Amos 1:4

4 I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.

Amos 1:4 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.
English Standard Version (ESV)
4 So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
New Living Translation (NLT)
4 So I will send down fire on King Hazael’s palace, and the fortresses of King Ben-hadad will be destroyed.
The Message Bible (MSG)
4 For that, I'm setting the palace of Hazael on fire. I'm torching Ben-hadad's forts.
American Standard Version (ASV)
4 but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
4 I will send a fire on the house of Hazael and burn down the palaces of Ben Hadad.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
4 Therefore, I will send fire against Hazael's palace, and it will consume Ben-hadad's citadels.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
4 So I will send fire to destroy the palace of King Hazael. It will burn up the forts of his son Ben-Hadad.

Amos 1:4 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 1:4

But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael
For so doing; into his family, his sons' sons, one of whom perhaps was Rezin, that Tiglathpileser king of Assyria slew, as Aben Ezra observes. This denotes the judgments of God upon his posterity for his cruel usage of the Israelites; and designs an enemy that should come into his country, and war made in the midst of it, by which it should be depopulated; and this being by the permission and providence of God, and according to his will, is said to be sent by him: which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad;
a name frequently given to the kings of Syria; there was one of this name the immediate predecessor of Hazael, whose servant he was; and he left a son of the same name that succeeded him, ( 2 Kings 7:7 2 Kings 7:15 ) ( 13:24 ) ; these may denote the royal palaces of the kings of Syria, which should not be spared in this time of desolation; though rather by them may be intended the temples, which he and Hazael are said by Josephus F3 to build in the city of Damascus, whereby they greatly adorned it; and for these and other acts of beneficence they were deified by the Syrians, and worshipped as gods; and even to the times of Josephus, he says, their statues were carried in pomp every day in honour of them; and so, the house of Hazael, in the preceding clause, may signify a temple that was either built by him, or for the worship of him, since he was deified as well as Benhadad; and it may be observed, that as Adad was a common name of the kings of Syria; for, according to Nicholas of Damascus F4, ten kings that reigned in Damascus were all called Adad; so this is a name of the god they worshipped. Pliny speaks of a god worshipped by the Syrians, whose name must be Adad; since, according to him; the gem "adadunephros" had its name from him F5; and Macrobius F6 is express for it, that the chief god of the Assyrians was called Adad, which signifies one; (See Gill on Isaiah 66:17).


FOOTNOTES:

F3 Antiqu. l. 9. c. 4. sect. 6.
F4 Apud Joseph. Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 8.
F5 Nat. Hist. l. 27. c. 11.
F6 Saturnal. l. 1. c. 23.

Amos 1:4 In-Context

2 He said: “The LORD roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers.”
3 This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth,
4 I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.
5 I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Avenand the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the LORD.
6 This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom,

Cross References 4

  • 1. S Jeremiah 49:27; S Ezekiel 30:8
  • 2. S 1 Kings 19:17; 2 Kings 8:7-15
  • 3. Jeremiah 17:27
  • 4. 1 Kings 20:1; 2 Kings 6:24; Jeremiah 49:23-27
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