Amos 4:1
שִׁמְע֞וּ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה פָּר֤וֹת הַבָּשָׁן֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּהַ֣ר שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן הָעֹשְׁק֣וֹת דַּלִּ֔ים הָרֹצְצ֖וֹת אֶבְיוֹנִ֑ים הָאֹמְרֹ֥ת לַאֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֖ם הָבִ֥יאָה וְנִשְׁתֶּֽה׃
Hear this word, cows of Bashan who are on the mount of Samaria, oppressing the weak, crushing the needy, saying to their men, bring and let us drink.
Paraphrase: I have a word from YHWH for the wealthy women who live in Israel. You’re like the fat cows that graze on the rich pasturelands of Bashan. You have no compassion or pity on the people who you oppress, and cheat. The weak and vulnerable in the land are under your heel; you extract all you can from them with no concern for their own flourishing. The needy have no recourse; the weak receive no justice. Meanwhile, you sigh contentedly as you recline on your ivory couches and call to your men to join you for another drink.
Comments:
Amos 4:2
נִשְׁבַּ֨ע אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ בְּקָדְשׁ֔וֹ כִּ֛י הִנֵּ֥ה יָמִ֖ים בָּאִ֣ים עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְנִשָּׂ֤א אֶתְכֶם֙ בְּצִנּ֔וֹת וְאַחֲרִיתְכֶ֖ן בְּסִ֥יר֥וֹת דּוּגָֽה׃
Lord YHWH swore in His holiness, “Behold, the days are coming on you, and He carried you with hooks and your back parts with pots of fisherman. (Jeremiah 16:16; Habakkuk 1:14)
Paraphrase: This is an unchangeable oath of YHWH, the Great King the fulfillment of which is as certain as His Own Holiness. “For three transgressions, yes even for four, the time of My patience and grace has ended. I will now unleash My final blows upon this nation which has violated My covenant times without number. A foreign army will come and smash their way into this kingdom. They will pluck you out of your homes and cities as easily as a fisherman lifts a fish out of the water on a hook. You will be packed like sardines in a basket and dragged off to another country.”
Comments:
Amos 4:3
וּפְרָצִ֥ים תֵּצֶ֖אנָה אִשָּׁ֣ה נֶגְדָּ֑הּ וְהִשְׁלַכְתֶּ֥נָה הַהַרְמ֖וֹנָה נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
and you will go out through the breaches; a woman in front of her and you will cast the fortress; an utterance of YHWH.
Paraphrase: In those terrible days, you wealthy women will lose all your elegance and sophistication. You will look for any opening in the wall by which you might escape. When you find one, you will throw caution to the wind and will clamber all over each other, desperate to get out and to flee from the invading army. Then, the enemy will enter the city and throw you out of your fortress which now you think is so impregnable. This is the word of YHWH, the Great King.
Comments:
Keil suggests (p268) that the ה on the end of וְהִשְׁלַכְתֶּנָה is to keep up the end sound of תֵּצֶאנָה and the other words with similar sounds. (cf p178)
The LXX makes וְהִשְׁלַכְתֶּנָה a hofal (ἀπορριφήσεσθε) which certainly gives an easier meaning than the active hifil.
Amos 4:4
בֹּ֤אוּ בֵֽית־אֵל֙ וּפִשְׁע֔וּ הַגִּלְגָּ֖ל הַרְבּ֣וּ לִפְשֹׁ֑עַ וְהָבִ֤יאוּ לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ זִבְחֵיכֶ֔ם לִשְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִ֖ים מַעְשְׂרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃
Go to Beth-El and rebel; to Gilgal, multiply rebellion; and in the morning, cause your sacrifices to come, on the third day from your tithes.
Paraphrase: But, who am I? Don’t be alarmed by what I say! I’m just a poor farmer from Tekoa. Carry on with your lives; you are a busy people; you have a lot to do. Don’t give my word a second thought! Israel is strong and prosperous; what could possibly go wrong? Go on then with your life; carry on with your worship in Bethel and Gilgal. Gather up your sacrificial animals and offer them in sacrifice to YHWH. I’m sure He will be so pleased to see how carefully and devoutly you break His covenant. He’ll probably never even notice that you are offering sacrifices to him in the wrong place. Maybe He won’t remember that He commanded you to worship Him only in that place where He places His Name. (Deuteronomy 12:5-7) I’m sure YHWH won’t even notice that you cheat a little here and there just so long as you continue to bring all your tithes regularly and dot all your i’s and cross your t’s!
Comments:
Amos 4:5
וְקַטֵּ֤ר מֵֽחָמֵץ֙ תּוֹדָ֔ה וְקִרְא֥וּ נְדָב֖וֹת הַשְׁמִ֑יעוּ כִּ֣י כֵ֤ן אֲהַבְתֶּם֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃
And burn from leaven a Todah, and call for the free will offering. Cause to be heard for thus you loved, sons of Israel. An utterance of Lord YHWH.
