Amos 2:4

2:4 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions ¹  –

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

They rejected the Lord’s law; ⁴ 

they did not obey his commands.

Their false gods, ⁵ 

to which their fathers were loyal, ⁶ 

led them astray.

Amos 4:7

4:7 “I withheld rain from you three months before the harvest. ⁷ 

I gave rain to one city, but not to another.

One field ⁸  would get rain, but the field that received no rain dried up.

Amos 5:5

5:5 Do not seek Bethel! ⁹ 

Do not visit Gilgal!

Do not journey down ¹⁰  to Beer Sheba!

For the people of Gilgal ¹¹  will certainly be carried into exile; ¹² 

and Bethel will become a place where disaster abounds.” ¹³ 

[2:4]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “Because of three violations of Judah, even because of four.”

[2:4]  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.

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

[2:4]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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.

[4:7]  ⁷ sn Rain…three months before the harvest refers to the rains of late March-early April.

[4:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “portion”; KJV, ASV “piece”; NASB “part.” The same word occurs a second time later in this verse.

[5:5]  ¹³ sn Ironically, Israel was to seek after the Lord, but not at Bethel (the name Bethel means “the house of God” in Hebrew).

[5:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “cross over.”

[5:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “For Gilgal.” By metonymy the place name “Gilgal” is used instead of referring directly to the inhabitants. The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:5]  ¹⁶ tn In the Hebrew text the statement is emphasized by sound play. The name “Gilgal” sounds like the verb גָּלָה (galah, “to go into exile”), which occurs here in the infinitival + finite verb construction (גָּלֹה יִגְלֶה, galoh yigleh). The repetition of the “ג” (g) and “ל” (l) sounds draws attention to the announcement and suggests that Gilgal’s destiny is inherent in its very name.

[5:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “disaster,” or “nothing”; NIV “Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”