Amos 6:12

6:12 Can horses run on rocky cliffs?

Can one plow the sea with oxen? ¹ 

Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant,

and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant. ² 

Amos 9:12

9:12 As a result they ³  will conquer those left in Edom ⁴ 

and all the nations subject to my rule.” ⁵ 

The Lord, who is about to do this, is speaking!

[6:12]  ¹ tc Heb “Does one plow with oxen?” This obviously does not fit the parallelism, for the preceding rhetorical question requires the answer, “Of course not!” An error of fusion has occurred in the Hebrew, with the word יָם (yam, “sea”) being accidentally added as a plural ending to the collective noun בָּקָר (baqar, “oxen”). A proper division of the consonants produces the above translation, which fits the parallelism and also anticipates the answer, “Of course not!”

[6:12]  ² sn The botanical imagery, when juxtaposed with the preceding rhetorical questions, vividly depicts and emphasizes how the Israelites have perverted justice and violated the created order by their morally irrational behavior.

[9:12]  ³ sn They probably refers to the Israelites or to the Davidic rulers of the future.

[9:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “take possession of the remnant of Edom”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “possess the remnant of Edom.”

[9:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “nations over whom my name is proclaimed.” The Hebrew idiom indicates ownership, sometimes as a result of conquest. See 2 Sam 12:28.