Amos 1
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CHAPTER 1
Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors (1:1–15)
1–2 Amos’s ministry took place in the mid–700s B.C. (see Amos:Introduction). In this book, Amos records the things he saw concerning the northern kingdom of Israel2 (verse 1); he saw these things two years before a major earthquake struck Israel (Zechariah 14:5). Amos probably considered the earthquake to be a preliminary confirmation of his PROPHECIES.
Amos had been sent to Israel to warn the people that he had heard a “roar” coming from ZION (Jerusalem), the center of the Lord’s earthly rule, and that roar was from the Lord Himself. Judgment was coming to Israel; the whole land was going to dry up, from the low–altitude pastures to the top of (Mount) Carmel (verse 2).
3–5 Before dealing with Israel, however, Amos first announces a series of judgments on Israel’s hostile neighbors. Though these nations did not worship God, they would still have to face Him as their Judge.
The first judgment Amos announces is on Damascus, the capital of Syria (Aram); here Damascus stands for all Syria. Syria was a longstanding enemy of Israel. Amos cites one example3 of Syria’s sins: she threshed Gilead (verse 3)—that is, she brutally conquered Gilead, that part of Israel which lay east of the Jordan River (1 Kings 13:1–9). Because of this, the Lord would send fire (judgment) upon the house of Hazael and his son Ben–Hadad (verse 4), two of Syria’s cruelest kings (2 Kings 8:12; 13:3). God’s judgment eventually fell when Assyria captured Damascus in 732 B.C.4
6–8 The second judgment is on Gaza, a major city of Philistia, a region west of Israel along the Mediterranean coast. The Philistines were ancient enemies of Israel; they frequently captured Israelites and sold them as slaves. For this sin, the Lord says He will destroy the cities of Philistia until the last of the Philistines is dead (verse 8). Philistia was gradually destroyed by a series of invaders, including the Assyrians and Babylonians.5
9–10 The next judgment concerns Tyre,a city–state on the Mediterranean coast just north of Israel. Hiram king of Tyre once had a treaty of brotherhood with DAVID and Solomon (see 1 Kings 5:1,12), but subsequent kings of Tyre were hostile to Israel and sold Israelites into slavery (verse 9). Tyre was eventually destroyed by Alexander the Great.6
11–12 The next judgment concerns Edom, the nation to the south of Israel and Judah. Edom (Esau) was a brother to Israel;7 nevertheless, the Edomites regarded the Israelites with anger and hostility. Therefore God will destroy Edom, represented here by its two leading cities, Teman and Bozrah (verse 12).
13–15 The next judgment concerns Ammon (present–day Jordan), just east of Israel. Amos mentions Ammon’s sin against Gilead; in an effort to expand their borders, the Ammonites even killed pregnant women (verse 13). Therefore, God will destroy Ammon’s capital, Rabbah (present–day Amman), and send Ammon’s king into exile (verses 14–15). This judgment was carried out by the Assyrians not long after Amos spoke these words.8