Paraphrase: Yes, shout for joy as you bring the peace offerings. Bring the fresh loaf of warm, delicious bread and give thanks to God for making you so prosperous. Make all these offerings purely voluntary so that it will be clear that you were under no obligation to bring them. You just wanted to praise God for all His goodness to you. Then be sure to spread far and wide the report of all what you have done for YHWH. That’s what you do best, Israel. Stand on the street corners and house tops and announce to the world that you are devoted followers of YHWH and that you have given of all your abundance to His worship. Let everyone know how pious and devout you are. This is the word of YHWH, the Great King.
Comments:
The peace offering intended as a thanksgiving to God included both unleavened and leavened bread. (Leviticus 7:12-13) Israel was not violating God’s law by offering leavened bread here.
Amos 4:6
וְגַם־אֲנִי֩ נָתַ֨תִּי לָכֶ֜ם נִקְי֤וֹן שִׁנַּ֙יִם֙ בְּכָל־עָ֣רֵיכֶ֔ם וְחֹ֣סֶר לֶ֔חֶם בְּכֹ֖ל מְקוֹמֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
But even I gave to you cleanness of teeth in all your cities and lack of bread in all your standing places, and you did not return to Me; an utterance of YHWH.
Paraphrase: Now what was I doing while you were piling up three transgressions, yes even four, and making yourself ripe for judgments? I was calling you with a strong and clear calls to change your ways. I tried to get your attention by famine and hunger. In all your cities, there was starvation and death, but it made no difference. You did not repent and turn to Me. This is the word of YHWH, the Great King.
Comments:
Amos 4:7
וְגַ֣ם אָנֹכִי֩ מָנַ֨עְתִּי מִכֶּ֜ם אֶת־הַגֶּ֗שֶׁם בְּע֨וֹד שְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה חֳדָשִׁים֙ לַקָּצִ֔יר וְהִמְטַרְתִּי֙ עַל־עִ֣יר אֶחָ֔ת וְעַל־עִ֥יר אַחַ֖ת לֹ֣א אַמְטִ֑יר חֶלְקָ֤ה אַחַת֙ תִּמָּטֵ֔ר וְחֶלְקָ֛ה אֲשֶֽׁר־לֹֽא־תַמְטִ֥יר עָלֶ֖יהָ תִּיבָֽשׁ׃
Amos 4:8
וְנָע֡וּ שְׁתַּיִם֩ שָׁלֹ֨שׁ עָרִ֜ים אֶל־עִ֥יר אַחַ֛ת לִשְׁתּ֥וֹת מַ֖יִם וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁבָּ֑עוּ וְלֹֽא־שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
Amos 4:9
הִכֵּ֣יתִי אֶתְכֶם֮ בַּשִּׁדָּפ֣וֹן וּבַיֵּרָקוֹן֒ הַרְבּ֨וֹת גַּנּוֹתֵיכֶ֧ם וְכַרְמֵיכֶ֛ם וּתְאֵנֵיכֶ֥ם וְזֵיתֵיכֶ֖ם יֹאכַ֣ל הַגָּזָ֑ם וְלֹֽא־שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ס
Amos 4:10
שִׁלַּ֨חְתִּי בָכֶ֥ם דֶּ֙בֶר֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם הָרַ֤גְתִּי בַחֶ֙רֶב֙ בַּח֣וּרֵיכֶ֔ם עִ֖ם שְׁבִ֣י סֽוּסֵיכֶ֑ם וָאַעֲלֶ֞ה בְּאֹ֤שׁ מַחֲנֵיכֶם֙ וּֽבְאַפְּכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
Amos 4:11
הָפַ֣כְתִּי בָכֶ֗ם כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֤ת אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־סְדֹ֣ם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָ֔ה וַתִּהְי֕וּ כְּא֖וּד מֻצָּ֣ל מִשְׂרֵפָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ס
Amos 4:12
לָכֵ֕ן כֹּ֥ה אֶעֱשֶׂה־לְּךָ֖ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עֵ֚קֶב כִּֽי־זֹ֣את אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּ֔ךְ הִכּ֥וֹן לִקְרַאת־אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Amos 4:13
כִּ֡י הִנֵּה֩ יוֹצֵ֨ר הָרִ֜ים וּבֹרֵ֣א ר֗וּחַ וּמַגִּ֤יד לְאָדָם֙ מַה־שֵּׂח֔וֹ עֹשֵׂ֥ה שַׁ֙חַר֙ עֵיפָ֔ה וְדֹרֵ֖ךְ עַל־בָּ֣מֳתֵי אָ֑רֶץ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמֽוֹ׃ס