Amos 2:6-16

Judgment on Israel

6 Thus says the LORD: ¹"For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because ²they sell the righteous for ³silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals--

7 those who trample the head of the poor ⁴into the dust of the earth and ⁵turn aside the way of the afflicted; ⁶a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned;

8 they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments ⁷taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

9 "Yet ⁸it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, ⁹whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; ¹⁰I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

10 ¹¹Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt ¹²and led you forty years in the wilderness, ¹³to possess the land of the Amorite.

11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for ¹⁴Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?" declares the LORD.

12 "But you made the Nazirites ¹⁵drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, ¹⁶'You shall not prophesy.'

13 "Behold, I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down.

14 ¹⁷Flight shall perish from the swift, ¹⁸and the strong shall not retain his strength, ¹⁹nor shall the mighty save his life;

15 he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is ²⁰swift of foot shall not save himself, ²¹nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;

16 and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day," declares the LORD.

Amos 2:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 2

In this chapter the prophet foretells the calamities that should come upon the Moabites for their transgressions, Am 2:1-3; and the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem for their iniquities, Am 2:4,5; also the judgments of God that should come upon Israel the ten tribes for their sins, which sins are enumerated; their oppression of the poor, their lewdness and idolatry, Am 2:6-8; and which are aggravated by the blessings of goodness bestowed upon them, both temporal and spiritual, Am 2:9-12; wherefore they are threatened with ruin, which would be inevitable, notwithstanding their swiftness, strength, and courage, and their skill in shooting arrows, and riding horses, Am 2:13-16.

Amos 2:6-16 In-Context

4 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked.

5 So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem."

6 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals--

7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned;

8 they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

9 "Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

10 Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.

11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?" declares the LORD.

12 "But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, 'You shall not prophesy.'

13 "Behold, I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down.

14 Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life;

15 he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;

16 and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day," declares the LORD.

Cross References

• 1. [See ver. 4 above]
• 2. [Leviticus 25:39; 2 Kings 4:1]
• 3. Amos 8:6
• 4. Lamentations 2:10
• 5. Amos 5:12; Job 24:4; Isaiah 10:2
• 6. [1 Corinthians 5:1]; See Ezekiel 22:11
• 7. See Exodus 22:26
• 8. Deuteronomy 2:31; Joshua 24:8; See Numbers 21:21-25
• 9. [Numbers 13:32, 33; Isaiah 10:33]
• 10. [Job 18:16]
• 11. Amos 3:1; Exodus 12:17, 51
• 12. See Deuteronomy 8:2
• 13. [See ver. 9 above]
• 14. Numbers 6:2
• 15. [Numbers 6:3]
• 16. Amos 7:13, 16; Isaiah 30:10; Micah 2:6
• 17. [Amos 9:1; Ecclesiastes 9:11]
• 18. [Amos 9:1; Ecclesiastes 9:11]
• 19. [Psalms 33:16]
• 20. [2 Samuel 2:18]
• 21. [Psalms 33:17]