> [[amos-00|← Previous]] | [[amos-00|TOC]] | [[amos-02|Next →]] --- # Amos, Chapter 1 ## Chapter 1 1 The words of Amos, who was one of the sheepbreeders from Tekoa, which he received in a vision concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. ^amos-01-1 2 He said: ^amos-01-2 The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. # II. Oracles Against the Nations ## Aram 3 Thus says the LORD: ^amos-01-3 For three crimes of Damascus, and now four— I will not take it back— Because they threshed Gilead with sledges of iron, 4 I will send fire upon the house of Hazael, ^amos-01-4 and it will devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. 5 I will break the barred gate of Damascus; ^amos-01-5 From the Valley of Aven I will cut off the one enthroned, And the sceptered ruler from Beth-eden; the people of Aram shall be exiled to Kir, says the LORD. ## Philistia 6 Thus says the LORD: ^amos-01-6 For three crimes of Gaza, and now four— I will not take it back— Because they exiled an entire population, handing them over to Edom, 7 I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza, ^amos-01-7 and it will devour its strongholds; 8 From Ashdod I will cut off the one enthroned ^amos-01-8 and the sceptered ruler from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the last of the Philistines shall perish, says the Lord G OD. ## Tyre 9 Thus says the LORD: ^amos-01-9 For three crimes of Tyre, and now four— I will not take it back— Because they handed over an entire population to Edom, and did not remember their covenant of brotherhood, 10 I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre, ^amos-01-10 and it will devour its strongholds. ## Edom 11 Thus says the LORD: ^amos-01-11 For three crimes of Edom, and now four— I will not take it back— Because he pursued his brother with the sword, suppressing all pity, Persisting in his anger, his wrath raging without end, 12 I will send fire upon Teman, ^amos-01-12 and it will devour the strongholds of Bozrah. ## Ammon 13 Thus says the LORD: ^amos-01-13 For three crimes of the Ammonites, and now four— I will not take it back— Because they ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, in order to extend their territory, 14 I will kindle a fire upon the wall of Rabbah, ^amos-01-14 and it will devour its strongholds Amid war cries on the day of battle, amid stormwind on the day of tempest. 15 Their king shall go into exile, ^amos-01-15 he and his princes with him, says the LORD. \* (1:1) The earthquake: a major earthquake during the reign of Uzziah (ca. 783–742 B.C.), so devastating that it was remembered long afterwards (cf. [Zec 14:5]). See the description of an earthquake in Amos’s final vision ([9:1]). \* (1:2) Significantly, the roar comes to the Northern Kingdom from Jerusalem. This verse, perhaps an editorial remark, sets the tone of Amos’s message. \* (1:3] – [2:16) All the nations mentioned here may have been part of the ideal empire of David-Solomon (cf. [1 Kgs 5:1]; [[2-kings-14|2 Kgs 14]]:25). Certain standards of conduct were expected not only in their relations with Israel but also with one another. \* (1:3) For three crimes…and now four: this formula (n, n + 1) is frequent in poetry (e.g., [Prv 6:16] – [19]; [30:18] – [19]). The progression “three” followed by “four” here suggests a climax. The fourth crime is one too many and exhausts the Lord’s forbearance. \* (1:4) Hazael…Ben-hadad: kings of the Arameans whose capital was Damascus (v. [5]); they fought against Israel ([[2-kings-13|2 Kgs 13]]:3) and had long occupied the region of Gilead (v. [3]) in Transjordan. \* (1:5) Valley of Aven: lit., “valley of wickedness,” perhaps a distortion of a place name in Aramean territory, identity unknown. Beth-eden: an Aramean city-state on the Euphrates, about two hundred miles northeast of Damascus, called *Bit-adini* in Assyro-Babylonian texts. Kir: cf. [9:7]; probably to be identified with the city of Emar on the Euphrates, a major Aramean center in the Late Bronze Age. One text from this site calls the king of Emar “the king of the people of the land of Kir.” \* (1:9) Did not remember their covenant of brotherhood: standard diplomatic language of this period, meaning “violated the treaty.” The violation may not have been against Israel itself but against a fellow “subject” nation of the ideal Davidic-Solomonic empire (cf. [2:1]). \* (1:11) Pursued his brother: “brother” here may denote a fellow vassal or subject of Israel. \* (1:12) Teman…Bozrah: two of the chief cities of Edom; cf. [Jer 49:20]. \* (1:14) Rabbah: now called Amman, the modern capital of Jordan. a. (1:1) [Zec 14:5]. b. (1:2) [Jer 25:30]; [Jl 4:16]. c. (1:4) [[2-kings-13|2 Kgs 13]]:3 – [7]; [Hos 8:14]. d. (1:5) [[2-kings-16|2 Kgs 16]]:9. e. (1:13) [2 Kgs 8:12]; [15:16]. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[amos-00|← Previous]] | [[amos-00|TOC]] | [[amos-02|Next →]]