Amos 2 Study Notes

2:9-10 Disregarding historical sequence, the conquest of Canaan (v. 9) is mentioned before the exodus and wilderness wandering (v. 10). This is probably because the focus here is on how Israel occupied the land by virtue of God’s grace, thus implying that God could just as easily expel them from the land.

2:11-12 The prophets, as exponents of God’s will, and the Nazirites, as examples of great devotion to God, came to the Israelites as representatives sent by God to turn the people to righteousness. The Israelite rejection of both groups represents their rejection of God himself.

2:13 The Hebrew of this verse is difficult. An alternative translation is, “Behold I am weighed down beneath you, just as a cart that is filled with sheaves is weighed down.” If this is correct, it expresses God’s frustration with Israel’s stubborn attitude.

2:14-16 The Israelite army will be routed in battle. Soldiers are described in terms of their prowess and their military specialization. In v. 14, swift refers to any soldier who runs quickly and therefore would normally escape defeat, and strong refers to anyone who would normally prevail in battle. At the end of v. 14 and in v. 15, we have four military specializations: the warrior (referring to the heavy infantry in the main line of battle), the archer, the swift of foot (light infantry), and the one riding a horse (the cavalry). Finally, in v. 16, the most courageous of the warriors (who would be expected to stand fast in the face of an onslaught) will flee naked (cast away their armor, shields, and weapons).