Isaiah 17:4-5

17:4 “At that time ¹ 

Jacob’s splendor will be greatly diminished, ² 

and he will become skin and bones. ³ 

17:5 It will be as when one gathers the grain harvest,

and his hand gleans the ear of grain.

It will be like one gathering the ears of grain

in the Valley of Rephaim.

Isaiah 6:11-13

6:11 I replied, “How long, sovereign master?” He said,

“Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated,

and houses are uninhabited,

and the land is ruined and devastated,

6:12 and the Lord has sent the people off to a distant place,

and the very heart of the land is completely abandoned. ⁴ 

6:13 Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land, it will again be destroyed, ⁵  like one of the large sacred trees ⁶  or an Asherah pole, when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down. ⁷  That sacred pillar symbolizes the special chosen family.” ⁸ 

Isaiah 7:16-20

7:16 Here is why this will be so: ⁹  Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land ¹⁰  whose two kings you fear will be desolate. ¹¹  7:17 The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s family a time ¹²  unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah – the king of Assyria!” ¹³ 

7:18 At that time ¹⁴  the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. ¹⁵  7:19 All of them will come and make their home ¹⁶  in the ravines between the cliffs, and in the crevices of the cliffs, in all the thorn bushes, and in all the watering holes. ¹⁷  7:20 At that time ¹⁸  the sovereign master will use a razor hired from the banks of the Euphrates River, ¹⁹  the king of Assyria, to shave the head and the pubic hair; ²⁰  it will also shave off the beard.

Isaiah 9:9-12

9:9 All the people were aware ²¹  of it,

the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria. ²² 

Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said, ²³ 

9:10 “The bricks have fallen,

but we will rebuild with chiseled stone;

the sycamore fig trees have been cut down,

but we will replace them with cedars.” ²⁴ 

9:11 Then the Lord provoked ²⁵  their adversaries to attack them, ²⁶ 

he stirred up ²⁷  their enemies –

9:12 Syria from the east,

and the Philistines from the west,

they gobbled up Israelite territory. ²⁸ 

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ²⁹ 

Isaiah 24:1-12

The Lord Will Judge the Earth

24:1 Look, the Lord is ready to devastate the earth

and leave it in ruins;

he will mar its surface

and scatter its inhabitants.

24:2 Everyone will suffer – the priest as well as the people, ³⁰ 

the master as well as the servant, ³¹ 

the elegant lady as well as the female attendant, ³² 

the seller as well as the buyer, ³³ 

the borrower as well as the lender, ³⁴ 

the creditor as well as the debtor. ³⁵ 

24:3 The earth will be completely devastated

and thoroughly ransacked.

For the Lord has decreed this judgment. ³⁶ 

24:4 The earth ³⁷  dries up ³⁸  and withers,

the world shrivels up and withers;

the prominent people of the earth ³⁹  fade away.

24:5 The earth is defiled by ⁴⁰  its inhabitants, ⁴¹ 

for they have violated laws,

disregarded the regulation, ⁴² 

and broken the permanent treaty. ⁴³ 

24:6 So a treaty curse ⁴⁴  devours the earth;

its inhabitants pay for their guilt. ⁴⁵ 

This is why the inhabitants of the earth disappear, ⁴⁶ 

and are reduced to just a handful of people. ⁴⁷ 

24:7 The new wine dries up,

the vines shrivel up,

all those who like to celebrate ⁴⁸  groan.

24:8 The happy sound ⁴⁹  of the tambourines stops,

the revelry of those who celebrate comes to a halt,

the happy sound of the harp ceases.

24:9 They no longer sing and drink wine; ⁵⁰ 

the beer tastes bitter to those who drink it.

24:10 The ruined town ⁵¹  is shattered;

all of the houses are shut up tight. ⁵² 

24:11 They howl in the streets because of what happened to the wine; ⁵³ 

all joy turns to sorrow; ⁵⁴ 

celebrations disappear from the earth. ⁵⁵ 

24:12 The city is left in ruins; ⁵⁶ 

the gate is reduced to rubble. ⁵⁷ 

Isaiah 27:10

27:10 For the fortified city ⁵⁸  is left alone;

it is a deserted settlement

and abandoned like the desert.

