Amos, Chapter 1

1. There is a precise date for the receiving of these visions: "two years before the earthquake"--during the time when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam was king of Israel .

(Uzziah, or Azariah, was king of Judah from 792-740. Jeroboam II, the son of Joash, was king of Israel from 793-753. So the vision came somewhere between 792-753.

Zechariah speaks of "the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah" in 14:5. When was this earthquake? No one seems to know.)

The vision is about Israel (the northern kingdom), not Judah (the southern kingdom).

Amos, who receivies the visions, is a shepherd--that is, not a member of the government of Israel and not a member of the priesthood--that, not holding any official position of power in Israel.

Amos is from Tekoa, which is presumably somewhere in the north (?).

(Tekoa is in the south. It is one of the cities that Rehoboam built for defense in Judah--"one of the fortified cities in Judah"--see 2 Chronicles 11:5-12. Smith says that it is "on the range of hills which rise near Hebron and stretch eastward toward the Dead Sea.")

2. The first point is that the LORD is based in Jerusalem, not in the capital city of the northern kingdom: "The LORD roars from Zion, and from Jerusalem He utters His voice."

This implies a condemnation of Israel for breaking away from Judah.

The end of the verse sounds like the prediction of a coming drought in Israel, presumably as a punishment for the sins of the north: "The shepherd' pasture grounds mourn and the summit of Carmel dries up."

This is assuming that Mount Carmel is in the northern kingdom.

(It is, near where the Mediterranean feeds into the Kishon River, judging from a map.)

3. But the condemnation is of Syria and the vision is of the punishment of Syria for its sins: "For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke its punishment."

This sin of Syria has something to do with its mistreatment of Gilead, which is presumably in the northern kingdom (?)

(Apparently, Ramoth Gilead is one of the cities that Ben-hadad I conquered, at the urging--and payment of all the gold and silver left "in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the king's house"--of King Asa of Judah. See especially 1 Kings 15:20. This is the city that Ahab wants to get back from Syria, contrary to the prophecy of Micaiah. See 1 Kings 22. At some point after that, it is re-gained by Israel, because Ahab's son Joram defends it against King Hazael of Syria, who is trying to get it back. See 2 Kings 8:28 and 9:14.

4. Who is Hazael and who or what is Ben-hadad?

It sounds like Hazael is the ruler of Syria and Ben-hadad is either another name for this ruler or the name of his capital city.

(These are names of kings of Aram: Ben-hadad I (who conquered Ramoth Gilead, etc. at King Asa's request; Ben-hadad II (assassinated by Hazael after Elisha's prophecy--see 2 Kings 8:7ff.); Hazael, and Ben-hadad III. The incidents of the reigns of Hazael and Ben-hadad III take place c. 841-793.)

In any case, the LORD says He will bring judgment and destruction on Syria for its sins: "I will send fire upon the house of Hazael, and it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad."

(Presumably this means that the LORD will punish Aram for sins committed during the reigns of these kings.)

The sin of Syria has something to do with its treatment of Gilead, which is presumably in Israel.

5. It sounds like some other nation will conquer Syria and the inhabitants will be sent into exile.

The enemy will break down the gates defending Damascus: "I will also break the gate bar of Damascus."

Presumably the "valley of Aven" is in Damascus. At any rate, its inhabitants will be killed or exiled: "...and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven."

(Smith says that this may be "Heliopolis...situated in a plain near the foot of the Anti-Libanus range of mountains, 42 miles northwest of Damascus.")

The king of Syria himself will be killed or exiled: "...and him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden." (Presumably Beth-eden is the royal or capital city of Syria (?) I thought Damascus was.)

(NIV study Bible thinks Beth-eden is another name for Damascus.)

Presumably "the people of Aram" is another way of describing the people of Syria. At any rate, they will be exiled: "So the people of Aram will go exiled to Kir." (Presumably Kir is in the land of the people who will conquer Syria.)

(For Kir, and for this incident as it later happened, see 2 Kings 16:7-9:

"King Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria with this message: 'I am your servant and your vassal. Come up and rescue me from the attacking armies of Aram and Israel.' Then Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Temple of the LORD and the palace treasury and sent it as a gift to the Assyrian king. So the Assyrians attacked the Aramean capital of Damascus and led its population away as captives, resettling them in Kir. They also killed King Rezin."

(King Ahaz was king 735-715. So the prophecy of Amos is a propecy of the near future.

Also, Isaiah prophecies concerning an attack on Jerusalem, in which the people of Kir will take part: "Elamites are the archers; Arameans drive the chariots. The men of Kir hold up the shields." See Isaiah 22:6. The NLT note adds: "Elam and Kir were under Assyrian rule. The entire Assyrian army, including its vassals, joined in the attack against Jerusalem."

In 9:7, Amos implies that the people of Aram originally came there from Kir.)