Amos 4:8-9

4:8 People from ¹  two or three cities staggered into one city to get ²  water,

but remained thirsty. ³ 

Still you did not come back to me.”

The Lord is speaking!

4:9 “I destroyed your crops ⁴  with blight and disease.

Locusts kept ⁵  devouring your orchards, ⁶  vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees.

Still you did not come back to me.”

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 4:2

4:2 The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his own holy character: ⁷ 

“Certainly the time is approaching ⁸ 

when you will be carried away ⁹  in baskets, ¹⁰ 

every last one of you ¹¹  in fishermen’s pots. ¹² 

Amos 1:1

Introduction

1:1 The following is a record of what Amos prophesied. ¹³  He ¹⁴  was one of the herdsmen from Tekoa. These prophecies about Israel were revealed to him ¹⁵  during the time of ¹⁶  King Uzziah of Judah and ¹⁷  King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake. ¹⁸ 

Isaiah 9:13

9:13 The people did not return to the one who struck them,

they did not seek reconciliation ¹⁹  with the Lord who commands armies.

Isaiah 26:11

26:11 O Lord, you are ready to act, ²⁰ 

but they don’t even notice.

They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind, ²¹ 

yes, fire will consume your enemies. ²² 

Jeremiah 5:3

5:3 Lord, I know you look for faithfulness. ²³ 

But even when you punish these people, they feel no remorse. ²⁴ 

Even when you nearly destroy them, they refuse to be corrected.

They have become as hardheaded as a rock. ²⁵ 

They refuse to change their ways. ²⁶ 

Jeremiah 8:5-7

8:5 Why, then, do these people of Jerusalem ²⁷ 

continually turn away from me in apostasy?

They hold fast to their deception. ²⁸ 

They refuse to turn back to me. ²⁹ 

8:6 I have listened to them very carefully, ³⁰ 

but they do not speak honestly.

None of them regrets the evil he has done.

None of them says, “I have done wrong!” ³¹ 

All of them persist in their own wayward course ³² 

like a horse charging recklessly into battle.

8:7 Even the stork knows

when it is time to move on. ³³ 

The turtledove, swallow, and crane ³⁴ 

recognize ³⁵  the normal times for their migration.

But my people pay no attention

to ³⁶  what I, the Lord, require of them. ³⁷ 

Hosea 5:15--6:1

5:15 Then I will return again to my lair

until they have suffered their punishment. ³⁸ 

Then they will seek me; ³⁹ 

in their distress they will earnestly seek me.

Superficial Repentance Breeds False Assurance of God’s Forgiveness

6:1 “Come on! Let’s return to the Lord!

He himself has torn us to pieces,

but he will heal us!

He has injured ⁴⁰  us,

but he will bandage our wounds!

Hosea 7:14-16

7:14 They do not pray to me, ⁴¹ 

but howl in distress on their beds;

They slash themselves ⁴²  for grain and new wine,

but turn away from me.

7:15 Although I trained and strengthened them, ⁴³ 

they plot evil against me!

7:16 They turn to Baal; ⁴⁴ 

they are like an unreliable bow.

Their leaders will fall by the sword

because their prayers to Baal ⁴⁵  have made me angry.

So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt. ⁴⁶ 

Joel 2:12-14

An Appeal for Repentance

2:12 “Yet even now,” the Lord says,

“return to me with all your heart –

with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

Tear your hearts, ⁴⁷ 

not just your garments!”

2:13 Return to the Lord your God,

for he is merciful and compassionate,

slow to anger and boundless in loyal love ⁴⁸  – often relenting from calamitous punishment. ⁴⁹ 

2:14 Who knows?

Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, ⁵⁰ 

and leave blessing in his wake ⁵¹  –

a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God! ⁵² 

Haggai 2:17

2:17 I struck all the products of your labor ⁵³  with blight, disease, and hail, and yet you brought nothing to me,’ ⁵⁴  says the Lord.

Zechariah 1:3-6

1:3 Therefore say to the people: ⁵⁵  The Lord who rules over all ⁵⁶  says, “Turn ⁵⁷  to me,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and I will turn to you,” says the Lord who rules over all. 1:4 “Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “Turn now from your evil wickedness,”’ but they would by no means obey me,” says the Lord. 1:5 “As for your ancestors, where are they? And did the prophets live forever? 1:6 But have my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, not outlived your fathers? ⁵⁸  Then they paid attention ⁵⁹  and confessed, ‘The Lord who rules over all has indeed done what he said he would do to us, because of our sinful ways.’”

