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.

Cross References

• 1. 2:6 [See ver. 4 above]
• 2. 2:6 [Lev. 25:39; 2 Kgs. 4:1]
• 3. 2:6 ch. 8:6
• 4. 2:7 Lam. 2:10
• 5. 2:7 ch. 5:12; Job 24:4; Isa. 10:2
• 6. 2:7 [1 Cor. 5:1]; See Ezek. 22:11
• 7. 2:8 See Ex. 22:26
• 8. 2:9 Deut. 2:31; Josh. 24:8; See Num. 21:21-25
• 9. 2:9 [Num. 13:32, 33; Isa. 10:33]
• 10. 2:9 [Job 18:16]
• 11. 2:10 ch. 3:1; Ex. 12:17, 51
• 12. 2:10 See Deut. 8:2
• 13. 2:10 [See ver. 9 above]
• 14. 2:11 Num. 6:2
• 15. 2:12 [Num. 6:3]
• 16. 2:12 ch. 7:13, 16; Isa. 30:10; Mic. 2:6
• 17. 2:14 [ch. 9:1; Eccles. 9:11]
• 18. 2:14 [ch. 9:1; Eccles. 9:11]
• 19. 2:14 [Ps. 33:16]
• 20. 2:15 [2 Sam. 2:18]
• 21. 2:15 [Ps. 33:17]