Amos 1

General context

The chapter opens, "The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen 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." The next verse reports, "And he said, The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem"; the shepherds' habitations mourn and the top of Carmel withers. Five oracles follow, each opening "Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of" a named people, "and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof." Damascus is charged with threshing Gilead "with threshing instruments of iron"; fire will enter the house of Hazael and devour the palaces of Ben-hadad, the bar of Damascus will be broken, and the people of Syria will go captive to Kir. Gaza is charged with carrying away "the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom"; fire on its wall, and Ashdod, Ashkelon and Ekron are named as the remnant of the Philistines perishes. Tyrus is charged with delivering up the whole captivity to Edom and forgetting "the brotherly covenant"; fire on its wall. Edom is charged because "he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity," his anger tearing perpetually; fire on Teman and the palaces of Bozrah. The children of Ammon are charged because "they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border"; fire in the wall of Rabbah with shouting and tempest, and their king and princes go into captivity.

Cited passages: Amos 1:1, Amos 1:2, Amos 1:3, Amos 1:4, Amos 1:5, Amos 1:6, Amos 1:8, Amos 1:9, Amos 1:10, Amos 1:11, Amos 1:12, Amos 1:13, Amos 1:14, Amos 1:15

Amos 1 (KJV)

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Historical context

The heading calls Amos one "among the herdmen of Tekoa" and does not call him a prophet; in 7:14 he will say "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son." The words are "concerning Israel," and the kings named are Uzziah of Judah and "Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel," the same two who appear in Hosea 1:1, which adds three more kings of Judah. The clause "two years before the earthquake" is the only other time marker, and the text says nothing else about that earthquake. The oracles name Damascus, Hazael, Ben-hadad, the plain of Aven, the house of Eden, Kir, Syria, Gaza, Edom, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, the Philistines, Tyrus, Teman, Bozrah, the children of Ammon, Gilead and Rabbah. Each charge is stated as past fact, but when it happened is not given. The "whole captivity" delivered to Edom is not identified, "the brotherly covenant" is not explained, and Edom's "brother" is not named here. The speaker formula "saith the Lord" or "saith the Lord God" closes verses 5, 8 and 15, and verse 2 opens with "And he said" without naming the speaker, the nearest name being Amos in verse 1. The series does not end with this chapter; the same formula continues in 2:1 for Moab, then Judah and Israel.

Cited passages: Amos 1:1, Amos 7:14, Hosea 1:1, Amos 1:5, Amos 1:6, Amos 1:9, Amos 1:11, Amos 1:8, Amos 1:2, Amos 2:1

Literary context

The same formula opens five oracles, with the numbers three and four and the refusal "I will not turn away the punishment thereof," and each moves from one named crime to fire: "send a fire into the house," "send a fire on the wall," "send a fire upon Teman," "kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah." The oracles vary in length. Damascus and Ammon are longer and end with captivity, of the people of Syria and of Ammon's king; Tyrus and Edom are the shortest. Edom appears in three oracles, twice as the party who received captives and once as the accused, and Gilead opens and closes the chapter's charges, threshed with iron and its pregnant women ripped up. The roar from Zion in verse 2 gives the book its first sound, and the mourning of "the habitations of the shepherds" matches the herdman of the heading. The count "For three transgressions" and "and for four" promises more than each oracle lists, since most name a single act. The series will reach Israel at 2:6, where the pattern breaks.

Cited passages: Amos 1:6, Amos 1:4, Amos 1:7, Amos 1:12, Amos 1:14, Amos 1:5, Amos 1:15, Amos 1:11, Amos 1:3, Amos 1:13, Amos 1:2, Amos 2:6

Key moments

1. The words of Amos (Amos 1:1). The words of Amos, a herdman of Tekoa, concerning Israel under Uzziah and Jeroboam, two years before the earthquake.
2. The Lord roars from Zion (Amos 1:2). Amos says the Lord will roar from Zion, and shepherds' pastures and Carmel will wither.
3. Damascus (Amos 1:3). Damascus is charged with threshing Gilead with iron instruments.
4. Gaza (Amos 1:6). Gaza is charged with carrying away a whole captivity to Edom.
5. Tyrus (Amos 1:9). Tyrus is charged with delivering captives to Edom and forgetting the brotherly covenant.
6. Edom (Amos 1:11). Edom is charged with pursuing his brother with the sword and casting off pity.
7. Ammon (Amos 1:13). Ammon is charged with ripping up Gilead's pregnant women to enlarge its border.

For reflection

Each oracle says "For three transgressions" of a people, "and for four," and then names mostly one. What is a reader to do with a count that exceeds what the text lists?

People in this chapter

• Amos
• Jacob
• Judah

Also indexed here:

• Ben-hadad
• Hazael
• Jeroboam
• Joash
• Uzziah