Amos 3:1
שִׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַ֚ל כָּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֶעֱלֵ֛יתִי מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר׃
Listen to this word which YHWH spoke to you, sons of Israel, against all the clans which I caused to go up from the land of Egypt saying,
Paraphrase: Oh children of Israel, my name is Amos from Tekoa in Judea. YHWH, the Great King has given me a message for you. Here is that message: You, oh Israel, are all those families which I delivered from bondage in Egypt, brought through the Red Sea and gave this land which I had promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Comments:
Amos 3:2
רַ֚ק אֶתְכֶ֣ם יָדַ֔עְתִּי מִכֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת הָאֲדָמָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֙ אֶפְקֹ֣ד עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת כָּל־עֲוֺנֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃
Only you, I know from all the clans of the land; therefore, I will visit against you all your sins.
Paraphrase: Yes, you are the one nation on earth whom I have chosen to be My people. You are My people because of the covenant which I established between Me and you at mount Sinai. There you pledged to obey My commandments and to be My people forever. (Exodus 24:7) Later, you pledged again to be forever faithful to this covenant. (Joshua 24:16-18) Now as a result of this covenant that is between us, I will come and inquire. I will summon you to give an account of your actions; we will settle the accounts. Where I find that you have violated the terms of the covenant I made with you, I will punish you.
Comments:
Amos 3:3
הֲיֵלְכ֥וּ שְׁנַ֖יִם יַחְדָּ֑ו בִּלְתִּ֖י אִם־נוֹעָֽדוּ׃
Will two walk together unless they agreed to meet?
Paraphrase: Perhaps you are wondering about my credentials. Why should you listen to me? Answer me this, can two people take a walk together if they don’t speak together first and agree to meet at such-and-such a time and at such-and-such a place? In the same way, would I be here at Bethel (Amos 7:13), many miles from my home and farm, with a message from YHWH if God had not spoken to me and sent me to this place?
Comments:
Amos 3:4
הֲיִשְׁאַ֤ג אַרְיֵה֙ בַּיַּ֔עַר וְטֶ֖רֶף אֵ֣ין ל֑וֹ הֲיִתֵּ֨ן כְּפִ֤יר קוֹלוֹ֙ מִמְּעֹ֣נָת֔וֹ בִּלְתִּ֖י אִם־לָכָֽד׃
Will a lion roar in the forest, and he has no prey to him? Will a young lion give his voice from his dwelling nothing if he took?
Paraphrase: Answer me this; does a lion give its terrifying roar when he is hunting in the forest and sees nothing? Or does he roar when he sees the prey and knows it is in his grasp? And the young lion, does it give its contented rumble when it has caught nothing? or when it has the prey dead before it and is preparing to eat? Now in the same way, does YHWH roar out His judgments and announce His visitations by the prophets if He has no case against His people? Does He punish when there are no violations of the covenant to punish? Does He announce His judgments when there is no sin to judge?
Comments:
Amos 3:5
הֲתִפֹּ֤ל צִפּוֹר֙ עַל־פַּ֣ח הָאָ֔רֶץ וּמוֹקֵ֖שׁ אֵ֣ין לָ֑הּ הֲיַֽעֲלֶה־פַּח֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה וְלָכ֖וֹד לֹ֥א יִלְכּֽוֹד׃
Will a bird fall in a trap of the land and no bait to her? And will a trap go up from the ground nothing being taken?
Paraphrase: Will a bird get caught in a trap if there was no bait to draw her in? Does a trap spring shut when there was nothing in it to trip it? In the same way, does YHWH give to His prophets a message, but there is nothing wrong which makes the message necessary? Does YHWH roar out His judgments when there is no covenant violation and everything is in order?
Comments:
Note the plene spelling in יִלְכּוֹד.
Amos 3:6
אִם־יִתָּקַ֤ע שׁוֹפָר֙ בְּעִ֔יר וְעָ֖ם לֹ֣א יֶחֱרָ֑דוּ אִם־תִּהְיֶ֤ה רָעָה֙ בְּעִ֔יר וַיהוָ֖ה לֹ֥א עָשָֽׂה׃
If a trumpet blasts in the city, but people do not tremble? If evil is in a city and YHWH did not?
Paraphrase: Furthermore, if someone sounds the alarm and gives a mighty blast on the trumpet, will not everyone stop what they’re doing, look up anxiously, and run for safety? How is it then that I am sounding the alarm and no one listens and no one even stops what they’re doing to hear what God is saying? And when catastrophe happens in a city, would anyone think that God had nothing to do with it? What will the inhabitants of Samaria think when suddenly they are smashed to pieces by a foreign army and dragged off to exile? Will you remember the lion’s roar then? Will you remember that I was here and that I brought to you God’s word of judgment? Will you remember the Lion’s roar?
