “to storm”) often refers to the intense action of strong, raging storm winds (e.g., Jonah 1:11, 13). The related nouns refer to “heavy gale,” “storm wind,” and “high wind” (BDB 704 s.v. סָעַר; HALOT 762 s.v. סער). The verb is used figuratively to describe the intensity of God’s destruction of the wicked whom he will “blow away” (Isa 54:11; Hos 13:3; Hab 3:14; Zech 7:14; BDB 704 s.v.; HALOT 762 s.v.).

[2:14]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and a place of refuge will perish from the swift.”

[2:14]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “the strong will not increase his strength.”

[2:15]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “the one who holds the bow.”

[2:15]  ⁹⁸ tn For the idiom of “holding [or “standing”] one’s ground” in battle, there is a similar phrase in Ezek 13:5; also related is the expression “to hold one’s own against” (or “to withstand”) in Judg 2:14; 2 Kgs 10:4; Dan 8:7 (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 97). Other options include “will not endure” or “will not survive.”

[2:15]  ⁹⁹ tn The last two lines read literally, “The one fast in his feet will not rescue [his life], and the rider of the horse will not rescue his life.” The phrase “his life” does double duty in the parallelism and should be understood in both lines.

[2:16]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Or “the most stouthearted” (NAB); NRSV “those who are stout of heart.”

[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.

[5:2]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “young lady.” The term “Israel” is an appositional genitive.

[5:2]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “with no one to lift her up.”

[5:3]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ¹⁰⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ¹⁰⁹ 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).

[6:11]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “is issuing the decree.”

[7:8]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “And I will no longer pass over him.”

[7:9]  ¹¹² tn Traditionally, “the high places” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “pagan shrines.”

[7:9]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “And I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword.”

[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.

[9:1]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “the Lord.” The Hebrew term translated “sovereign One” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[9:1]  ¹²⁰ sn The altar is perhaps the altar at Bethel.

[9:1]  ¹²¹ tn Or “the capitals.” The Hebrew singular form is collective.

[9:1]  ¹²² tn Heb “cut them off on the head of all of them.” The translation assumes the objective suffix on the verb refers to the tops of the pillars and that the following prepositional phrase refers to the people standing beneath. Another option is to take this phrase as referring to the pillars, in which case one could translate, “Knock all the tops of the pillars off.”

[9:1]  ¹²³ tn Heb “the remnant of them.” One could possibly translate, “every last one of them” (cf. NEB “to the last man”). This probably refers to those who survive the collapse of the temple, which may symbolize the northern kingdom.

[9:1]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “a fugitive belonging to them will not run away.”

[9:1]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “a survivor belonging to them will not escape.”

[9:2]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “into Sheol” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV), that is, the land of the dead localized in Hebrew thought in the earth’s core or the grave. Cf. KJV “hell”; NCV, NLT “the place of the dead”; NIV “the depths of the grave.”

[9:3]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “from before my eyes.”

[9:3]  ¹²⁸ tn Or perhaps simply, “there,” if the מ (mem) prefixed to the adverb is dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem).

[9:3]  ¹²⁹ sn If the article indicates a definite serpent, then the mythological Sea Serpent, symbolic of the world’s chaotic forces, is probably in view. See Job 26:13 and Isa 27:1 (where it is also called Leviathan). Elsewhere in the OT this serpent is depicted as opposing the Lord, but this text implies that even this powerful enemy of God is ultimately subject to his sovereign will.

[9:4]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “Even if they go into captivity before their enemies.”

[9:4]  ¹³¹ tn Or perhaps simply, “there,” if the מ (mem) prefixed to the adverb is dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem).

[9:4]  ¹³² tn Heb “I will set my eye on them for disaster, not good.”

[9:5]  ¹³³ tn The words “will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:5]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “melts.” The verb probably depicts earthquakes and landslides. See v. 5b.

[9:5]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “all of it.”

[9:5]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “the Nile.” The word “River” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:5]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “sinks back down.”

[9:5]  ¹³⁸ sn See Amos 8:8, which is very similar to this verse.

[9:6]  ¹³⁹ tc The MT reads “his steps.” If this is correct, then the reference may be to the steps leading up to the heavenly temple or the throne of God (cf. 1 Kgs 10:19-20). The prefixed מ (mem) may be dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem). The translation assumes an emendation to עֲלִיָּתוֹ (’aliyyato, “his upper rooms”).

[9:6]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Traditionally, “vault” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV). The precise meaning of this word in this context is unclear. Elsewhere it refers to objects grouped or held together. F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman (Amos [AB], 845-46) suggest the foundational structure of a building is in view.

[9:6]  ¹⁴¹ sn Verse 6a pictures the entire universe as a divine palace founded on the earth and extending into the heavens.

[9:7]  ¹⁴² 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]  ¹⁴³ sn Caphtor may refer to the island of Crete.

[9:7]  ¹⁴⁴ 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.

[9:8]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “the eyes of the sovereign Lord are on.”

[9:8]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Or “kingdom.”

[9:8]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).

[9:9]  ¹⁴⁸ 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).

[1:6]  ¹⁴⁹ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[1:6]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “into a planting place for vineyards.”

[1:6]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “pour” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, NRSV “pour down”; NAB “throw down”; NLT “roll.”

[1:6]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “her stones.” The term stones is a metonymy for the city walls whose foundations were constructed of stone masonry.

[1:6]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “I will uncover her foundations.” The term “foundations” refers to the lower courses of the stones of the city’s outer fortification walls.

[1:7]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “and all her prostitute’s wages will be burned with fire.”

[1:7]  sn The precious metal used by Samaria’s pagan worship centers to make idols are here compared to a prostitute’s wages because Samaria had been unfaithful to the Lord and prostituted herself to pagan gods, such as Baal.

[1:7]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “I will make desolate” (so NASB).

[1:7]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[1:7]  ¹⁵⁷ tn No object is specified in the Hebrew text; the words “the metal” are supplied from the context.

[1:7]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “for from a prostitute’s wages she gathered, and to a prostitute’s wages they will return.” When the metal was first collected it was comparable to the coins a prostitute would receive for her services. The metal was then formed into idols, but now the Lord’s fiery judgment would reduce the metal images to their original condition.

[1:8]  ¹⁵⁹ tn The prophet is probably the speaker here.

[1:8]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Or “stripped.” The precise meaning of this Hebrew word is unclear. It may refer to walking barefoot (see 2 Sam 15:30) or to partially stripping oneself (see Job 12:17-19).

[1:8]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “naked.” This probably does not refer to complete nudity, but to stripping off one’s outer garments as an outward sign of the destitution felt by the mourner.

[1:8]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “I will make lamentation.”

[1:8]  ¹⁶³ tn Or “a jackal”; CEV “howling wolves.”

[1:8]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “[make] a mourning.”

[1:8]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Or perhaps “ostrich” (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).