Amos 2:6-16

6 Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of ¹Israel and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they ²sell the righteous for money And the needy for a pair of sandals.

7 "These who ^[a]pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the ³helpless Also ⁴turn aside the way of the humble; And a ⁵man and his father resort to the same girl In order to profane My holy name.

8 "On garments ⁶taken as pledges they stretch out beside ⁷every altar, And in the house of their God they ⁸drink the wine of those who have been fined.

9 "Yet it was I who destroyed the ⁹Amorite before * them, Though his ¹⁰height was like the height of cedars And he was strong as the oaks; I even destroyed his ¹¹fruit above * and his root below *.

10 "It was I who ¹²brought you up from the land of Egypt, And I led you in the wilderness ¹³forty years That you might take possession of the land of the ¹⁴Amorite.

11 "Then I ¹⁵raised up some of your sons to be prophets And some of your young men to be ¹⁶Nazirites. Is this not so, O sons of Israel?" declares the LORD.

12 "But you made the Nazirites drink wine, And you commanded the prophets saying, 'You ¹⁷shall not prophesy!'

13 "Behold, I am ¹⁸weighted down beneath you As a wagon is weighted down when filled with sheaves.

14 "¹⁹Flight will perish from the swift, And the stalwart will not strengthen his power, Nor the ²⁰mighty man save his life.

15 "He who ²¹grasps the bow will not stand his ground, The swift of foot will not escape, Nor will he who rides the ²²horse save his life.

16 "Even the bravest * among the warriors will ²³flee naked in that day," declares the LORD.

Amos 2:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 2

In this chapter the prophet foretells the calamities that should come upon the Moabites for their transgressions, Am 2:1-3; and the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem for their iniquities, Am 2:4,5; also the judgments of God that should come upon Israel the ten tribes for their sins, which sins are enumerated; their oppression of the poor, their lewdness and idolatry, Am 2:6-8; and which are aggravated by the blessings of goodness bestowed upon them, both temporal and spiritual, Am 2:9-12; wherefore they are threatened with ruin, which would be inevitable, notwithstanding their swiftness, strength, and courage, and their skill in shooting arrows, and riding horses, Am 2:13-16.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Kings 18:11, 12
• 2. Joel 3:3; Amos 5:11, 12; Amos 8:6
• 3. Amos 8:4; Micah 2:2, 9
• 4. Amos 5:12
• 5. Hosea 4:14
• 6. Exodus 22:26
• 7. Amos 3:14
• 8. Amos 4:1; Amos 6:6
• 9. Numbers 21:23-25; Joshua 10:12
• 10. Numbers 13:32
• 11. Ezekiel 17:9; Malachi 4:1
• 12. Exodus 12:51; Exodus 20:2; Amos 3:1; Amos 9:7
• 13. Deuteronomy 2:7
• 14. Exodus 3:8
• 15. Deuteronomy 18:18; Jeremiah 7:25
• 16. Numbers 6:2, 3; Judges 13:5
• 17. Isaiah 30:10; Jeremiah 11:21; Amos 7:13, 16; Micah 2:6
• 18. Isaiah 1:14
• 19. Isaiah 30:16, 17
• 20. Psalms 33:16; Jeremiah 9:23
• 21. Jeremiah 51:56; Ezekiel 39:3
• 22. Isaiah 31:3
• 23. Judges 4:17

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "trample" or, "snap at the head of the helpless on the dust"
• [b]. Lit "go"
• [c]. Possibly a harlot, or a temple prostitute
• [d]. Lit "Whose height"
• [e]. Lit "To possess"
• [f]. Or "tottering"
• [g]. Or "totters"
• [h]. Or "A place of refuge"
• [i]. Lit "soul"
• [j]. Lit "soul"
• [k]. Lit "stout of heart"