Amos
Chapter 6
Third Woe: Worship and Justice
Woe to those proud people,
Who live overconfident,
on the hill of Samaria!
Woe to you, leaders of fame,
From the top among the nations,
to whom the people of Israel turn!
Pass through Calneh and see;
from there, go to Hamath the great,
then descend to Gath of the Philistines.
Are you better than these kingdoms?
Is your territory larger than theirs?
You hope to delay the evil day;
in reality, you are bringing
about a year of violence.
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory
and lounge upon your couches;
you eat lamb from the flock
and veal from calves
fattened in the stall.
You strum your harps, and like David,
try out new musical instruments.
You drink wine by the bowlful
and anoint yourselves
with the finest oils;
but you do not mourn
the destruction of Joseph.
Therefore, you will be the first
to go into exile,
and the feast of the sprawlers
will end.
The Lord has sworn by his life:
“I hate the proud city of Jacob,
I hate its palaces.
I will hand over the city
and everything in it.”
In those days, if ten people are left
In one house, they shall die.
Their kinsman will lift the corpses and carry the bones out of the house; when he says to his comrade at the back part of the house: “Are there any more?” the other will say: “No, but hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”
For this is the Lord’s command: “The great house shall crumble, and the small house fall to pieces.”
Do horses run on rocky cliffs?
Does anyone plow the sea with oxen?
Well, you have turned the rights
into a poisonous plant,
and the court’s sentences
into wormwood.
You rejoice over trivial matters
when you say:
“Are we not winners once more?”
Yet, I am stirring up against you, Israel,
A nation that will oppress you,
from the pass of Lebo-hamath
to the brook of the Arabah.
Commentaries
Title.
This section explains why the northern kingdom will be judged. The first three oracles start with the phrase “Hear this word” (3:1; 4:1; 5:1). These are followed by three “woes” as warnings (5:7; 5:18; 6:1) to those who refuse to listen.
Woe: Luxury and Riches.
Riches and power have blinded the leaders of Samaria, making them feel secure and completely unconcerned about their future. Therefore, the prophet encourages them to visit two smaller cities that are more aware of the potential threat from Assyria, which actually occurred in 738 B.C. The use of ivory, cups, and fine perfumes—imported items of great value—serves as evidence of a luxurious and opulent lifestyle (4-6). The recurring theme of justice turned into poison closes the section of the “woes” (12; cf. 5:7). When there is no discernment and sincere pursuit of truth, the entire social structure becomes contaminated and corrupted. Military achievements are not a source of glory for the Lord; on the contrary, such accomplishments are considered “nonsense” by God. ‘Qarnayim’ means “horns,” symbolizing power. Nonsense is the translation of the name of the first city mentioned, “Lo-debar,” which means “No-Thing,” or “Nothing” (13). This occurs when Israel’s leaders manipulate and calculate history without regard for the Lord of history.