Amos chapter 1

Introduction. Judgments against Damascus, Philistine cities, Tyre, Edom, and Ammon.

 


 

INTRODUCTION

 

VERSE 1. The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

NAB translation. The words of Amos, a shepherd from Tekoa, which he received in vision concerning Israel, in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake:

shepherd. The Hebrew word is not the usual Hebrew word roeh, which means “shepherd of sheep.”

Rather, it is the rare Hebrew word noqeid, which suggests “sheep breeder.”

Amos was a layperson. He wasn’t a priest or a Levite, a scribe or an expert in the Law.

from Tekoa. Tekoa was seven miles south of Bethlehem.

2 Samuel 14:2. Joab sent to Tekoa, and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.

Jeremiah 6:1. Flee for safety, you children of Benjamin, out of the middle of Jerusalem! Blow the shofar in Tekoa and raise up a signal on Beth Haccherem, for evil looks out from the north with a great destruction.

Amos 1:1. The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

which he received in vision. Amos saw these things in a mystical vision.

in the days of Jeroboam. Ling Jeroboam reigned from 786 to 756 BC.

 

VERSE 2. He said: “The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the pastures of the shepherds will mourn, and the top of Carmel will wither.”

NIV translation. He said: “The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers.”

The LORD will roar. Israel and the other nations are about to be violently judged for their sins.

the pastures. In our day, the biblical word “pasture” is often taken to mean “church.”

the shepherds. In our day, the biblical word “shepherd” is often taken to mean “Christian Leader.”

dry up. In their day, the pastures of many shepherds was drying up.

In our day, the churches of many Christian leaders have been drying up.

 

JUDGMENT AGAINST DAMASCUS

 

VERSE 3. The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Damascus, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron;

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Amos and from the entire Bible.

they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. They had done evil to the LORD God’s people.

 

VERSE 4. but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Amos and from the entire Bible.

I will send a fire. People’s actions eventually catch up with them.

There is a law of “sowing and reaping” throughout the Bible. How shall we reconcile it with grace and mercy? Here are the verses we’ve found »

 

VERSE 5. I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity to Kir,” says the LORD.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Amos and from the entire Bible.

the bar of Damascus. This was a beam that secured the main gate of the city against invaders.

 

JUDGMENT AGAINST PHILISTINE CITIES

 

VERSE 6. The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Gaza, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they carried away captive the whole community, to deliver them up to Edom;

In those days the Philistine people had four main cities. Amos reveals that all four cities will be judged and the Philistine people exterminated.

Gaza is judged.

they carried away captive the whole community. The Philistines had captured whole communities in slave raids and sold them for commercial profit.

 

VERSE 7. but I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it will devour its palaces.

Gaza is judged.

I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza. The five Philistine cities will be completely annihilated.

 

VERSE 8. I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines will perish,” says the Lord GOD.

Ashdod is judged.

Ashkelon is judged.

Ekron is judged.

the remnant of the Philistines will perish. The entire Philistine people-group will be exterminated.

 

JUDGMENT AGAINST TYRE

 

VERSE 9. The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Tyre, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they delivered up the whole community to Edom, and didn’t remember the brotherly covenant;

Tyre. This was the leading city of Phoenicia.

the brotherly covenant. Back in 1 Kings chapter 5, Hiram of Tyre had made a treaty with Solomon.

 

VERSE 10. but I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it will devour its palaces.”

I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre. After besieging it for seven months, Alexander the Great overran the city of Tyre in 332 BC.

devour its palaces. In that attack, 6,000 people were slain, 2,000 people were crucified, and 30,000 people were sold as slaves.

 

JUDGMENT AGAINST EDOM

 

VERSE 11. The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Edom, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity, and his anger raged continually, and he kept his wrath forever;

 

VERSE 12. but I will send a fire on Teman, and it will devour the palaces of Bozrah.”

Teman. It was Edom’s largest southern city.

Bozrah. It was Edom’s fortress stronghold in the north.

 

JUDGMENT AGAINST AMMON

 

VERSE 13. The LORD says: “For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border.

ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead. This atrocity was sometimes an aspect of ancient warfare. It terrorized the enemy.

 

VERSE 14. But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour its palaces, with shouting in the day of battle, with a storm in the day of the whirlwind;

 

VERSE 15. and their king will go into captivity, he and his princes together,” says the LORD.

 


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AMOS

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.