5:10 The Israelites 1 hate anyone who arbitrates at the city gate; 2
they despise anyone who speaks honestly.
5:24 Justice must flow like torrents of water,
righteous actions 3 like a stream that never dries up.
6:12 Can horses run on rocky cliffs?
Can one plow the sea with oxen? 4
Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant,
and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant. 5
6:2 They say to the people: 6
“Journey over to Calneh and look at it!
Then go from there to Hamath-Rabbah! 7
Then go down to Gath of the Philistines!
Are they superior to our two 8 kingdoms?
Is their territory larger than yours?” 9
1:6 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Gaza 10 has committed three crimes 11 –
make that four! 12 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 13
They deported a whole community 14 and sold them 15 to Edom.
1:7 So I will set Gaza’s city wall 16 on fire;
fire 17 will consume her fortresses.
1:8 I will remove 18 the ruler 19 from Ashdod, 20
the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. 21
I will strike Ekron 22 with my hand; 23
the rest of the Philistines will also die.” 24
The sovereign Lord has spoken!
1:9 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Tyre has committed three crimes 25 –
make that four! 26 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 27
They sold 28 a whole community 29 to Edom;
they failed to observe 30 a treaty of brotherhood. 31
1:10 So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; 32
fire 33 will consume her fortresses.”
1:11 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Edom has committed three crimes 34 –
make that four! 35 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 36
He chased his brother 37 with a sword;
he wiped out his allies. 38
In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; 39
in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. 40
82:2 He says, 41 “How long will you make unjust legal decisions
and show favoritism to the wicked? 42 (Selah)
82:3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! 43
Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!
82:4 Rescue the poor and needy!
Deliver them from the power 44 of the wicked!
1 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 sn In ancient Israelite culture, legal disputes were resolved in the city gate, where the town elders met.
3 tn Traditionally, “righteousness.”
4 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!”
5 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.
6 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.
7 tn Or “Great Hamath” (cf. NIV); or “Hamath the great” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); the word “rabbah” means “great” in Hebrew.
8 tn Heb “to these,” referring to Judah and Israel (see v. 1a).
9 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).
10 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).
11 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.
12 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Gaza, even because of four.”
13 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.
14 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).
15 tn Heb “in order to hand them over.”
16 sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.
17 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 tn Heb “cut off.”
19 tn Heb “the one who sits.” Some translations take this expression as a collective singular referring to the inhabitants rather than the ruler (e.g., NAB, NRSV, NLT).
20 sn Ashdod was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).
21 sn Ashkelon was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).
22 sn Ekron was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Gath).
23 tn Heb “I will turn my hand against Ekron.” For other uses of the idiom, “turn the hand against,” see Ps 81:14; Isa 1:25; Jer 6:9; Zech 13:7.
24 tn Heb “and the remnant of the Philistines will perish.” The translation above assumes that reference is made to other Philistines beside those living in the cities mentioned. Another option is to translate, “Every last Philistine will die.”
25 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.
26 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Tyre, even because of four.”
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.
28 tn Heb “handed over.”
29 tn Heb “[group of] exiles.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 6.
30 tn Heb “did not remember.”
31 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.
32 sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.
33 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
34 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.
35 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Edom, even because of four.”
36 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.
37 sn It is likely that “brother” refers here to a treaty partner (see the note on the word “brotherhood” in 1:9). However, it is possible, if Israel is in view, that Edom’s ancient blood relationship to God’s people is alluded to here. Cf. NCV, NLT “their relatives, the Israelites.”
38 tn Or “He stifled his compassion.” The Hebrew term רָחֲמָיו (rakhamayv) is better understood here (parallel to “brother/treaty partner”) as a reference to “allies” which Edom betrayed. An Aramaic cognate is attested (see DNWSI 2:1069-70). See M. Fishbane, “The Treaty Background of Amos 1:11 and Related Matters,” JBL 89 (1970): 313-18; idem, “Critical Note: Additional Remarks on rh£myw (Amos 1:11),” JBL 91 (1972): 391-93; and M. Barré, “Amos 1:11 reconsidered,” CBQ 47 (1985) 420-27. Some argue that the clause is best translated as “and destroyed his womenfolk.” רַחַם (rakham) means “womb”; the plural here would be a metonymy for “women” and could establish a parallel with the atrocity of 1:13. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 64-65.
39 tn Heb “his anger tore continually.” The Hebrew verb טָרַף (taraf, “tear apart”) is often used of an animal tearing apart its prey. The word picture here is that of a vicious predator’s feeding frenzy.
40 tn Traditionally, “he kept his fury continually.” The Hebrew term שְׁמָרָה (shÿmarah) could be taken as a Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix (with mappiq omitted), “he kept it” (NASB, NKJV, NRSV). It is also possible in light of the parallelism that שָׁמַר (shamar) is a rare homonym cognate to an Akkadian verb meaning “to rage; to be furious.” Repointing the verb as שָׁמְרָה (shamÿrah, third person feminine singular), one could translate literally, “his fury raged continually” (NIV, NJPS).
41 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to indicate that the following speech is God’s judicial decision (see v. 1).
42 tn Heb “and the face of the wicked lift up.”
43 tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
44 tn Heb “hand.”
45 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
46 tn Heb “you must do justice between a person and his fellow/neighbor.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
47 tn Heb “Stop oppressing foreigner, orphan, and widow.”
48 tn Heb “Stop shedding innocent blood.”
49 tn Heb “going/following after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for an explanation of the idiom involved here.
50 tn Heb “going after other gods to your ruin.”
51 tn The translation uses imperatives in vv. 5-6 followed by the phrase, “If you do all this,” to avoid the long and complex sentence structure of the Hebrew sentence which has a series of conditional clauses in vv. 5-6 followed by a main clause in v. 7.
52 tn Heb “live in this place, in this land.”
53 tn Heb “gave to your fathers [with reference to] from ancient times even unto forever.”