Revelation 2:21

2:21 I ⁶⁰  have given her time to repent, but ⁶¹  she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality.

Revelation 9:20-21

9:20 The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made ⁶²  of gold, silver, ⁶³  bronze, stone, and wood – idols that cannot see or hear or walk about. 9:21 Furthermore, ⁶⁴  they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, ⁶⁵  of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing.

Revelation 16:10-11

16:10 Then ⁶⁶  the fifth angel ⁶⁷  poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that ⁶⁸  darkness covered his kingdom, ⁶⁹  and people ⁷⁰  began to bite ⁷¹  their tongues because ⁷²  of their pain. 16:11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings ⁷³  and because of their sores, ⁷⁴  but nevertheless ⁷⁵  they still refused to repent ⁷⁶  of their deeds.

[4:8]  ¹ tn The words “people from” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[4:8]  ² tn Heb “to drink.”

[4:8]  ³ tn Or “were not satisfied.”

[4:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “you.” By metonymy the crops belonging to these people are meant. See the remainder of this verse, which describes the agricultural devastation caused by locusts.

[4:9]  ⁵ tn The Hiphil infinitive construct is taken adverbially (“kept”) and connected to the activity of the locusts (NJPS). It also could be taken with the preceding sentence and related to the Lord’s interventions (“I kept destroying,” cf. NEB, NJB, NIV, NRSV), or it could be understood substantivally in construct with the following nouns (“Locusts devoured your many orchards,” cf. NASB; cf. also KJV, NKJV).

[4:9]  ⁶ tn Or “gardens.”

[4:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “swears by his holiness.”

[4:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “Look, certainly days are coming upon you”; NRSV “the time is surely coming upon you.”

[4:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “one will carry you away”; NASB “they will take you away.”

[4:2]  ¹⁰ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “baskets” is uncertain. The translation follows the suggestion of S. M. Paul (Amos [Hermeneia], 128), who discusses the various options (130-32): “shields” (cf. NEB); “ropes”; “thorns,” which leads to the most favored interpretation, “hooks” (cf. NASB “meat hooks”; NIV, NRSV “hooks”); “baskets,” and (derived from “baskets”) “boats.” Against the latter, it is unlikely that Amos envisioned a deportation by boat for the inhabitants of Samaria! See also the note on the expression “fishermen’s pots” later in this verse.

[4:2]  ¹¹ tn Or “your children”; KJV “your posterity.”

[4:2]  ¹² tn The meaning of the Hebrew expression translated “in fishermen’s pots” is uncertain. The translation follows that of S. M. Paul (Amos [Hermeneia], 128), who discusses the various options (132-33): “thorns,” understood by most modern interpreters to mean (by extension) “fishhooks” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV); “boats,” but as mentioned in the previous note on the word “baskets,” a deportation of the Samaritans by boat is geographically unlikely; and “pots,” referring to a container used for packing fish (cf. NEB “fish-baskets”). Paul (p. 134) argues that the imagery comes from the ancient fishing industry. When hauled away into exile, the women of Samaria will be like fish packed and transported to market.

[1:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “The words of Amos.” Among the prophetic books this opening phrase finds a parallel only at Jer 1:1 but is not that uncommon in other genres (note, e.g., Prov 30:1; 31:1; Eccl 1:1; Neh 1:1).

[1:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “who.” Here a new sentence has been started in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “which he saw concerning Israel.”

[1:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “in the days of.”