Calves ⁵⁹  graze there;

they lie down there

and eat its branches bare. ⁶⁰ 

Isaiah 28:1-4

The Lord Will Judge Samaria

28:1 The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed, ⁶¹ 

the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, ⁶² 

situated ⁶³  at the head of a rich valley,

the crown of those overcome with wine. ⁶⁴ 

28:2 Look, the sovereign master ⁶⁵  sends a strong, powerful one. ⁶⁶ 

With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, ⁶⁷ 

with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, ⁶⁸ 

he will knock that crown ⁶⁹  to the ground with his hand. ⁷⁰ 

28:3 The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards

will be trampled underfoot.

28:4 The withering flower, its beautiful splendor,

situated at the head of a rich valley,

will be like an early fig before harvest –

as soon as someone notices it,

he grabs it and swallows it. ⁷¹ 

Hosea 10:14

Bethel Will Be Destroyed Like Beth Arbel

10:14 The roar of battle will rise against your people;

all your fortresses will be devastated,

just as Shalman devastated ⁷²  Beth Arbel on the day of battle,

when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.

Hosea 13:15-16

The Capital of the Northern Empire Will Be Destroyed

13:15 Even though he flourishes like a reed plant, ⁷³ 

a scorching east wind will come,

a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert.

As a result, his spring will dry up; ⁷⁴ 

his well will become dry.

That wind ⁷⁵  will spoil all his delightful foods

in the containers in his storehouse.

13:16 (14:1) ⁷⁶  Samaria will be held guilty, ⁷⁷ 

because she rebelled against her God.

They will fall by the sword,

their infants will be dashed to the ground –

their ⁷⁸  pregnant women will be ripped open.

Amos 3:11-15

3:11 Therefore,” says the sovereign Lord, “an enemy will encircle the land. ⁷⁹ 

He will take away your power; ⁸⁰ 

your fortresses will be looted.”

3:12 This is what the Lord says:

“Just as a shepherd salvages from the lion’s mouth a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear,

so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged. ⁸¹ 

They will be left with just a corner of a bed, ⁸² 

and a part ⁸³  of a couch.”

3:13 Listen and warn ⁸⁴  the family ⁸⁵  of Jacob! ⁸⁶ 

The sovereign Lord, the God who commands armies, ⁸⁷  is speaking!

3:14 “Certainly when ⁸⁸  I punish Israel for their ⁸⁹  covenant transgressions, ⁹⁰ 

I will destroy ⁹¹  Bethel’s ⁹²  altars.

The horns ⁹³  of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.

3:15 I will destroy both the winter and summer houses. ⁹⁴ 

The houses filled with ivory ⁹⁵  will be ruined,

the great ⁹⁶  houses will be swept away.” ⁹⁷ 

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 7:9

7:9 Isaac’s centers of worship ⁹⁸  will become desolate;

Israel’s holy places will be in ruins.

I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.” ⁹⁹ 

Micah 5:11

5:11 I will destroy the cities of your land,

and tear down all your fortresses.

Micah 6:16

6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,

and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; ¹⁰⁰ 

you follow their policies. ¹⁰¹ 

Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, ¹⁰² 

the city’s ¹⁰³  inhabitants will be taunted derisively, ¹⁰⁴ 

and nations will mock all of you.” ¹⁰⁵ 

Micah 7:13

7:13 The earth will become desolate ¹⁰⁶ 

because of what its inhabitants have done. ¹⁰⁷ 

[17:4]  ¹ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[17:4]  ² tn Heb “will be tiny.”

[17:4]  ³ tn Heb “and the fatness of his flesh will be made lean.”

[6:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “and great is the abandonment in the midst of the land.”

[6:13]  ⁵ tn Or “be burned” (NRSV); NIV “laid waste.”

[6:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “like a massive tree or like a big tree” (perhaps, “like a terebinth or like an oak”).

