AMOS 1:3 TO AMOS 2:5. THE SINS OF ISRAEL'S NEIGHBOURS. According to
the present arrangement the prophet begins by arraigning Israel's
neighbours. This arrangement may not be original. Yet it is quite
likely that he deliberately chose to make a denunciation of the sins
of Israel's neighbours lead up... [ Continue Reading ]
AMOS 1:1 F. SUPERSCRIPTION AND MOTTO. In the present form of the book
we find prefixed to the oracles, probably by a post-exilic editor,
some brief particulars as to the person of the prophet, the date of
his ministry, and the key-note of his message. The prophet belonged to
the Southern Kingdom. He... [ Continue Reading ]
DAMASCUS. It is Yahweh who speaks by the mouth of the prophets. The
mention of Damascus, the capital of the Aramaean or Syrian kingdom,
would at once arrest attention, for until recently Israel had been
engaged in a severe struggle (p. 69) with this kingdom (Damascus
stands here for the whole region... [ Continue Reading ]
PHILISTIA. Philistia was another name to strike terror. The country is
well represented by Gaza (Amos 1:6), the southernmost and largest city
of the Philistines (p. 28), an emporium of trade and the centre of the
slave-traffic. A typical instance of brutality is found in the
carrying away of a whole... [ Continue Reading ]
AMOS 1:9 F. ON TYRE. Possibly an exilic or post-exilic insertion. The
mention of the Phœ nicians would not evoke such hostile feelings, but
they too had repeatedly perpetrated crimes that called aloud for
punishment. The whole land is here represented by its chief city,
Tyre. Tyre is charged with co... [ Continue Reading ]
THE AMMONITES. The Ammonites were old enemies. Originally they had
pressed Israel from the S. and E. as the Aramæ ans had done from the
N. Then they occupied the territory E. of the Jordan from Jabbok to
the Arnon. Jephthah defeated and David completely overthrew them
(Judges 11:32; 2 Samuel 12:31).... [ Continue Reading ]