Amos
Chapter 1
These are the words of Amos, one of the sheep-breeders of Tekoa, and the visions which he saw concerning Israel, during the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel. Two years before the earthquake.
He said,“The Lord roars from Zion,his voice thunders from Jerusalem.The pastures of the shepherds are scorchedand the choicest farmland is dried up.”
Crime and Punishment of Eight Nations
The Lord says this: “Because Damascus has sinned not just once but three times, I will not relent. Because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron,
I will send fire upon Hazael’s people that will consume Ben-hadad’s strongholds. I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter from Beth-eden.
I will break the protective rossbar of Damascus.”
The Lord declares: “Because Gaza has sinned not once but three times; and even more, I will not relent: because they led an entire people into captivity, delivering them over to Edom,
I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it will consume her strongholds.
I will cut off the ruler from Ashdod, and the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines will perish,” says the Lord.
The Lord declares: “Because Tyre has sinned, not just once but three times; and even more, I will not turn back: because they handed over a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the Covenant of brotherhood;
I will send fire on the walls of Tyre; and it will consume her palaces.”
The Lord says this: “Because Edom has sinned, not just once but three times; and even more, I will not hold back: because he pursued his brother with the sword and showed no pity, because his anger burns forever, and his wrath is constantly fierce;
I will send fire on Teman, and it will consume the strongholds of Bozrah.”
The Lord says this: “Because the Ammonites have sinned, not just once but three times; and even more, I will not relent because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead to expand their borders.
I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah, and it will consume her strongholds. Then there will be a war cry and battle; storm winds will blow.
Their king will go into exile, along with his princes,” says the Lord.
Commentaries
Title of the Book.
The initial verses depict Amos not as a poor hired shepherd but as a cattle owner called to prophesy in the eighth century, a period of political stability and prosperity, especially in the kingdom of Israel (the northern kingdom). As in Joel 4:16, the Lord “roars” from the temple in Jerusalem when this prophet is sent to confront unfaithfulness and injustice in the northern kingdom with God’s word and to judge the violence of the nations.
Crime and Punishment of Eight Nations.
The “roar” of the Lord is a metaphor illustrating how God’s wrath strikes the seven nations surrounding Israel for their violence and cruelty (1:3-2:3). The inclusion of Judah (2:4), the sister kingdom in the south, demonstrates the impartiality of the judgment. It is noteworthy that the first crime against the covenant Israel is accused of is the selling of the poor into slavery because they cannot pay their debts (2:6). Additionally, there is legal neglect of the weak (2:7b), sexual perversion (2:7b), abuse of others’ property (2:8a), and idolatry (2:8b).