[6:13]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text has “which in the felling, a sacred pillar in them.” Some take מַצֶּבֶת (matsevet) as “stump,” and translate, “which, when chopped down, have a stump remaining in them.” But elsewhere מַצֶּבֶת refers to a memorial pillar (2 Sam 18:18) and the word resembles מַצֶּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”). בָּם (bam, “in them”) may be a corruption of בָּמָה (bamah, “high place”; the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has במה). אֳשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) becomes a problem in this case, but one might emend the form to וּכְּאֲשֵׁרָה (ukÿ’asherah, “or like an Asherah pole”) and translate, “like one of the large sacred trees or an Asherah pole.” Though the text is difficult, the references to sacred trees and a sacred pillar suggest that the destruction of a high place is in view, an apt metaphor for the judgment of idolatrous Judah.

[6:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “a holy offspring [is] its sacred pillar.” If מַצֶּבֶת (matsevet) is taken as “stump,” one can see in this statement a brief glimpse of hope. The tree (the nation) is chopped down, but the stump (a righteous remnant) remains from which God can restore the nation. However, if מַצֶּבֶת is taken as “sacred pillar” (מַצֶּבָה, matsevah; see the previous note), it is much more difficult to take the final statement in a positive sense. In this case “holy offspring” alludes to God’s ideal for his covenant people, the offspring of the patriarchs. Ironically that “holy” nation is more like a “sacred pillar” and it will be thrown down like a sacred pillar from a high place and its land destroyed like the sacred trees located at such shrines. Understood in this way, the ironic statement is entirely negative in tone, just like the rest of the preceding announcement of judgment. It also reminds the people of their failure; they did not oppose pagan religion, instead they embraced it. Now they will be destroyed in the same way they should have destroyed paganism.

[7:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “for, because.” The particle introduces the entire following context (vv. 16-25), which explains why Immanuel will be an appropriate name for the child, why he will eat sour milk and honey, and why experiencing such a diet will contribute to his moral development.

[7:16]  ¹⁰ sn Since “two kings” are referred to later in the verse, the “land” must here refer to Syria-Israel.

[7:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the land will be abandoned, which you fear because of its two kings.” After the verb קוּץ (quts, “loathe, dread”) the phrase מִפְּנֵי (mipney, “from before”) introduces the cause of loathing/dread (see Gen 27:46; Exod 1:12; Num 22:3).

[7:17]  ¹² tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB); NASB, NRSV “such days.”

[7:17]  ¹³ sn Initially the prophecy appears to be a message of salvation. Immanuel seems to have a positive ring to it, sour milk and honey elsewhere symbolize prosperity and blessing (see Deut 32:13-14; Job 20:17), verse 16 announces the defeat of Judah’s enemies, and verse 17a could be taken as predicting a return to the glorious days of David and Solomon. However, the message turns sour in verses 17b-25. God will be with his people in judgment, as well as salvation. The curds and honey will be signs of deprivation, not prosperity, the relief announced in verse 16 will be short-lived, and the new era will be characterized by unprecedented humiliation, not a return to glory. Because of Ahaz’s refusal to trust the Lord, potential blessing would be transformed into a curse, just as Isaiah turns an apparent prophecy of salvation into a message of judgment. Because the words “the king of Assyria” are rather awkwardly tacked on to the end of the sentence, some regard them as a later addition. However, the very awkwardness facilitates the prophet’s rhetorical strategy here, as he suddenly turns what sounds like a positive message into a judgment speech. Actually, “the king of Assyria,” stands in apposition to the earlier object “days,” and specifies who the main character of these coming “days” will be.

[7:18]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[7:18]  ¹⁵ sn Swarming flies are irritating; bees are irritating and especially dangerous because of the pain they inflict with their sting (see Deut 1:44; Ps 118:12). The metaphors are well chosen, for the Assyrians (symbolized by the bees) were much more powerful and dangerous than the Egyptians (symbolized by the flies). Nevertheless both would put pressure on Judah, for Egypt wanted Judah as a buffer state against Assyrian aggression, while Assyrian wanted it as a base for operations against Egypt. Following the reference to sour milk and honey, the metaphor is especially apt, for flies are attracted to dairy products and bees can be found in the vicinity of honey.

[7:19]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and shall rest” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “and settle.”

[7:19]  ¹⁷ tn The meaning of this word (נַהֲלֹל, nahalol) is uncertain; some understand this as referring to another type of thorn bush. For bibliography, see HALOT 676 s.v. I *נַהֲלֹל.

[7:20]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB); KJV “In the same day.”

