Amos 1:6-8

2). YHWH's Judgment On Philistia (Amos 1:6).

After Aram Israel's next most dangerous enemy had been Philistia, which included the city states of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Ekron. Their border raids, during which they would take many captives in order to sell them as slaves, were a constant problem to the Israelites. For examples of their hostility see 2 Samuel 21:15; 1 Kings 16:15; 2Ki 18:8; 2 Chronicles 21:16; 2 Chronicles 28:18. What was particularly heinous was the fact that the slave trade was a deliberate policy in itself, not just an adjunct to their general war-like activities. Whole towns were being enslaved. The failure to mention Gath indicates that Gath was at this time weak and ineffective, possibly still recovering from the depredations of Hazael (compare Amos 6:2 and 2 Kings 12:17).

Amos 1:6

“Thus says YHWH.

For three transgressions of Gaza, yes, for four,

I will not turn away their punishment,

Because they carried away captive the whole people,

To deliver them up to Edom.

But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza,

And it will devour their palaces.”

So secondly YHWH has spoken against Philistia. As with Aram the fullness of the transgression of Philistia is emphasised. They too were guilty of continually sinning against Israel in the foulest way, but in their case it was because they were making raids into Israel for the specific purpose of taking whole townships to be sold as slaves to Edom. It would appear that Edom had set up as a slave-trading nation (Amos 1:6; Amos 1:9), and were orchestrating the trade in conjunction with Philistia and Tyre. Taking slaves in this way was seen as especially abominable by YHWH (Exodus 21:16). The consequence of their part in it was that that the walls and palaces of Gaza were to be burned with fire. As with Damascus and Aram, Gaza here represents the whole of Philistia as Amos 1:8 makes clear.

Amos 1:8

“And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod,

And him who holds the sceptre from Ashkelon,

And I will turn my hand against Ekron,

And the remnant of the Philistines will perish,

Says the Lord YHWH.”

But all the cities of Philistia were seen as involved in the slave cartel. The pattern of judgment on each of them thus follows that against the Aramaeans. The inhabitants of all the cities of Philistia would be cut off, along with their rulers, and the remnant of them would perish. In other words the destruction would be total. It is then confirmed again that this was the word of ‘the Lord YHWH'. Note the slight difference in expression introducing YHWH's sovereignty. ‘The Lord YHWH' is only found here in the sevenfold statement, but it is later a favourite expression of Amos (Amos 1:8; Amos 3:7; Amos 3:11; Amos 3:13; Amos 4:2; Amos 4:5; Amos 5:3; Amos 5:15; Amos 7:1; Amos 7:4; Amos 6: Amos 8:1).