Amos 1:6-8

6-8. The sin and punishment of Philistia.

Three… four See on Amos 1:3.

Gaza The southernmost city of Philistia and splendidly located for trade; about fifty miles southwest of Jerusalem, and three miles from the sea. Being just on the edge of the desert, it became a commercial center, commanding the caravan routes to Syria, to Egypt, and to Arabia. Its present population is said to number about eighteen thousand. Here the city represents the whole of Philistia; it is possible, however, that Gaza was most guilty; its location would naturally make it the center of slave trade with Edom.

The whole captivity R.V., “the whole people”; literally, an entire captivity. The meaning is that they spared neither sex nor age; they took the entire population of the places attacked. The reference is probably not to a national invasion (2 Chronicles 21:16-17), but to raids undertaken for the specific purpose of securing slaves.

Deliver them up to Edom The Edomites probably resold the slaves. The same charge is brought against Tyre (Amos 1:9), and a similar charge against both in Joel 3:4-6. It is not stated here that the communities attacked were Hebrew. On Edom see Amos 1:11.

Fire As in Amos 1:4.

Inhabitant See on Amos 1:5.

Ashdod About twenty-one miles north-northeast of Gaza, about three miles from the seacoast, a strong fortress on the caravan route from Gaza to Joppa. It suffered from an Egyptian siege about 650 B.C., but recovered and was a place of importance at the time of Nehemiah; now a small village called Esdud.

Holdeth the scepter The chief cities of the Philistines each had its own king (see below and on Joel 3:4).

Ashkelon Was located on the seacoast, about halfway between Gaza and Ashdod; it is mentioned on the Tel-el-Amarna tablets (about 1400 B.C.), now an insignificant place called Askelan.

Turn mine hand against As long as God leaves man to himself his hand is said to rest; to turn his hand is to take an active interest in man’s affairs, either to save or to punish (Isaiah 1:25; Zechariah 13:7); here to punish.

Ekron An inland city, about twelve miles northeast of Ashdod, and nearer to the territory of Judah than any of the other cities; it was the seat of an oracle (2 Kings 1:2), but otherwise it is of little importance in the Old Testament; now Akir, on the railway from Joppa to Jerusalem.

The remnant All in the districts enumerated who escape the destruction announced and the inhabitants of the parts of Philistia not included in the four districts mentioned. Philistia was divided into five city states, independent in times of peace, usually united in times of war; four of these centers are named here. Why not the fifth, Gath? If it was still prominent in Amos’s day it must be included in the remnant; there certainly was no reason why Amos must mention it by name; and the omission does not prove, as some think, that the city was already destroyed (2 Kings 12:17; see further on Amos 6:2).

The four cities mentioned suffered severely from the Assyrians subsequent to the delivery of this threat. Gaza was attacked by Tiglath-pileser in 734 and was compelled to pay a heavy tribute. Ashdod refused in 711 to pay tribute imposed at an earlier date; in punishment the city was reduced and its inhabitants exiled. In 701 both Ashkelon and Ekron joined in the revolt against Sennacherib and were severely dealt with. However, all four cities seem to have become again more or less powerful; all are named as tributaries to the later Assyrian kings, Esar-haddon and Ashur-banapal (compare Nehemiah 4:7; Nehemiah 13:23-24; Zechariah 9:5-7).

Saith the Lord Jehovah A reiteration, for the sake of emphasis, of the truth that Amos was commissioned by Jehovah to deliver this message. The Lord Jehovah is a favorite expression in Amos and Ezekiel; it is used rarely in the other prophetic books. Lord calls attention to Jehovah’s supremacy. On the authenticity of this oracle see pp. 221f.