[7:20]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the river” (so KJV); NASB “the Euphrates.” The name of the river has been supplied in the present translation for clarity.

[7:20]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the hair of the feet.” The translation assumes that the word “feet” is used here as a euphemism for the genitals. See BDB 920 s.v. רֶגֶל.

[9:9]  ²¹ tn The translation assumes that vv. 9-10 describe the people’s response to a past judgment (v. 8). The perfect is understood as indicating simple past and the vav (ו) is taken as conjunctive. Another option is to take the vav on the perfect as consecutive and translate, “all the people will know.”

[9:9]  ²² tn Heb “and the people, all of them, knew; Ephraim and the residents of Samaria.”

[9:9]  ²³ tn Heb “with pride and arrogance of heart, saying.”

[9:10]  ²⁴ sn Though judgment (see v. 8) had taken away the prosperity they did have (symbolized by the bricks and sycamore fig trees), they arrogantly expected the future to bring even greater prosperity (symbolized by the chiseled stone and cedars).

[9:11]  ²⁵ tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive continues the narrative of past judgment.

[9:11]  ²⁶ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “adversaries of Rezin against him [i.e., them].” The next verse describes how the Syrians (over whom Rezin ruled, see 7:1, 8) and the Philistines encroached on Israel’s territory. Since the Syrians and Israelites were allies by 735 b.c. (see 7:1), the hostilities described probably occurred earlier, while Israel was still pro-Assyrian. In this case one might understand the phrase צָרֵי רְצִין (tsare rÿtsin, “adversaries of Rezin”) as meaning “adversaries sent from Rezin.” However, another option, the one chosen in the translation above, is to emend the phrase to צָרָיו (tsarayv, “his [i.e., their] adversaries”). This creates tighter parallelism with the next line (note “his [i.e., their] enemies”). The phrase in the Hebrew text may be explained as virtually dittographic.

[9:11]  ²⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, used, as is often the case in poetry, without vav consecutive. Note that prefixed forms with vav consecutive both precede (וַיְשַׂגֵּב, vaysaggev, “and he provoked”) and follow in v. 12 (וַיֹּאכְלוּ, vayyo’khÿlu, “and they devoured”) this verb.

[9:12]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and they devoured Israel with all the mouth”; NIV “with open mouth”; NLT “With bared fangs.”

[9:12]  ²⁹ tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.” One could translate in the past tense here (and in 9:17b and 21b), but the appearance of the refrain in 10:4b, where it follows a woe oracle prophesying a future judgment, suggests it is a dramatic portrait of the judge which did not change throughout this period of past judgment and will remain unchanged in the future. The English present tense is chosen to best reflect this dramatic mood. (See also 5:25b, where the refrain appears following a dramatic description of coming judgment.)

[24:2]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and it will be like the people, like the priest.”

[24:2]  ³¹ tn Heb “like the servant, like his master.”

[24:2]  ³² tn Heb “like the female servant, like her mistress.”

[24:2]  ³³ tn Heb “like the buyer, like the seller.”

[24:2]  ³⁴ tn Heb “like the lender, like the borrower.”

[24:2]  ³⁵ tn Heb “like the creditor, just as the one to whom he lends.”

[24:3]  ³⁶ tn Heb “for the Lord has spoken this word.”

[24:4]  ³⁷ tn Some prefer to read “land” here, but the word pair אֶרֶץ/תֵּבֵל (erets/tevel [see the corresponding term in the parallel line]) elsewhere clearly designates the earth/world (see 1 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 16:30; Job 37;12; Pss 19:4; 24:1; 33:8; 89:11; 90:2; 96:13; 98:9; Prov 8:26, 31; Isa 14:16-17; 34:1; Jer 10:12; 51:15; Lam 4:12). According to L. Stadelmann, תבל designates “the habitable part of the world” (The Hebrew Conception of the World [AnBib], 130).

[24:4]  ³⁸ tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists the homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism.

[24:4]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the height of the people of the earth.” The translation assumes an emendation of the singular form מְרוֹם (mÿrom, “height of”) to the plural construct מְרֹמֵי (mÿrome, “high ones of”; note the plural verb at the beginning of the line), and understands the latter as referring to the prominent people of human society.

[24:5]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “beneath”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “under”; NAB “because of.”

