Amos 1:6-10

1:6 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Gaza ¹  has committed three crimes ²  –

make that four! ³  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ⁴ 

They deported a whole community ⁵  and sold them ⁶  to Edom.

1:7 So I will set Gaza’s city wall ⁷  on fire;

fire ⁸  will consume her fortresses.

1:8 I will remove ⁹  the ruler ¹⁰  from Ashdod, ¹¹ 

the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. ¹² 

I will strike Ekron ¹³  with my hand; ¹⁴ 

the rest of the Philistines will also die.” ¹⁵ 

The sovereign Lord has spoken!

1:9 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Tyre has committed three crimes ¹⁶  –

make that four! ¹⁷  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ¹⁸ 

They sold ¹⁹  a whole community ²⁰  to Edom;

they failed to observe ²¹  a treaty of brotherhood. ²² 

1:10 So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; ²³ 

fire ²⁴  will consume her fortresses.”

Amos 1:12-14

1:12 So I will set Teman ²⁵  on fire;

fire ²⁶  will consume Bozrah’s ²⁷  fortresses.”

1:13 This is what the Lord says:

“Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes ²⁸  –

make that four! ²⁹  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ³⁰ 

They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women ³¹ 

so they could expand their territory.

1:14 So I will set fire to Rabbah’s ³²  city wall; ³³ 

fire ³⁴  will consume her fortresses.

War cries will be heard on the day of battle; ³⁵ 

a strong gale will blow on the day of the windstorm. ³⁶ 

Zechariah 9:2-8

9:2 as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, and Tyre ³⁷  and Sidon, ³⁸  though they consider themselves to be very wise. 9:3 Tyre built herself a fortification and piled up silver like dust and gold like the mud of the streets! 9:4 Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortifications ³⁹  into the sea – she will be consumed by fire. 9:5 Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up. ⁴⁰  Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited. 9:6 A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines. 9:7 I will take away their abominable religious practices; ⁴¹  then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God, ⁴²  like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. 9:8 Then I will surround my temple ⁴³  to protect it like a guard ⁴⁴  from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it.

[1:6]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “Because of three violations of Gaza, even because of four.”

[1:6]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “in order to hand them over.”

[1:7]  ⁷ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

[1:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “cut off.”

[1:8]  ¹⁰ 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).

[1:8]  ¹¹ sn Ashdod was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).

[1:8]  ¹² sn Ashkelon was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).

[1:8]  ¹³ sn Ekron was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Gath).

[1:8]  ¹⁴ 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.

[1:8]  ¹⁵ 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.”

[1:9]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Because of three violations of Tyre, even because of four.”

[1:9]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “handed over.”

[1:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “[group of] exiles.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 6.

[1:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “did not remember.”

[1:9]  ²² 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.

[1:10]  ²³ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

[1:10]  ²⁴ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:12]  ²⁵ sn Teman was an important region (or perhaps city) in Edom.

[1:12]  ²⁶ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:12]  ²⁷ sn Bozrah was a city located in northern Edom.

[1:13]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ 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.

[1:14]  ³² sn Rabbah was the Ammonite capital.

[1:14]  ³³ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

[1:14]  ³⁴ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:14]  ³⁵ tn Heb “with a war cry in the day of battle.”

[1:14]  ³⁶ tn Heb “with wind in the day of the windstorm.”

[9:2]  ³⁷ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[9:2]  ³⁸ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[9:4]  ³⁹ tn The Hebrew word חַיִל (khayil, “strength, wealth”) can, with certain suffixes, look exactly like חֵל (khel, “fortress, rampart”). The chiastic pattern here suggests that not Tyre’s riches but her defenses will be cast into the sea. Thus the present translation renders the term “fortifications” (so also NLT) rather than “wealth” (NASB, NRSV, TEV) or “power” (NAB, NIV).

[9:5]  ⁴⁰ tn The present translation presupposes a Hiphil perfect of יָבֵשׁ (yavesh, “be dry”; cf. NRSV “are withered”) rather than the usually accepted Hiphil of בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “be ashamed”; cf. KJV, ASV), a sense that is less suitable with the removal of hope.

[9:7]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and I will take away their blood from their mouth and their abominations from between their teeth.” These expressions refer to some type of abominable religious practices, perhaps eating meat with the blood still in it (less likely NCV “drinking blood”) or eating unclean or forbidden foods.

[9:7]  ⁴² tn Heb “and they will be a remnant for our God”; cf. NIV “will belong to our God”; NLT “will worship our God.”

[9:8]  ⁴³ tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[9:8]  ⁴⁴ tn Though a hapax legomenon, the מִצָּבָה (mitsavah) of the MT (from נָצַב, natsav, “take a stand”) is preferable to the suggestion מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”) or even מִצָּבָא (mitsava’, “from” or “against the army”). The context favors the idea of the Lord as a protector.