[1:1]  ¹⁷ tn The Hebrew text repeats, “and in the days of.” This phrase has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:1]  ¹⁸ sn This refers to a well-known earthquake that occurred during the first half of the 8th century b.c. According to a generally accepted dating system, Uzziah was a co-regent with his father Amaziah from 792-767 b.c. and ruled independently from 767-740 b.c. Jeroboam II was a co-regent with his father Joash from 793-782 b.c. and ruled independently from 782-753 b.c. Since only Uzziah and Jeroboam are mentioned in the introduction it is likely that Amos’ mission to Israel and the earthquake which followed occurred between 767-753 b.c. The introduction validates the genuine character of Amos’ prophetic ministry in at least two ways: (1) Amos was not a native Israelite or a prophet by trade. Rather he was a herdsman in Tekoa, located in Judah. His mere presence in the northern kingdom as a prophet was evidence that he had been called by God (see 7:14-15). (2) The mighty earthquake shortly after Amos’ ministry would have been interpreted as an omen or signal of approaching judgment. The clearest references to an earthquake are 1:1 and 9:1, 5. It is possible that the verb הָפַךְ (hafakh, “overturn”) at 3:13-15, 4:11, 6:11, and 8:8 also refers to an earthquake, as might the descriptions at 2:13 and 6:9-10. Evidence of a powerful earthquake has been correlated with a destruction layer at Hazor and other sites. Its lasting impact is evident by its mention in Zech 14:5 and 2 Chr 26:16-21. Earthquake imagery appears in later prophets as well (cf. D. N. Freedman and A. Welch, “Amos’s Earthquake and Israelite Prophecy,” Scripture and Other Artifacts, 188-98). On the other hand, some of these verses in Amos could allude to the devastation that would be caused by the imminent military invasion.

[9:13]  ¹⁹ tn This verse describes the people’s response to the judgment described in vv. 11-12. The perfects are understood as indicating simple past.

[26:11]  ²⁰ tn Heb “O Lord, your hand is lifted up.”

[26:11]  ²¹ tn Heb “They will see and be ashamed of zeal of people.” Some take the prefixed verbs as jussives and translate the statement as a prayer, “Let them see and be put to shame.” The meaning of the phrase קִנְאַת־עָם (qin’at-’am, “zeal of people”) is unclear. The translation assumes that this refers to God’s angry judgment upon people. Another option is to understand the phrase as referring to God’s zealous, protective love of his covenant people. In this case one might translate, “by your zealous devotion to your people.”

[26:11]  ²² tn Heb “yes, fire, your enemies, will consume them.” Many understand the prefixed verb form to be jussive and translate, “let [fire] consume” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The mem suffixed to the verb may be enclitic; if a pronominal suffix, it refers back to “your enemies.”

[5:3]  ²³ tn Heb “O Lord, are your eyes not to faithfulness?” The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer.

[5:3]  ²⁴ tn Commentaries and lexicons debate the meaning of the verb here. The MT is pointed as though from a verb meaning “to writhe in anguish or contrition” (חוּל [khul]; see, e.g., BDB 297 s.v. חוּל 2.c), but some commentaries and lexicons repoint the text as though from a verb meaning “to be sick,” thus “to feel pain” (חָלָה [khalah]; see, e.g., HALOT 304 s.v. חָלָה 3). The former appears more appropriate to the context.

[5:3]  ²⁵ tn Heb “They made their faces as hard as a rock.”

[5:3]  ²⁶ tn Or “to repent”; Heb “to turn back.”

[8:5]  ²⁷ tc The text is quite commonly emended, changing שׁוֹבְבָה הָעָם (shovÿvah ha’am) to שׁוֹבָב הָעָם (shovav ha’am) and omitting יְרוּשָׁלַםִ (yÿrushalaim); this is due to the anomaly of a feminine singular verb with a masculine singular subject and the fact that the word “Jerusalem” is absent from one Hebrew ms and the LXX. However, it is possible that this is a case where the noun “Jerusalem” is a defining apposition to the word “these people,” an apposition which GKC 425 §131.k calls “permutation.” In this case the verb could be attracted to the appositional noun and there would be no reason to emend the text. The MT is undoubtedly the harder reading and is for that reason to be preferred.

[8:5]  ²⁸ tn Or “to their allegiance to false gods,” or “to their false professions of loyalty”; Heb “to deceit.” Either “to their mistaken beliefs” or “to their allegiance to false gods” would fit the preceding context. The former is more comprehensive than the latter and was chosen for that reason.

[8:5]  ²⁹ sn There is a continuing play on the same root word used in the preceding verse. Here the words “turn away from me,” “apostasy,” and “turn back to me” are all forms from the root that was translated “go the wrong way” and “turn around” in v. 4. The intended effect is to contrast Judah’s recalcitrant apostasy with the usual tendency to try and correct one’s mistakes.