[24:5]  ⁴¹ sn Isa 26:21 suggests that the earth’s inhabitants defiled the earth by shedding the blood of their fellow human beings. See also Num 35:33-34, which assumes that bloodshed defiles a land.

[24:5]  ⁴² tn Heb “moved past [the?] regulation.”

[24:5]  ⁴³ tn Or “everlasting covenant” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the ancient covenant”; CEV “their agreement that was to last forever.”

[24:6]  ⁴⁴ sn Ancient Near Eastern treaties often had “curses,” or threatened judgments, attached to them. (See Deut 28 for a biblical example of such curses.) The party or parties taking an oath of allegiance acknowledged that disobedience would activate these curses, which typically threatened loss of agricultural fertility as depicted in the following verses.

[24:6]  ⁴⁵ tn The verb אָשַׁם (’asham, “be guilty”) is here used metonymically to mean “pay, suffer for one’s guilt” (see HALOT 95 s.v. אשׁם).

[24:6]  ⁴⁶ tn BDB 359 s.v. חָרַר derives the verb חָרוּ (kharu) from חָרַר (kharar, “burn”), but HALOT 351 s.v. II חרה understands a hapax legomenon חָרָה (kharah, “to diminish in number,” a homonym of חָרָה) here, relating it to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “to decrease.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has חורו, perhaps understanding the root as חָוַר (khavar, “grow pale”; see Isa 29:22 and HALOT 299 s.v. I חור).

[24:6]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and mankind is left small [in number].”

[24:7]  ⁴⁸ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “all the joyful in heart,” but the context specifies the context as parties and drinking bouts.

[24:8]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the joy” (again later in this verse).

[24:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “with a song they do not drink wine.”

[24:10]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “the city of chaos” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Isaiah uses the term תֹּהוּ (tohu) rather frequently of things (like idols) that are empty and worthless (see BDB 1062 s.v.), so the word might characterize the city as rebellious or morally worthless. However, in this context, which focuses on the effects of divine judgment, it probably refers to the ruined or worthless condition in which the city is left (note the use of the word in Isa 34:11). For a discussion of the identity of this city, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24,” CTR 6 (1993): 237-53. In the context of universal judgment depicted in Isa 24, this city represents all the nations and cities of the world which, like Babylon of old and the powers/cities mentioned in chapters 13-23, rebel against God’s authority. Behind the stereotypical language one can detect various specific manifestations of this symbolic and paradigmatic city, including Babylon, Moab, and Jerusalem, all of which are alluded or referred to in chapters 24-27.

[24:10]  ⁵² tn Heb “every house is closed up from entering.”

[24:11]  ⁵³ tn Heb “[there is] an outcry over the wine in the streets.”

[24:11]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “all joy turns to evening,” the darkness of evening symbolizing distress and sorrow.

[24:11]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “the joy of the earth disappears.”

[24:12]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and there is left in the city desolation.”

[24:12]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “and [into] rubble the gate is crushed.”

[27:10]  ⁵⁸ sn The identity of this city is uncertain. The context suggests that an Israelite city, perhaps Samaria or Jerusalem, is in view. For discussions of interpretive options see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:496-97, and Paul L. Redditt, “Once Again, the City in Isaiah 24-27,” HAR 10 (1986), 332.

[27:10]  ⁵⁹ tn The singular form in the text is probably collective.

[27:10]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “and destroy her branches.” The city is the antecedent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix. Apparently the city is here compared to a tree. See also v. 11.

[28:1]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “Woe [to] the crown [or “wreath”] of the splendor [or “pride”] of the drunkards of Ephraim.” The “crown” is Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom (Ephraim). Priests and prophets are included among these drunkards in v. 7.

[28:1]  ⁶² tn Heb “the beauty of his splendor.” In the translation the masculine pronoun (“his”) has been replaced by “its” because the referent (the “crown”) is the city of Samaria.

[28:1]  ⁶³ tn Heb “which [is].”

[28:1]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “ones overcome with wine.” The words “the crown of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The syntactical relationship of the final phrase to what precedes is uncertain. הֲלוּמֵי יָיִן (halume yayin, “ones overcome with wine”) seems to correspond to שִׁכֹּרֵי אֶפְרַיִם (shikkore ’efrayim, “drunkards of Ephraim”) in line 1. The translation assumes that the phrase “the splendid crown” is to be understood in the final line as well.

