palaces . See note on Amos 1:4 . the oppressed = oppressive acts. Hebrew. 'ashukim = oppressed by violent and forcible exactions. Occurs only here; Job 35:9 ; and Ecclesiastes 4:1 . Reference to Pentateuch Leviticus 19:13 .Deuteronomy 24:14; Deuteronomy 24:14 ). read more
"Publish ye in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold what great tumults are therein, and what oppressions in the midst thereof.SAMARIA AS AN OPPRESSOR (Amos 3:9-10)"In the palaces of Ashdod ..." The desire of some scholars to translate this "Assyria" instead of Ashdod should be rejected. There is no other mention of Assyria in this prophecy (although it is evident enough that Assyria was clearly the... read more
Amos 3:9. Publish, &c.— God calls upon the heathen to be witness of his judgments upon his own people, that they may take warning thereby: particularly he gives notice to the Philistines and Egyptians, the inveterate enemies of the Jews, that they may assemble themselves, and behold the ravages and oppressions which their insulting adversaries will bring upon the kingdom of Israel, whose capital was Samaria. See Lowth, and Calmet. read more
9. Publish in . . . palaces—as being places of greatest resort (compare :-); and also as it is the sin of princes that he arraigns, he calls on princes (the occupants of the "palaces") to be the witnesses. Ashdod—put for all Philistia. Convene the Philistine and the Egyptian magnates, from whom I have on various occasions rescued Israel. (The opposite formula to "Tell it not in Gath," namely, lest the heathen should glory over Israel). Even these idolaters, in looking on your enormities, will... read more
Amos called for announcements to be made to the large buildings (i.e., to the people living in them) of Ashdod in Philistia and to those in Egypt. The Mosaic Law required two witnesses in cases involving the death penalty (Deuteronomy 17:6). Here those witnesses were Ashdod and Egypt. Amos may have chosen these nations because they had previously oppressed the Israelites. People who lived in citadels were the wealthy and the leaders of those areas. A "citadel" (Heb. ’armon) was almost any... read more
Israel’s unparalleled oppression from God 3:9-10 read more
The First Address1-8. A call to attention. 9, 10. The oppressions practised by the powerful. 11-15. The disasters which should overtake them, their sanctuary and their palaces.1. ’Race’ would be a more correct word than family. Judah is included in the appeal, but immediately drops out of sight again.2. In the Bible to know frequently means to care for, to be deeply interested in (Genesis 18:19; Hosea 13:5; Nahum 1:7; Job 22:13; Psalms 1:6; Psalms 73:11; Proverbs 2:10; Galatians 4:9): at... read more
(9) In the palaces.—Rather, on the palaces, i.e., on their roofs in such conspicuous places that the population, high and low, would hear the summons.Mountains of Samaria.—In the high ground around the city, from which can be observed all that is passing in the metropolis. Foreign people, even Philistines and Egyptians, are gathered to witness the evils of the doomed realm. The marginal rendering “oppressions” should be adopted. This is shown by the parallelism. read more
CIVILIZATION AND JUDGMENTAmos 3:1-15 - Amos 4:3WE now enter the Second Section of the Book of Amos: chapters 3-6. It is a collection of various oracles of denunciation, grouped partly by the recurrence of the formula "Hear this word," which stands at the head of our present chapters 3, 4, and 5, which are therefore probably due to it; partly by two cries of "Woe" at Amos 5:18 and Amos 6:1; and also by the fact that each of the groups thus started leads up to an emphatic, though not at first... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Amos 3:9-15
The corruption of Samaria (3:9-4:3)Amos tries to shame the people of Israel (capital: Samaria) by inviting their enemies to come and see how bad the nation is, with all its oppression, lawlessness, violence and greed (9-10). Israel will surely be conquered and plundered. The only things that will remain as a reminder of former luxury will be a few scraps of furniture. The remains of the nation will be like the remains of a sheep that has been attacked and eaten by wild animals (11-12). The... read more