AMO 1Amos 1

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Chapter

1 2 3 4

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Chapter

1 2 3

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Chapter

1 2 3 4

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Chapter

1 2 3

Chapter

1 2 3

Chapter

1 2 3

Chapter

1 2

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Chapter

1 2 3 4

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6

Chapter

1 2 3 4

Chapter

1 2 3 4

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5

Chapter

1 2 3

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6

Chapter

1 2 3 4

Chapter

1 2 3

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5

Chapter

1 2 3

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5

Chapter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 This message was given to Amos, a shepherd from the town of Tekoa in Judah. He received this message in visions two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, was king of Israel. 2 This is what he saw and heard: the grass on Mount Carmel will wither and die.” 3 This is what the LORD says: as grain is threshed with iron sledges. 4 So I will send down fire on King Hazael’s palace, and the fortresses of King Ben-hadad will be destroyed. 5 I will break down the gates of Damascus says the LORD. 6 This is what the LORD says: selling them as slaves to Edom. 7 So I will send down fire on the walls of Gaza, and all its fortresses will be destroyed. 8 I will slaughter the people of Ashdod says the Sovereign LORD. 9 This is what the LORD says: selling whole villages as slaves to Edom. 10 So I will send down fire on the walls of Tyre, and all its fortresses will be destroyed.” 11 This is what the LORD says: and were unrelenting in their anger. 12 So I will send down fire on Teman, and the fortresses of Bozrah will be destroyed.” 13 This is what the LORD says: they ripped open pregnant women with their swords. 14 So I will send down fire on the walls of Rabbah, like a whirlwind in a mighty storm. 15 And their king and his princes will go into exile together,” says the LORD.

Amos 1:13

Videos

Play Video

What Is Sin?

6 Minutes | by BibleProject

The word “sin” is one of the most common words in the Bible, but what does it really mean? In this video, we’ll explore the concept of “moral failure” that underlies this important biblical word. Get ready to discover a profound and realistic portrait of the human condition.

Play Video

What Is Transgression?

6 Minutes | by BibleProject

"Transgression" is one of those Bible words that seems clear until you have to explain it to somebody. In this video, we'll explore the fascinating and sophisticated meaning of this biblical word. Get ready for a sobering reflection on human nature.

Play Video

What Is Iniquity?

6 Minutes | by BibleProject

"Iniquity" is a biblical word that very few people use anymore, and even fewer people know what it means! In this video, we’ll explore the significance of this word in ancient Hebrew, and discover a whole new way to think about our selfish decisions and their consequences.

Introduction to Amos

Background of Amos

What Is the Book of Amos About?

Time: 3 Minutes

What do you care about? Are there things you should care about?

The book of Amos asks us these questions.

Amos was a shepherd of sorts—a rural man, sent by God to speak to the northern kingdom of Israel a very long time ago. The people of Israel enjoyed prosperity, comfort, and success. They were religiously cleaned up on the outside—keeping festivals, honoring certain holy days, not missing a Sunday, so to speak (Amos 4:4-5).

Despite their appearance, their hearts were far from God. Material comforts consumed their hearts and they stopped caring about what they ought to care about—justice (Amos 6:1-7).

They did not give God the honor he was due (Amos 2:4). They rejected his law and his authority (Amos 2:8). Therefore, they forgot his heart. They forgot the marginalized, and they did not honor the needy, the poor, and the oppressed (Amos 2:7; 4:1).

God responds to their heartless religion by covering his ears: “Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:23-24 ESV).

Amos shows us that the God of the Bible will not tolerate injustice. He sent Amos to prophesy of coming exile for the people of Israel (Amos 6:7; 7:10, 17). In 722 BC, just as he promised, God sent Assyria to destroy the northern kingdom of Israel for their sin. God would justly repay their oppression with oppression, their injustice with injury.

God would also punish his people by handing them over to their own desires: they didn’t want his law, so he would hide it from them (Amos 8:11). They would “stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it” (Amos 8:12 NIV). God did not send a prophet for 400 years of Israel’s history. God punished his people with the worst punishment imaginable: life without his Word.

Yet, as in all of God’s judgments, we find a diamond of mercy—though he shakes the house of Israel with his anger, he would not totally destroy it (Amos 9:8). God would one day pick up the pieces of fallen Israel and rebuild it to include all nations (Amos 9:12).

Amos warns us against disingenuous worship and cautions us to make our priorities what God cares about. It also leaves us wondering how we can be righteous, and whether Israel would ever truly seek justice. We have the answer if we look elsewhere in the Bible:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22 ESV)

Since we cannot be righteous, God must give us righteousness. God did not lay out stipulations for a new brand of religion, he gave us a person—his own Son—to trust, to know, and to seek. He ended the famine of his Word and gave us Jesus, the Word made flesh (John 1:1, 14).