[28:2]  ⁶⁵ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[28:2]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”

[28:2]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”

[28:2]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”

[28:2]  ⁶⁹ tn The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.

[28:2]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “by [his] power.”

[28:4]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “which the one seeing sees, while still it is in his hand he swallows it.”

[10:14]  ⁷² tn Heb “as the devastation of Shalman.” The genitive noun שַׁלְמַן (shalman, “Shalman”) functions as a subjective genitive: “as Shalman devastated [Beth Arbel].”

[13:15]  ⁷³ tc The MT reads בֵּן אַחִים יַפְרִיא (ben ’akhim yafri’, “he flourishes [as] a son of brothers”), which is awkward syntactically and enigmatic contextually. The Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions reflect a Vorlage of בֵּין אַחִים יַפְרִיד (ben ’akhim yafrid, “he causes division between brothers”). The BHS editors suggest the MT confused the common term אָח (’akh, “brother”) for the rarer term אָחוּ (’akhu, “marsh plant, reed plant” [Job 8:11] and “reed bed” [Gen 41:2, 18; HALOT 31 s.v. אָחוּ]). This is an Egyptian loanword which is also attested in Ugaritic and Old Aramaic. The original text probably read either כְּאָחוּ מַפְרִיא (kÿ’akhu mafri’, “he flourishes like a reed plant”; comparative כְּ, kaf, + noun אָחוּ, “reed” followed by Hiphil participle masculine singular from פָּרַה, parah, “to flourish”) or בֵּין אָחוּ מַפְרִיא (ben ’akhu mafri’, “he flourishes among the reeds”; preposition בֵּין, ben, “between” followed by masculine singular noun אָחוּ “reed” followed by Hiphil participle masculine singular from פָּרַה). The confusion over אָחוּ (“reed plant”) probably led to secondary scribal errors: (1) faulty word-division of אָחוּ מַפְרִיא to אָחוּם יַפְרִיא, and (2) secondary orthographic confusion of י (yod) and ו (vav) between אָחוּם and resultant אָחִים. For discussion, see D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:268-69. Several English versions retain the MT: “even though he thrives among his brothers” (NIV), “Though he be fruitful among his brethren” (KJV), “No matter how much you prosper more than the other tribes” (CEV), “Ephraim was the most fruitful of all his brothers (NLT). Others adopt one of the two emendations: (1) “though he flourishes among the reeds” (NEB, NASB, NJPS), and (2) “even though he flourishes like weeds” (TEV), “though he may flourish as the reed plant” (RSV).

[13:15]  ⁷⁴ tc The MT וְיֵבוֹשׁ (vÿyevosh, “will be ashamed”; vav + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from בּוֹשׁ, bosh, “to be ashamed”) does not fit the context. The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate reflect a Vorlage of וְיוֹבִישׁ (vÿyovish, “will dry up”; vav + Hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from יָבַשׁ, yavash, “to be dry”; HALOT 384 s.v. יבשׁ 1). This fits well with the parallel וְיֶחֱרַב (vÿyekherav, “will become dry”; vav + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from חָרַב, kharav, “to be dry”). See Isa 42:15; 44:27; Jer 51:36. The variant read by the ancient versions is followed by almost all modern English versions (as well as KJV, ASV).

[13:15]  ⁷⁵ tn The term “wind” is not repeated in the Hebrew text at this point but is implied; it is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[13:16]  ⁷⁶ sn Beginning with 13:16, the verse numbers through 14:9 in the English Bible differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 13:16 ET = 14:1 HT, 14:1 ET = 14:2 HT, etc., through 14:9 ET = 14:10 HT. Thus ch. 14 in the Hebrew Bible has 10 verses.

[13:16]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “must bear its guilt” (NIV similar); NLT “must bear the consequences of their guilt”; CEV “will be punished.”

[13:16]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “his.” This is a collective singular, as recognized by almost all English versions.

[3:11]  ⁷⁹ tc The MT reads “an enemy and around the land.” It is also possible to take the MT as an exclamation (“an enemy, and all about the land!”; see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 118; NJPS; cf. NLT).Most scholars and versions emend the text to יְסוֹבֵב (yÿsovev, Polel imperfect), “will encircle.”