Comments:
Amos 3:7
כִּ֣י לֹ֧א יַעֲשֶׂ֛ה אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה דָּבָ֑ר כִּ֚י אִם־גָּלָ֣ה סוֹד֔וֹ אֶל־עֲבָדָ֖יו הַנְּבִיאִֽים׃
For Lord YHWH will not do a word except He reveal His council to His servants the prophets.
Paraphrase: Now here is the truth I want you to grasp. YHWH does nothing to His people without first announcing it to His prophets. In the heavenly council room, God makes the decision. Then, He informs the prophets and sends them to carry the word to His people.
Comments:
For כִּי אִם־, see BDB see #2 in the right column p474.
Amos 3:8
אַרְיֵ֥ה שָׁאָ֖ג מִ֣י לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ דִּבֶּ֔ר מִ֖י לֹ֥א יִנָּבֵֽא׃
The lion has roared! Who will not fear? Lord YHWH has spoken; who will not prophesy?
Paraphrase: Well, brothers and sisters, God has met in His divine council. The decision has been made, and God has delivered the message to His servant. Now the lion is roaring out the message which God has given him. Will you listen? Will you stop what you’re doing and hear God’s word? Will you tremble at the message? Believe me; YHWH has spoken to me; how can I not deliver this message to you? I would rather be at home on my farm tending to the sheep and the figs, but YHWH has given me this word and cannot hold it in. (Jeremiah 20:9) I must bring you the message which He gave to me. Please take a moment and listen to what God is saying.
Comments:
Amos 3:9
הַשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙ עַל־אַרְמְנ֣וֹת בְּאַשְׁדּ֔וֹד וְעַֽל־אַרְמְנ֖וֹת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְאִמְר֗וּ הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ עַל־הָרֵ֣י שֹׁמְר֔וֹן וּרְא֞וּ מְהוּמֹ֤ת רַבּוֹת֙ בְּתוֹכָ֔הּ וַעֲשׁוּקִ֖ים בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃
Cause the fortresses of Ashdod to hear and the fortresses in the land of Egypt and say. “Be gathered to the hills of Samaria and see the great chaos in her midst and the oppressions within her.”
Paraphrase:
Comments:
Imagine calling the ringleaders of terror and oppression, Egypt and Assyria, to view the sin of Samaria. Egypt is regularly referred to as the house of bondage. (Deuteronomy 6:12) Assyria was renowned for cruelty and barbarity. (Nahum 3:1-4; 2:11-13; Isaiah 10:13-14; Hosea 13:16)
Amos 3:10
וְלֹֽא־יָדְע֥וּ עֲשׂוֹת־נְכֹחָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה הָאֽוֹצְרִ֛ים חָמָ֥ס וָשֹׁ֖ד בְּאַרְמְנֽוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃פ
Amos 3:11
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה צַ֖ר וּסְבִ֣יב הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהוֹרִ֤ד מִמְּךָ֙ עֻזֵּ֔ךְ וְנָבֹ֖זּוּ אַרְמְנוֹתָֽיִךְ׃
Amos 3:12
כֹּה֮ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֒ כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ יַצִּ֨יל הָרֹעֶ֜ה מִפִּ֧י הָאֲרִ֛י שְׁתֵּ֥י כְרָעַ֖יִם א֣וֹ בְדַל־אֹ֑זֶן כֵּ֣ן יִנָּצְל֞וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן בִּפְאַ֥ת מִטָּ֖ה וּבִדְמֶ֥שֶׁק עָֽרֶשׂ׃
Amos 3:13
שִׁמְע֥וּ וְהָעִ֖ידוּ בְּבֵ֣ית יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַצְּבָאֽוֹת׃
Amos 3:14
כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם פָּקְדִ֥י פִשְׁעֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עָלָ֑יו וּפָֽקַדְתִּי֙ עַל־מִזְבְּח֣וֹת בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל וְנִגְדְּעוּ֙ קַרְנ֣וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וְנָפְל֖וּ לָאָֽרֶץ׃
Amos 3:15
וְהִכֵּיתִ֥י בֵית־הַחֹ֖רֶף עַל־בֵּ֣ית הַקָּ֑יִץ וְאָבְד֞וּ בָּתֵּ֣י הַשֵּׁ֗ן וְסָפ֛וּ בָּתִּ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ס