Amos 2:9-12

9 "Yet it was I who destroyed the ¹Amorite before * them, Though his ²height was like the height of cedars And he was strong as the oaks; I even destroyed his ³fruit above * and his root below *.

10 "It was I who ⁴brought you up from the land of Egypt, And I led you in the wilderness ⁵forty years That you might take possession of the land of the ⁶Amorite.

11 "Then I ⁷raised up some of your sons to be prophets And some of your young men to be ⁸Nazirites. Is this not so, O sons of Israel?" declares the LORD.

12 "But you made the Nazirites drink wine, And you commanded the prophets saying, 'You ⁹shall not prophesy!'

Amos 2:9-12 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. Numbers 21:23-25; Joshua 10:12
• 2. Numbers 13:32
• 3. Ezekiel 17:9; Malachi 4:1
• 4. Exodus 12:51; Exodus 20:2; Amos 3:1; Amos 9:7
• 5. Deuteronomy 2:7
• 6. Exodus 3:8
• 7. Deuteronomy 18:18; Jeremiah 7:25
• 8. Numbers 6:2, 3; Judges 13:5
• 9. Isaiah 30:10; Jeremiah 11:21; Amos 7:13, 16; Micah 2:6

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "Whose height"
• [b] Lit "To possess"