Amos 2:6

God Will Judge Israel

2:6 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions ¹  –

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

They sold the innocent ⁴  for silver,

the needy for a pair of sandals. ⁵ 

Amos 5:12

5:12 Certainly ⁶  I am aware of ⁷  your many rebellious acts ⁸ 

and your numerous sins.

You ⁹  torment the innocent, you take bribes,

and you deny justice to ¹⁰  the needy at the city gate. ¹¹ 

[2:6]  ¹ tn For this translation see the note at 2:4.

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

[2:6]  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.

[2:6]  ⁴ tn Or “honest” (CEV, NLT). The Hebrew word sometimes has a moral-ethical connotation, “righteous, godly,” but the parallelism (note “poor”) suggests a socio-economic or legal sense here. The practice of selling debtors as slaves is in view (Exod 21:2-11; Lev 25:35-55; Deut 15:12-18) See the note at Exod 21:8 and G. C. Chirichigno, Debt-Slavery in Israel and the Ancient Near East (JSOTSup). Probably the only “crime” the victim had committed was being unable to pay back a loan or an exorbitant interest rate on a loan. Some have suggested that this verse refers to bribery in legal proceedings: The innocent are “sold” in the sense that those in power pay off the elders or judges for favorable decisions (5:12; cf. Exod 23:6-7).

[2:6]  ⁵ tn Perhaps the expression “for a pair of sandals” indicates a relatively small price or debt. Some suggest that the sandals may have been an outward token of a more substantial purchase price. Others relate the sandals to a ritual attached to the transfer of property, signifying here that the poor would be losing their inherited family lands because of debt (Ruth 4:7; cf. Deut 25:8-10). Still others emend the Hebrew form slightly to נֶעְלָם (ne’lam, “hidden thing”; from the root עָלַם, ’alam, “to hide”) and understand this as referring to a bribe.

[5:12]  ⁶ tn Or “for.”

[5:12]  ⁷ tn Or “I know” (so most English versions).

[5:12]  ⁸ tn Or “transgressions,” “sins.” See the note on the word “crimes” in 1:3 and on the phrase “covenant violations” in 2:4.

[5:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “Those who.”

[5:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “turn aside.” They “turn aside” the needy by denying them the justice they deserve at the city gate (where legal decisions were made, and therefore where justice should be done).

[5:12]  ¹¹ sn Legal disputes were resolved in the city gate, where the town elders met.