God doesn’t want something from us. He requires one thing: love. Love for God and love for others—honoring God and others as they are due. God wants our hearts to belong to him and to beat like his with love for others. This is righteousness.

For all your spirituality, attempts to do what’s right, and own sense of right and wrong, do you have the righteousness God requires? God wants faith from us, trust in Jesus Christ, who is our righteousness. When we believe in him for the forgiveness of all our injustice, he begins the work of making us righteous, but then also enabling us to be righteous people and to help the marginalized.

Open Amos, and ask God to give you his righteousness. Then ask him where in your life are there people you may have neglected, who need to experience his love?

What Is the Background of Amos?

Time: 20 Minutes

Background of Amos

1

Author and Date

Amos was not a prophet by profession (see Amos 1:1; 7:14–15) but nevertheless was entrusted with bringing a message from the Lord to the northern kingdom of Israel. He prophesied sometime between 793–739 BC, probably nearer the end of that period.

2

Theme

The theme of Amos is the universal justice of God. The Israelites clearly expected a “day of the Lord” when all their enemies would be judged (Amos 1:2–2:5). What they were not prepared for was that they too would be judged (Amos 2:6–9:10). In fact, they would be held more accountable than their neighbors.

3

Purpose, Occasion, and Background

After about 780–745 BC, the Assyrian Empire was unable to continue the pressure it had put on the nations of the Canaanite coast during the previous century. At this same time, both Judah and Israel were blessed with fairly stable governments. As a result of these two factors, the two nations (especially Israel) were experiencing a time of wealth and prosperity. But what the Israelites saw as the beginning of a new “Golden Age” was really the end for them. It was Amos’s unhappy task to tell them of God’s coming judgment. Within just a few years Israel would no longer exist as a nation. They would continue to exist as a scattered people only by God’s unmerited grace (Amos 9:11–15). “The day of the Lord,” far from being a day of blessing, was going to be a day of darkness. By 722 BC Assyria would regain its strength, and the Israelites would be conquered and exiled.

4

Key Themes

1. The Lord is the Creator of the universe. Therefore his ethical norms are universal, and all people are subject to judgment in light of them.

2. Justice and righteousness in the treatment of other people are the key evidences of a right relationship to the Lord.

3. Religious observances in the absence of social justice are disgusting to God.

4. Israel’s covenant with the Lord did not guarantee special protection for them when they broke that covenant. Rather, it meant that they would be held to a higher standard of obedience.

5. Thus, the “day of the Lord” would not be a time of miraculous deliverance for unrepentant Israel. Rather, it would be a time of terrible destruction.

6. A faithful remnant of Israel would be preserved and would someday see glorious restoration and blessing.

5

Outline

I. Superscription (1:1)
II. Oracles of Judgment (1:2–6:14)
III. Visions of Judgment (7:1–9:15)

6

The Near East at the Time of Amos

Background of Amos

The Global Message of Amos

The message of Amos lands on the global church today with as much force and necessity as it landed on the people of God 2,700 years ago. The key idea in Amos is that God is just and impartial and will judge not only the nations but also his own people for their life of ease and apathy amid human suffering. To prosperous nations around the world today, and particularly prosperous Christians in those nations, the prophecy of Amos is a clear call for active engagement with the poor and afflicted, especially among God’s people.

1

Amos in Redemptive History

The Purpose of Prosperity

God created humanity to flourish. When sin entered the world, the ground was cursed so that only through toil and hardship would mankind’s work prove fruitful (Genesis 3:17–19). Yet in his great kindness, or as a hint of the prosperity to come in the new earth, or to test his people, or for other reasons, God often allows human beings to flourish in terms of material prosperity. During such times of prosperity, God’s people are called to embody his character, gladly extending mercy, compassion, and generosity to those in need. God had called Abraham in order that his descendants, the children of Israel, might exercise precisely such mercy and justice, so that they would be a light to the nations of the world (Genesis 12:1–3; compare Amos 3:2).

Israel’s Misuse of Prosperity

In Israel and Judah during the eighth century BC, at the time of Amos’s prophecy, the people of God were prospering materially. Yet as was so often the case down through Israel’s history, they failed to love one another as they had been called to do (Amos 3:10; 5:7, 12; 8:4). God had redeemed Israel in mercy from Egypt (Amos 2:10; 3:1), and the Israelites were now to act in mercy toward one another accordingly. Yet, lazily indulging in God’s gift of prosperity, their worship of God had turned hollow (Amos 5:21–23; compare Amos 4:4–5) and heartfelt concern for one another had withered (Amos 2:6–7).

Judgment for Israel’s Lack of Mercy

Because of all this, the Lord will exile his people (Amos 5:27; 7:17) and will bring upon them the “day of the Lord,” a day of climactic judgment. More than any other prophet, Amos describes this coming day of judgment in terms of darkness. “Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light. . . . Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:18, 20; compare Amos 4:13; 5:8). Toward the end of Amos we even hear the Lord say regarding the day of final judgment, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight” (Amos 8:9).