[8:6]  ³⁰ tn Heb “I have paid attention and I have listened.” This is another case of two concepts being joined by “and” where one expresses the main idea and the other acts as an adverbial or adjectival modifier (a figure called hendiadys).

[8:6]  ³¹ tn Heb “What have I done?” The addition of the word “wrong” is implicit in the context and is supplied in the translation for clarity. The rhetorical question does not function as a denial of wrongdoing, but rather as contrite shock at one’s own wrongdoing. It is translated as a declaration for the sake of clarity.

[8:6]  ³² tn Heb “each one of them turns aside into their own running course.”

[8:7]  ³³ tn Heb “its appointed time.” The translation is contextually motivated to avoid lack of clarity.

[8:7]  ³⁴ tn There is debate in the commentaries and lexicons about the identification of some of these birds, particularly regarding the identification of the “swallow” which is more likely the “swift” and the “crane” which some identify with the “thrush.” For a discussion see the Bible encyclopedias and the UBS handbook Fauna and Flora of the Bible. The identity of the individual birds makes little difference to the point being made and “swallow” is more easily identifiable to the average reader than the “swift.”

[8:7]  ³⁵ tn Heb “keep.” Ironically birds, which do not think, obey the laws of nature, but Israel does not obey the laws of God.

[8:7]  ³⁶ tn Heb “do not know.” But here as elsewhere the word “know” is more than an intellectual matter. It is intended here to summarize both “know” and “follow” (Heb “observe”) in the preceding lines.

[8:7]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the ordinance/requirement of the Lord.”

[5:15]  ³⁸ tn The verb יֶאְשְׁמוּ (ye’shÿmu, Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural from אָשַׁם, ’asham, “to be guilty”) means “to bear their punishment” (Ps 34:22-23; Prov 30:10; Isa 24:6; Jer 2:3; Hos 5:15; 10:2; 14:1; Zech 11:5; Ezek 6:6; BDB 79 s.v. אָשַׁם 3). Many English versions translate this as “admit their guilt” (NIV, NLT) or “acknowledge their guilt” (NASB, NRSV), but cf. NAB “pay for their guilt” and TEV “have suffered enough for their sins.”

[5:15]  ³⁹ tn Heb “seek my face” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “seek my presence.”

[6:1]  ⁴⁰ tn “has struck”; NRSV “struck down.”

[7:14]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “they do not cry out to me in their heart”; NLT “with sincere hearts.”

[7:14]  ⁴² tc The MT reads יִתְגּוֹרָרוּ (yitgoraru) which is either (1) Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural (“they assemble themselves”; so KJV, NASB) from I גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn”; BDB 157 s.v. I גּוּר) or (2) Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural (“they excite themselves”) from II גּוּר (gur, “to stir up”; BDB 158 s.v. II גּוּר). However, the Hebrew lexicographers suggest that both of these options are unlikely. Several other Hebrew mss preserve an alternate textual tradition of יִתְגּוֹדָדוּ (yitgodadu) which is a Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person common plural (“they slash themselves”) from גָּדַד (gadad, “to cut”; BDB 151 s.v. גָּדַד), as also reflected in the LXX (cf. NAB “they lacerated themselves”; NRSV, TEV “gash themselves”; NLT “cut themselves.” This reflects the pagan Canaanite cultic practice of priests cutting themselves and draining their blood on the ground to elicit agricultural fertility by resurrecting the slain fertility god Baal from the underworld (Deut 14:1; 1 Kgs 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5). Cf. CEV which adds “in the hope that Baal will bless their crops.”

[7:15]  ⁴³ tn Heb “their arms” (so NAB, NRSV).

[7:16]  ⁴⁴ tc The MT reads the enigmatic יָשׁוּבוּ לֹא עָל (yashuvu lo’ ’al) which is taken variously: “they turn, but not upward” (NASB); “they do not turn to the Most High” (NIV); “they return, but not to the most High” (KJV). The BHS editors suggest יָשׁוּבוּ לַבַּעַל (yashuvu labba’al, “they turn to Baal”; so RSV) or יָשׁוּבוּ לַבְּלִיַּעַל (yashuvu labbÿliyya’al, “they turn to Belial”) which is reflected by the LXX.

