Amos 3 Study Notes

3:9-10 Ashdod (the Philistines) and Egypt were two traditional oppressors of Israel, but even they did not oppress the Israelites as cruelly as the Israelites oppressed themselves through their rebellion against God. Thus these pagans could sit in judgment on Israel.

3:11-15 Israel’s punishment is described in this section.

3:12 Behind this verse one can detect a common viewpoint among the people of Israel: that if an enemy should attack, the Israelites would be rescued by God. Amos responded sarcastically by saying that they would be “rescued” like a piece of an ear from the lion’s mouth. When only pieces of an ear or legs are snatched from a lion’s mouth, obviously the lamb is dead. The main point is that Israel will be completely destroyed, not that a remnant will survive. Even so, there may be a remnant theology in the idea that God can raise the dead nation back to life.

3:14-15 The phrase altars of Bethel refers to Israel’s religious sins, and the winter house and the summer house refer to the destruction of the oppressive upper classes.