Amos Chapter 1

From The Open Bible Project

1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

• The Argument - Among many other Prophets that God raised up to admonish the Israelites of his plagues for their wickedness and idolatry, he stirred up Amos, who was a herdman or shepherd of a poor town, and gave him both knowledge and constancy to reprove all estates and degrees, and to make known God’s horrible judgments against them, unless they repented in time. And he showed them, that if God did not spare the other nations around them, who had lived as it were in ignorance of God compared to them, but for their sins punished them, then they could look for nothing, but a horrible destruction, unless they turned to the Lord in true repentance. And finally, he comforts the godly with hope of the coming of the Messiah, by whom they would have perfect deliverance and salvation.
• (a) Which was a town five miles from Jerusalem in Judea, but he prophesied in Israel.
• (b) In his days the kingdom of Israel flourished the most.
• (c) Which as Josephus writes, was when Uzziah would have usurped the priest’s office, and therefore was smitten with leprosy.

1:2 He said: "[1] Yahweh [See Amos Footnotes 1] will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the pastures of the shepherds will mourn, and the top of Carmel will wither."

• (d) Whatever is fruitful and pleasant in Israel, will shortly perish.

1:3 Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Damascus, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron;

• (e) He shows first that all the people round about would be destroyed for their manifold sins: which are meant by three and four, which make seven, so that the Israelites would the more deeply consider God’s judgments toward them.
• (f) If the Syrians will not be spared for committing this cruelty against one city, it is not possible that Israel would escape punishment, which has committed so many and such grievous sins against God and man.

1:4 but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad.

• (g) The antiquity of their buildings will not avoid my judgments.

1:5 I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity to Kir," says Yahweh.

• (h) Tiglath Pileser led the Assyrians captive, and brought them to Cyrene, which he here calls Kir.

1:6 Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Gaza, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they carried away captive the whole community, to deliver them up to Edom;

• (i) They united themselves with the Edomites their enemies, who carried them away captive.

1:7 but I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it will devour its palaces.

1:8 I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines will perish," says the [2] Lord [See Amos Footnotes 2] Yahweh.

1:9 Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Tyre, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they delivered up the whole community to Edom, and didn't remember the brotherly covenant;

• (k) For Esau (from whom came the Edomites) and Jacob were brothers, therefore they ought to have admonished them by their brotherly friendship, and not to have provoked them to hatred.

1:10 but I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it will devour its palaces."

1:11 Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Edom, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity, and his anger raged continually, and he kept his wrath forever;

• (l) He was a continual enemy to him.

1:12 but I will send a fire on Teman, and it will devour the palaces of Bozrah."

1:13 Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border.

• (m) He notes the great cruelty of the Ammonites, that did not spare the women, but most tyrannously tormented them, and yet the Ammonites came from Lot, who was of the household of Abraham.

1:14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour its palaces, with shouting in the day of battle, with a storm in the day of the whirlwind;

1:15 and their king will go into captivity, he and his princes together," says Yahweh.