[7:16]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “because their tongue.” The term “tongue” is used figuratively, as a metonymy of cause (tongue) for the effect (prayers to Baal).

[7:16]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “this [will] be for scorn in the land of Egypt”; NIV “they will be ridiculed (NAB shall be mocked) in the land of Egypt.”

[2:12]  ⁴⁷ sn The figurative language calls for genuine repentance, and not merely external ritual that goes through the motions.

[2:13]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and great of loyal love.”

[2:13]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “and he relents from calamity.”

[2:14]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “turn” or “turn back.”

[2:14]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “leave a blessing behind him.”

[2:14]  ⁵² tn The phrase “for you to offer” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[2:17]  ⁵³ tn Heb “you, all the work of your hands”; NRSV “you and all the products of your toil”; NIV “all the work of your hands.”

[2:17]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and there was not with you.” The context favors the idea that the harvests were so poor that the people took care of only themselves, leaving no offering for the Lord. Cf. KJV and many English versions “yet ye turned not to me,” understanding the phrase to refer to the people’s repentance rather than their failure to bring offerings.

[1:3]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “to them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:3]  ⁵⁶ sn The epithet Lord who rules over all occurs frequently as a divine title throughout Zechariah (53 times total). This name (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, yÿhvah tsÿva’ot), traditionally translated “Lord of hosts” (so KJV, NAB, NASB; cf. NIV, NLT “Lord Almighty”; NCV, CEV “Lord All-Powerful”), emphasizes the majestic sovereignty of the Lord, an especially important concept in the postexilic world of great human empires and rulers. For a thorough study of the divine title, see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 123-57.

[1:3]  ⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv) is common in covenant contexts. To turn from the Lord is to break the covenant and to turn to him (i.e., to repent) is to renew the covenant relationship (cf. 2 Kgs 17:13).

[1:6]  ⁵⁸ tc BHS suggests אֶתְכֶם (’etkhem, “you”) for the MT אֲבֹתֵיכֶם (’avotekhem, “your fathers”) to harmonize with v. 4. In v. 4 the ancestors would not turn but in v. 6 they appear to have done so. The subject in v. 6, however, is to be construed as Zechariah’s own listeners.

[1:6]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “they turned” (so ASV). Many English versions have “they repented” here; cf. CEV “they turned back to me.”

[2:21]  ⁶⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and contemporary English style.

[2:21]  ⁶¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to bring out the contrast present in this woman’s obstinate refusal to repent.

[9:20]  ⁶² tn The word “made” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[9:20]  ⁶³ tn The Greek conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the following materials in this list, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[9:21]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation, with “furthermore” used to indicate a continuation of the preceding.

[9:21]  ⁶⁵ tn On the term φαρμακεία (farmakeia, “magic spells”) see L&N 53.100: “the use of magic, often involving drugs and the casting of spells upon people – ‘to practice magic, to cast spells upon, to engage in sorcery, magic, sorcery.’ φαρμακεία: ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ‘with your magic spells you deceived all the peoples (of the world)’ Re 18:23.”

[16:10]  ⁶⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:10]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “the fifth”; the referent (the fifth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:10]  ⁶⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so that” to indicate the implied result of the fifth bowl being poured out.

[16:10]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “his kingdom became dark.”

[16:10]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") and refers to both men and women.

[16:10]  ⁷¹ tn On this term BDAG 620 s.v. μασάομαι states, “bite w. acc. τὰς γλώσσας bite their tongues Rv 16:10.”

[16:10]  ⁷² tn The preposition ἐκ (ek) has been translated here and twice in the following verse with a causal sense.

[16:11]  ⁷³ tn Grk “pains” (the same term in Greek [πόνος, ponos] as the last word in v. 11, here translated “sufferings” because it is plural). BDAG 852 s.v. 2 states, “ἐκ τοῦ π. in pain…Rv 16:10; pl. (Gen 41:51; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 146; Test. Jud. 18:4) ἐκ τῶν π. …because of their sufferings vs. 11.”

[16:11]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “ulcerated sores” (see 16:2).

[16:11]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “and they did not repent.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but nevertheless” to express the contrast here.

[16:11]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “they did not repent” The addition of “still refused” reflects the hardness of people’s hearts in the context.