Ultimate Prosperity in the New Earth

In the next verse we are told that this cosmic darkening will be linked with mourning that is “like the mourning for an only son” (Amos 8:10). This is an arresting passage in Amos’s prophecy because it describes precisely what took place when Jesus hung on the cross seven centuries after Amos lived: the earth grew dark at noon, for three hours, signifying God’s judgment, as an only son, God’s only Son, perished (Mark 15:33; John 3:16). Amos’s prophecy then concludes with a deeply comforting promise of restoration through faithfulness to David (Amos 9:11–15). Through this restoration God’s people will be reinstated in the land, and “the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it” (Amos 9:13).

On the cross, Jesus experienced the judgment of the prophetic day of the Lord for all those around the world who trust in him. These believers “from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9) will one day enter into the lavish abundance described in Amos 9, a restored paradise, a new earth—a true and final Eden.

2

Universal Themes in Amos

God’s Impartial Justice

The Lord does not overlook injustice on the part of his own people simply because they are his. Indeed, God’s covenant relationship makes justice and righteousness in the lives of his people all the more crucial, for they are representing the Lord to the nations (see Romans 2:17–24). Thus when his people “trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end” (Amos 8:4), God will certainly not exempt them from the judgment that such selfishness deserves. Amos reminds the global church of the commitment to justice that is embedded in the very character of God.

The Dangers of Wealth

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,” says the Lord in Amos 6. “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches . . . who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils” (Amos 6:1, 4, 6). Not only are God’s people living in luxurious ease, however, but in their self-satisfied greed they are also trampling on the needs of the poor, dealing deceitfully in business transactions, and profaning the sabbath to make more money (Amos 8:4–6). Such is the tendency of the human heart when prosperity comes. While material prosperity is a blessing from the Lord (Proverbs 10:22) and is appropriately earned by those who work diligently and wisely (Proverbs 21:5), the accumulation of wealth tends to lead to a variety of temptations and sins (1 Timothy 6:9–10). Material wealth is to be received gratefully and yet must never displace God as the center of our affections—and the main practical way to keep wealth in its proper place is to be generous toward those in need, especially in light of the generosity God has shown us in Christ (2 Corinthians 8:9; compare 2 Corinthians 9:11).

3

The Global Message of Amos for Today

The prophecy of Amos carries an urgent message for the global church in the twenty-first century. Where God has brought material blessing to his people through honest hard work and diligence, such blessing should be received gratefully and enjoyed. Yet in light of massive worldwide needs such as poverty, lack of clean water, malnutrition, and inadequate medical care, material blessing granted to some believers must go out to those parts of the world where help is needed. To do anything less is to tragically imitate the people in Amos’s day who neglected the poor among them. Such neglect deserves, and will receive, God’s judgment.

The church must never presume upon God’s favor. His justice is universal. He will deal in perfect justice with those who claim his love and compassion but fail to extend that love and compassion in concrete ways to others. As those who have been shown mercy, may we as the church universal love our neighbors, both near and far, with the radical, self-giving love shown to us in the gospel. “Be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us” (Ephesians 5:1–2).

1:1 message (literally words): This standard way of introducing a prophetic message (Jer 1:1; see also Hag 1:12) emphasizes its form and content. • shepherd (Hebrew noqed): This word is used just one other time in the Old Testament, to describe the king of Moab as a “sheep breeder” (2 Kgs 3:4). Amos describes his vocation in Amos 7:14 using a different Hebrew word (boqer, which means “herder”; see Amos Book Introduction, “The Prophet Amos”). Amos was not a professional prophet serving the court or the Temple. • Amos received this message in visions—that is, by divine revelation (see Isa 1:1). • Amos depicts the earthquake that occurred during the reign of Uzziah (Zech 14:5) as an act of God’s judgment (Amos 3:14-15; 6:11, 14; 8:8; 9:1, 9). • Uzziah, also called Azariah (792–740 bc), was the most powerful king of Judah after the division of the kingdom. • Jeroboam II (793–753 bc), who descended from the dynasty of Jehu, took advantage of a power vacuum in the region and recovered territory earlier lost to the Arameans.

1:2 This message speaks of judgment at the day of the Lord. • Mount Zion (the Temple in Jerusalem) was the logical source of a message from the Lord. • Mount Carmel rises from the Mediterranean Sea and is well watered even in time of drought. If all the grass on Mount Carmel withered, it would be the sign of a catastrophic drought.