[3:11]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “He will bring down your power from you.” Some emend the text to read “Your power will be brought down from you.” The shift, however, from an active to a passive sense also appears at 3:14 (“I will destroy Bethel’s altars. The horns of the altar will be cut off.”) The pronouns (“your…you”) are feminine singular, indicating that the personified city of Samaria is addressed here. Samaria’s “power” here is her defenses and/or wealth.

[3:12]  ⁸¹ sn The verb translated salvaged, though often used in a positive sense of deliverance from harm, is here employed in a sarcastic manner. A shepherd would attempt to salvage part of an animal to prove that a predator had indeed killed it. In this way he could prove that he had not stolen the missing animal and absolve himself from any responsibility to repay the owner (see Exod 22:12-13).

[3:12]  ⁸² tn Heb “with a corner of a bed.”

[3:12]  ⁸³ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word דְּמֶשֶׁק (dÿmesheq), which occurs only here, is uncertain. If not emended, it is usually related to the term ַדּמֶּשֶׂק (dammeseq) and translated as the “Damask linens” of the bed (cf. NASB “the cover”) or as “in Damascus” (so KJV, NJB, NIV). The differences in spelling (Damascus is spelled correctly in 5:27), historical considerations, and the word order make both of these derivations unlikely. Many emendations have been proposed (e.g., “a part from the foot [of a bed],” based on a different division of the Hebrew letters (cf. NEB, NRSV); “on the edge,” based on a Hebrew term not attested in the Bible (NKJV). Some suggest a resemblance to an Akkadian term which means “sideboard [of a bed],” which is sometimes incorrectly rendered “headboard” (NJPS; see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 121-22). Most likely another part of a bed or couch is in view, but it is difficult to be more specific.

[3:13]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “testify against.”

[3:13]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “house.”

[3:13]  ⁸⁶ tn These words are spoken to either the unidentified heralds addressed at the beginning of v. 9, or to the Egyptians and Philistines (see v. 9b). Another possibility is that one is not to look for a specific addressee but rather appreciate the command simply as a rhetorical device to grab the attention of the listeners and readers of the prophetic message.

[3:13]  ⁸⁷ tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.”

[3:14]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “in the day.”

[3:14]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “his.” With the referent “Israel” here, this amounts to a collective singular.

[3:14]  ⁹⁰ tn Traditionally, “transgressions, sins,” but see the note on the word “crimes” in 1:3.

[3:14]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “punish” (so NASB, NRSV).

[3:14]  ⁹² map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[3:14]  ⁹³ sn The horns of an ancient altar projected upwards from the four corners and resembled an animal’s horns in appearance. Fugitives could seek asylum by grabbing hold of these corners (see Exod 21:14; 1 Kgs 1:50; 2:28). When the altar’s horns were cut off, there would be no place of asylum left for the Lord’s enemies.

[3:15]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “the winter house along with the summer house.”

[3:15]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “houses of ivory.” These houses were not made of ivory, but they had ivory panels and furniture decorated with ivory inlays. See P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 139-48.

[3:15]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “many,” cf. NAB “their many rooms.”

[3:15]  ⁹⁷ tn The translation assumes the form is from the Hebrew verb סָפָה (safah, “to sweep away”) rather than סוּף (suf, “to come to an end”), which is the choice of most versions. Either option effectively communicates the destruction of the structures.

[7:9]  ⁹⁸ tn Traditionally, “the high places” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “pagan shrines.”

[7:9]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “And I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword.”

[6:16]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “the edicts of Omri are kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab.”

[6:16]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and you walk in their plans.”

[6:16]  ¹⁰² tn The Hebrew term שַׁמָּה (shammah) can refer to “destruction; ruin,” or to the reaction it produces in those who witness the destruction.

[6:16]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “her”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:16]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “[an object] of hissing,” which was a way of taunting someone.

[6:16]  ¹⁰⁵ tc The translation assumes an emendation of the MT’s עַמִּי (’ammi, “my people”) to עַמִּים (’ammim, “nations”).

[7:13]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “will be ruined.”

[7:13]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”