C2 l 1-. Transgressions. [General.]
m -1-. Threatening. [Negative.]
l -1. Transgressions. [Particular.]
m 2,3. Threatening. [Positive.]
689-687
Amos 2)
1 Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions (see 1:4) of Moab (cp. Isa. 15 and 16. Jer. 48. Ezek. 25:8-11. Zeph. 2:8), and for four (see 1:3),
I will not turn away the punishment thereof;
because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime: (Cp. 2 Kings 3:27.)
2 But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces (see 1:4) of Kirioth (or his cities. Now Kiriathaim, between Dibon and Medeba. Mentioned by Mesha on the Moabite Stone): and Moab shall die with tumult, with a war-cry, and with the sound of the trumpet:
3 And I will cut off the scepter-holder (Num. 24:17) from her midst (the midst of her land), and will slay all the princes thereof with him," says the LORD.
E3 n 4-. Transgressions. [General.]
o -4-. Threatening. [Negative.]
n -4. Transgressions. [Particular.]
o 5. 2,3. Threatening. [Positive.]
4 Thus says the LORD; "For three transgressions of Judah, and for four,
I will not turn away the punishment thereof;
because they have despised the law of the LORD (cp. Lev. 26:14,15,23), and have not kept His statutes, and their idols (cp. 2 Kings 17:15. Ps. 40:4. Isa. 28:15. Jer. 16:17-20) caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:
5 But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem."
D p 6-. Transgressions. [General.]
q -6-. Threatening. [Negative.]
p -6-12. Transgressions. [Particular.]
q 13-16. Threatening. [Positive.]
6 Thus says the LORD; "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four,
I will not turn away the punishment thereof;
because they sold a righteous one for silver (cp. Lev. 25:39. Deut. 15:12. A Hebrew might sell himself, but not his brother or an insolvent debtor [2 Kings 4:1. Mal. 5:5), and a needy one (see "poverty", Prov. 6:11) for a pair of shoes; (Put for the title-deeds of which it was the token. Cp. Ruth 4:7.)
7 That crush the head of the impoverished ones in the dust of the earth, and pervert their whole way of humble ones: and a man and his father will go in to the same young person (male or female, so called because of youthful vigor. This was done in the Canaanite idolatry, with the women of the temples, called Kadeshoth and the males Kadeshim), to profane My holy name: (This marks the result, not the intention, and shows the enormity of the sin in Yahaveh's sight. Ref. Lev. 18:21; 20:3. Cp. Isa. 48:11. Ezek. 20:9,14; 36:20-23. Rom. 2:24. 1 Cor. 5:1)
8 And they lay themselves down (see Ex. 22:26. Deut. 24:12) upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar (the sin lay in the fact that the law of the one altar had been known as an ancient commandment as well as the law concerning the restoration of pledged garments), and they drink the wine of the condemned (or, exacted wine) in the house of their god.
9 Yet (former blessings now cited to heighten the crime of their fivefold rebellion) destroyed I the Amorite before them (Ref. Num. 21:24. Deut. 2:32-34. Cp. Josh. 24:8. These being the descendants of the Nephilim were all to have been destroyed, with the other Canaanite nations, by the sword of Israel), whose height was like the height of the cedars (see Num. 32,33), and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt (see Ex. 12:51. ), and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. (Deut. 2:7; 8;2.)
11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets (not till the priests had failed in their duty to teach the law. See Lev. 10:8,11. Deut. 33:8,11. Prophets were not provided originally), and of your young men for Nazarites (see Num. 6:2). Is it not even thus, O you sons of Israel? says the LORD.
12 But you gave the Nazarites wine to drink (see Num. 6:2,3); and commanded the prophets, saying, 'Prophesy not'.
13 Behold, I am pressed under you, according as a [full] cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.
14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver his soul:
15 Neither shall he stand that handles the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver his soul: neither shall he that rides the horse deliver his soul.
16 And he that is stout in heart among the mighty shall flee away naked (or, armor-less) in that day," says the LORD.