Amos 1:2. The Lord will roar— Some commentators have observed that the prophet Amos makes use of comparisons taken from lions and other animals, because he himself had been conversant in forests and among different animals. Instead of habitations, we may read pleasant pastures. read more
Amos 1:3. I will not turn away the punishment thereof— I will not revoke it; that is, the voice which denounced their destruction. Houbigant renders the verse, After three transgressions of Damascus, I will not bear that which was the fourth; because, &c. The prophet first threatens the people of Syria, the capital of which was Damascus, for the several transgressions which they had committed, and particularly for their cruelties exercised against the Israelites by Hazael and Benhadad. 2... read more
Amos 1:5. I will break also the bar of Damascus— See 2 Kings 16:9. The bar means the gates or fortifications. Houbigant, instead of, The house of Eden, reads The house of pleasure; and for Kir, he translates Cyrene. read more
1. The words of Amos—that is, Amos' oracular communications. A heading found only in :-. among the herdmen—rather, "shepherds"; both owning and tending sheep; from an Arabic root, "to mark with pricks," namely, to select the best among a species of sheep and goats ill-shapen and short-footed (as others explain the name from an Arabic root), but distinguished by their wool [MAURER]. God chooses "the weak things of the world to confound the mighty," and makes a humble shepherd reprove the... read more
2. will roar—as a lion ( :-). Whereas Jehovah is there represented roaring in Israel's behalf, here He roars against her (compare Psalms 18:13; Jeremiah 25:30). from Zion . . . Jerusalem—the seat of the theocracy, from which ye have revolted; not from Dan and Beth-el, the seat of your idolatrous worship of the calves. habitations . . . mourn—poetical personification. Their inhabitants shall mourn, imparting a sadness to the very habitations. Carmel—the mountain promontory north of Israel, in... read more
3. Here begins a series of threatenings of vengeance against six other states, followed by one against Judah, and ending with one against Israel, with whom the rest of the prophecy is occupied. The eight predictions are in symmetrical stanzas, each prefaced by "Thus saith the Lord." Beginning with the sin of others, which Israel would be ready enough to recognize, he proceeds to bring home to Israel her own guilt. Israel must not think hereafter, because she sees others visited similarly to... read more
4. Hazael . . . Ben-hadad—A black marble obelisk found in the central palace of Nimroud, and now in the British Museum, is inscribed with the names of Hazael and Ben-hadad of Syria, as well as Jehu of Israel, mentioned as tributaries of "Shalmanubar," king of Assyria. The kind of tribute from Jehu is mentioned: gold, pearls, precious oil, c. [G. V. SMITH]. The Ben-hadad here is the son of Hazael (2 Kings 13:3), not the Ben-hadad supplanted and slain by Hazael (2 Kings 8:7 2 Kings 8:15). The... read more
5. bar of Damascus—that is, the bar of its gates (compare :-). the inhabitant—singular for plural, "inhabitants." HENDERSON, because of the parallel, "him that holdeth the scepter," translates, "the ruler." But the parallelism is that of one clause complementing the other, "the inhabitant" or subject here answering to "him that holdeth the scepter" or ruler there, both ruler and subject alike being cut off. Aven—the same as Oon or Un, a delightful valley, four hours' journey from Damascus,... read more
A. Introduction 1:1What follows are the words (i.e., collected messages, cf. Proverbs 30:1; Proverbs 31:1; Ecclesiastes 1:1; Jeremiah 1:1) of Amos (lit. burden-bearer), who was one of the sheepherders who lived in the Judean town of Tekoa, 10 miles south of Jerusalem. This town stood on a comparatively high elevation from which its residents could see the Mount of Olives to the north as well as the surrounding countryside in every direction. Amos’ words expressed what he saw in visions that... read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Amos 1:5
"And I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the valley of Aven, and him that holdeth the scepter from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith Jehovah."I will break the bar of Damascus ..." Ancient cities used a bar to lock their gates; and the breaking of the bar was the same as leaving a city defenseless. Keil summarized the meaning of this verse thus:"The breaking of the bar (the bolt of the gate) denotes the conquest of... read more