Amos 1

Berean Standard Bible · Compare translations · 765 BC – 753 BC · Divided kingdom · Tap a verse to copy, share or highlight ·

15 verses · 412 words · ~2 min read · ~3 min listen

Judgment on Israelʼs Neighbors

Jeremiah 12:14–17

¹These are the words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, in the days when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel. ²He said:

“The Lord roars from Zion

and raises His voice from Jerusalem;

the pastures of the shepherds mourn,

and the summit of Carmel withers.”

³This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Damascus, even four,

I will not revoke My judgment,

because they threshed Gilead

with sledges of iron.

⁴So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael

to consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.

⁵I will break down the gates of Damascus;

I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven

and the one who wields the scepter in Beth-eden.

The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir,”

says the Lord.

⁶This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Gaza, even four,

I will not revoke My judgment,

because they exiled a whole population,

delivering them up to Edom.

⁷So I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza,

to consume its citadels.

⁸I will cut off the ruler of Ashdod

and the one who wields the scepter in Ashkelon.

I will turn My hand against Ekron,

and the remnant of the Philistines will perish,”

says the Lord God.

⁹This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Tyre, even four,

I will not revoke My judgment,

because they delivered up a whole congregation of exiles to Edom

and broke a covenant of brotherhood.

¹⁰So I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre

to consume its citadels.”

¹¹This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of Edom, even four,

I will not revoke My judgment,

because he pursued his brother with the sword

and stifled all compassion;

his anger raged continually,

and his fury flamed incessantly.

¹²So I will send fire upon Teman

to consume the citadels of Bozrah.”

¹³This is what the Lord says:

“For three transgressions of the Ammonites, even four,

I will not revoke My judgment,

because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead

in order to enlarge their territory.

¹⁴So I will kindle a fire in the walls of Rabbah

to consume its citadels

amid war cries on the day of battle

and a violent wind on the day of tempest.

¹⁵Their king will go into exile—

he and his princes together,”

says the Lord.

Footnotes (7)

a v1 Or sheep breeders
b v1 Or during the two years
c v1 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash
d v3 Or I will not revoke the punishment; Hebrew I will not revoke it; also in verses 6, 9, 11, and 13
e v5 Or the inhabitants
f v5 Aven means wickedness.
g v15 Possibly Milcom will go into exile; Milcom, also called Molech, was god of the Ammonites; see Leviticus 18:21and 1 Kings 11:7.

Study notes on this chapter · 2

Prophecy & fulfillmentWidely held reading

Damascus, a heap of ruins

Isaiah says Damascus will cease to be a city and become a heap of ruins, and Ephraim (the northern kingdom) will lose its fortresses. Assyria under Tiglath-pileser III took Damascus in 732 BC and killed its king Rezin, and Samaria fell in 722/721 BC. Damascus was rebuilt soon afterward and is still inhabited, so the language of permanent ruin is read in different ways.

When: Isaiah, c. 735–732 BC; Damascus taken 732 BC.

Original passageIsaiah 17:1–3Amos 1:3–5

Where the New Testament applies it2 Kings 16:7–9

Ways people read this (3)

Fulfilled in 732 BC when Damascus was destroyed and lost its independence.
Some think the full ruin is yet to come.
The language is hyperbolic, stressing the end of Damascus as a capital kingdom.

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentWidely held reading

The Philistine cities brought low

Amos, Jeremiah, Zephaniah and Zechariah all announce judgment on Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ekron. The Philistine cities were devastated by Assyria, Egypt and then Babylon (Ashkelon fell in 604 BC), and the Philistines disappear from history after the sixth century BC. Zechariah says the remnant will become part of Judah.

When: Amos c. 760 BC; Zephaniah c. 630 BC; Jeremiah 47 c. 609 BC; Ashkelon destroyed 604 BC.

Original passageAmos 1:6–8Zephaniah 2:4–7Zechariah 9:5–7Jeremiah 47:1–7

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

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Amos 1

Judgment on Israelʼs Neighborsⓘ

Study notes on this chapter · 2

Damascus, a heap of ruins

The Philistine cities brought low

Judgment on Israelʼs Neighbors