Amos 2:1-5

2:1 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Moab has committed three crimes ¹  –

make that four! ²  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ³ 

They burned the bones of Edom’s king into lime. ⁴ 

2:2 So I will set Moab on fire, ⁵ 

and it will consume Kerioth’s ⁶  fortresses.

Moab will perish ⁷  in the heat of battle ⁸ 

amid war cries and the blaring ⁹  of the ram’s horn. ¹⁰ 

2:3 I will remove ¹¹  Moab’s leader; ¹² 

I will kill all Moab’s ¹³  officials ¹⁴  with him.”

The Lord has spoken!

2:4 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions ¹⁵  –

make that four! ¹⁶  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ¹⁷ 

They rejected the Lord’s law; ¹⁸ 

they did not obey his commands.

Their false gods, ¹⁹ 

to which their fathers were loyal, ²⁰ 

led them astray.

2:5 So I will set Judah on fire,

and it will consume Jerusalem’s fortresses.” ²¹ 

[2:1]  ¹ 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.

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

[2:1]  ³ 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.

[2:1]  ⁴ sn The Moabites apparently desecrated the tomb of an Edomite king and burned his bones into a calcined substance which they then used as plaster (cf. Deut 27:2, 4). See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 72. Receiving a proper burial was very important in this culture. Desecrating a tomb or a deceased individual’s bones was considered an especially heinous act.

[2:2]  ⁵ sn The destruction of Moab by fire is an example of a judgment in kind – as the Moabites committed the crime of “burning,” so the Lord will punish them by setting them on fire.

[2:2]  ⁶ sn Kerioth was an important Moabite city. See Jer 48:24, 41.

[2:2]  ⁷ tn Or “die” (KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV); NAB “shall meet death.”

[2:2]  ⁸ tn Or “in the tumult.” This word refers to the harsh confusion of sounds that characterized an ancient battle – a mixture of war cries, shouts, shrieks of pain, clashes of weapons, etc.

[2:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “sound” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[2:2]  ¹⁰ sn The ram’s horn (used as a trumpet) was blown to signal the approaching battle.

[2:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “cut off” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NAB “root out”; NCV “bring to an end.”

[2:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the leader [traditionally, “judge”] from her midst.”

[2:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:3]  ¹² tn Or “princes” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT); TEV, CEV “leaders.”

[2:4]  ¹³ tn This is the same Hebrew term that is translated “crimes” in the previous oracles (see at 1:3). The change to “covenant transgressions” reflects the probability that the prophet is condemning the nation of Israel for violating stipulations of the Mosaic Law.

[2:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Because of three violations of Judah, even because of four.”

[2:4]  ¹⁵ 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.

[2:4]  ¹⁶ tn Or “instruction”; NCV “teachings.”

[2:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “lies.” This may very well be a derogatory term for idols (perhaps also at Ps. 40:4 [Heb 40:5]). Elsewhere false gods are called “vanities” (Deut 32:21; 1 Kgs 16:13, 26) and a delusion (Isa 66:3). In no other prophetic passages, however, are they called “lies.” The term could refer to the deceptions of false prophets (note Ezek 13:6-9; cf. Hab 2:3). See F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Amos (AB), 301-6.

[2:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “after which their fathers walked.” The expression “to walk after” is an idiom meaning “to be loyal to.” See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 75-76.

[2:5]  ¹⁷ map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.