1:3 have sinned again and again: Literally have committed three sins, even four. This expression is used for a repeated act of rebellion against the natural order established by God. The Hebrew phrase does not denote a strict count but a pattern of repeated violations. • beat down my people: Threshing grain involved separating the heads of the grain from their hulls by pulling wooden sledges with sharp teeth over the cut grain (Isa 41:15; see Mic 4:13). This description provides a graphic picture of the brutality of the people of Damascus.

1:3-1:5 Damascus, the capital of Aram, was brutal in its treatment of the people of Gilead, Israel’s territory east of the Jordan. By the time Ahab died (853 bc), Damascus had captured Ramoth in Gilead (1 Kgs 22:3). Around 801 bc, Assyria captured Damascus, and the city never again held the power it had wielded in its prime.

1:3-2:16 The eight judgments of this prophecy proceed from the most obvious enemy, Damascus, to the least obvious, Israel itself. The sequence would have engaged Israel’s attention as they heard God’s judgment against their enemies, but Amos eventually confronted the people with God’s judgment on them.

1:4 I will send down fire: In ancient times conquered cities were burned by invading armies (see also 1:7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5). The conquest of Damascus would be God’s judgment on them. • Hazael reigned as king of Damascus (about 843–802 bc) after he seized the throne by assassination. Ben-hadad was Hazael’s son and successor (about 802–792 bc).

1:5 Aven and Beth-eden were both connected with Aram and Damascus. Aven (meaning evil, wickedness) refers to the valley between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains or the plain of Damascus. The city-state Beth-eden was north of Aram, elsewhere simply called Eden (2 Kgs 19:12; Ezek 27:23). • The Arameans originally came from Kir (Amos 9:7), probably in southern Babylonia; Kir was where Assyria deported them when Damascus fell (2 Kgs 16:9). Just as Egypt was a symbol of captivity for Israel (see Deut 28:68), Kir represented captivity for Aram.

1:6 The Philistine city of Gaza, on the seacoast at the southwest edge of Palestine, was the gateway for traffic between Africa and Asia. Its sin was slave trading; Philistia had raided Israel or Judah and sold whole villages into slavery to Edom.

1:7 I will send down fire: Uzziah conquered Philistia (2 Chr 26:6); in 701 bc, the Assyrian invasion all but ended the distinct identity of the Philistines.

1:8 The Philistine cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon were on or near the seacoast, while Ekron lay inland. Gath is not mentioned here, as it had been conquered earlier by Hazael (2 Kgs 12:17) and then Uzziah (2 Chr 26:6). • the few Philistines still left: The Philistines maintained their ethnic identity through the Assyrian period, but this distinction faded by the time of the Persians (Zech 9:5-7).

1:9 Tyre and Sidon were the principal seaports of Phoenicia. • Tyre’s crime, like Philistia’s (1:6-8), was selling whole villages of Israelite captives to the Edomites as slaves, a captivity made more bitter by a sense of betrayal (see 2 Sam 5:11; 1 Kgs 5:1, 11; 16:30-31). Tyre’s reputation was “anything is for sale”; Isaiah portrayed the city as a prostitute peddling her wares (Isa 23:15-17).

1:10 fire on the walls: The main part of Tyre was built on an island, making it almost impossible to capture (see Ezek 26:1–28:19).

1:11 Edom was another betrayer (see 1:9; Gen 36; see also Gen 25:23-30; 27:39-40). • The NLT adds the Israelites to make explicit what relatives (literally brother) means (see Gen 25:25-30). “Brothers” can also refer to parties to a treaty (see Amos 1:9). Apparently Edom exerted constant pressure on the borders of Israel and Judah, raiding and plundering at moments of weakness (Jer 49:7-22; Obad 1:1-9).

1:12 With the destruction of the major cities of Teman and Bozrah, Edom lost its capacity for continual warfare. Babylon destroyed Edom shortly after Judah in 553 bc (see Jer 27; 49:7-22; see also study note on Obad 1:18).

1:13 Israel regarded the people of Ammon as kin who also betrayed them. The Ammonites (like the Moabites, 2:1) were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew (Gen 19:37-38). Ammon had been a constant threat to Gilead (see Judg 10:7-9). • In ancient times, conquering armies commonly ripped open pregnant women (2 Kgs 8:12; 15:16; Hos 13:16); they also raped the women and slaughtered the children of the towns they seized (Isa 13:16, 18; Lam 5:11; Hos 10:14; 13:16; Nah 3:10; Zech 14:2).

1:14 Rabbah was the chief city of the Ammonites (2 Sam 12:26). • Ammon (Amos 1:13) was crushed by the Assyrians in the 800s bc, then attacked and depopulated by the Babylonians in the 700s.

1:15 their king: The Hebrew term malkam may be a reference to the Ammonite god Molech. In ancient times, people believed that a conquered nation’s god or gods went into exile together with them (see 5:26-27; 1 Sam 5:1-2; Isa 46:1).

Search Results