Sunday, July 10, 2011
Amos 2:13
"Behold, I will press you down in your place,
as a cart full of sheaves presses down.
(1) I will crush you (“press you down”) (rsv, tev, nab).*
(2) I will make it groan under you (so with slight variants Smith Goodspeed, TT [alternative reading]; compare neb).*
(3) I will split (the earth) under you.*
(4) I will bring you to a halt (TT).*
(5) I will make it shake (Zürcher Bibel [zür]).*
(6) I make your steps collapse (mft).*
as a cart full of sheaves presses down.
(1) I will crush you (“press you down”) (rsv, tev, nab).*
(2) I will make it groan under you (so with slight variants Smith Goodspeed, TT [alternative reading]; compare neb).*
(3) I will split (the earth) under you.*
(4) I will bring you to a halt (TT).*
(5) I will make it shake (Zürcher Bibel [zür]).*
(6) I make your steps collapse (mft).*
Amos 2:12
"But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
and commanded the prophets,
saying, 'You shall not prophesy.'
2:12. But despite these gracious acts Israel added two more sins to her account. She intimidated the Nazirites (cf. v. 11) to break their vows and drink wine, and she commanded the prophets not to prophesy (cf. 7:10-16). In so doing Israel revealed her own lack of commitment to God and her unwillingness to hear His Word.
The raising up of Nazarites was not only intended to set before the eyes of the people the object of their divine calling, or their appointment to be a holy nation of God, but also to show them how the Lord bestowed the power to carry out this object. But instead of suffering themselves to be spurred on by these types to strive earnestly after sanctification of life, they tempted the Nazarites to break their vow by drinking wine, from which they were commanded to abstain, as being irreconcilable with the seriousness of their sanctification (see my Bibl. Ant. § 67); and the prophets they prohibited from prophesying, because the word of God was burdensome to them (cf. Amos 7:10ff.; Mic. 2:6).
So Amaziah forbade Amos (Am 7:12, 13, 14).
Worldly minded people are uncomfortable around those who have a message from God and who model their lives after his character. They have only two options: (1) bring life into line with God’s message and God’s model or (2) bring the messengers and models into line with their twisted lives (Rom 12:1–2). Israel chose the latter option.
and commanded the prophets,
saying, 'You shall not prophesy.'
2:12. But despite these gracious acts Israel added two more sins to her account. She intimidated the Nazirites (cf. v. 11) to break their vows and drink wine, and she commanded the prophets not to prophesy (cf. 7:10-16). In so doing Israel revealed her own lack of commitment to God and her unwillingness to hear His Word.
The raising up of Nazarites was not only intended to set before the eyes of the people the object of their divine calling, or their appointment to be a holy nation of God, but also to show them how the Lord bestowed the power to carry out this object. But instead of suffering themselves to be spurred on by these types to strive earnestly after sanctification of life, they tempted the Nazarites to break their vow by drinking wine, from which they were commanded to abstain, as being irreconcilable with the seriousness of their sanctification (see my Bibl. Ant. § 67); and the prophets they prohibited from prophesying, because the word of God was burdensome to them (cf. Amos 7:10ff.; Mic. 2:6).
So Amaziah forbade Amos (Am 7:12, 13, 14).
Worldly minded people are uncomfortable around those who have a message from God and who model their lives after his character. They have only two options: (1) bring life into line with God’s message and God’s model or (2) bring the messengers and models into line with their twisted lives (Rom 12:1–2). Israel chose the latter option.
Amos 2:11 (the presence of holy speakers and holy doers)
And I raised up some of your sons for prophets,
and some of your young men for Nazirites.
Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?"
declares the LORD.
And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites (rsv)/ I chose some of your sons to be prophets and some of your young men to be Nazirites. The Hebrew verb has the meaning of “constitute,” “appoint,”*so it is possible to translate: “I appointed some of your sons to be prophets, and some of your young men to be Nazirites” (TT). On the other hand, the Hebrew “appoint” includes both “call”*and “choose.” Thus, a rendering “I called …” or I chose is equally possible.
(descriptive phrase for revealing God’s will and word) is therefore usually the best: “who speaks the things of God,” “interpreter for God,” “God’s sent-word person,” etc. The problem with descriptive phrases is keeping them concise as well as accurate. This is especially necessary with such words as prophet which occur so frequently in the Bible.*(See also the restructuring in Translating Amos, Section 2.3.)
The fourth action of God was the gift of spiritual leaders. God raised up prophets to proclaim his message to Israel and Nazirites to serve as models of dedication to God. With prophets and Nazirites, God provided guidance to Israel for their life in the land. Nazirites vowed abstinence from alcoholic beverages, from cutting their hair, and from contact with corpses (Num 6:1–21).
and some of your young men for Nazirites.
Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?"
declares the LORD.
And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites (rsv)/ I chose some of your sons to be prophets and some of your young men to be Nazirites. The Hebrew verb has the meaning of “constitute,” “appoint,”*so it is possible to translate: “I appointed some of your sons to be prophets, and some of your young men to be Nazirites” (TT). On the other hand, the Hebrew “appoint” includes both “call”*and “choose.” Thus, a rendering “I called …” or I chose is equally possible.
(descriptive phrase for revealing God’s will and word) is therefore usually the best: “who speaks the things of God,” “interpreter for God,” “God’s sent-word person,” etc. The problem with descriptive phrases is keeping them concise as well as accurate. This is especially necessary with such words as prophet which occur so frequently in the Bible.*(See also the restructuring in Translating Amos, Section 2.3.)
The fourth action of God was the gift of spiritual leaders. God raised up prophets to proclaim his message to Israel and Nazirites to serve as models of dedication to God. With prophets and Nazirites, God provided guidance to Israel for their life in the land. Nazirites vowed abstinence from alcoholic beverages, from cutting their hair, and from contact with corpses (Num 6:1–21).
Amos 2:10
Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt
and led you forty years in the wilderness,
to possess the land of the Amorite.
2:10. The Exodus from Egypt and God’s preservation of Israel during 40 years in the desert evidenced His kindness and good intentions toward her. (On the Amorites see comments on v. 9.)
10. brought you up from … Egypt—“brought up” is the phrase, as Egypt was low and flat, and Canaan hilly. to possess the land of the Amorite—The Amorites strictly occupied both sides of the Jordan and the mountains afterward possessed by Judah; but they here, as in Am 2:9, stand for all the Canaanites. God kept Israel forty years in the wilderness, which tended to discipline them in His statutes, so as to be the better fitted for entering on the possession of Canaan.
and led you forty years in the wilderness,
to possess the land of the Amorite.
2:10. The Exodus from Egypt and God’s preservation of Israel during 40 years in the desert evidenced His kindness and good intentions toward her. (On the Amorites see comments on v. 9.)
10. brought you up from … Egypt—“brought up” is the phrase, as Egypt was low and flat, and Canaan hilly. to possess the land of the Amorite—The Amorites strictly occupied both sides of the Jordan and the mountains afterward possessed by Judah; but they here, as in Am 2:9, stand for all the Canaanites. God kept Israel forty years in the wilderness, which tended to discipline them in His statutes, so as to be the better fitted for entering on the possession of Canaan.
Amos 2:9
"Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,
whose height was like the height of the cedars
and who was as strong as the oaks;
I destroyed his fruit above
and his roots beneath.
Instead of announcing the punishment immediately after the accusation, as was done in the judgments against the seven other nations, God heightened Israel’s guilt by setting her rebellion against the backdrop of His own gracious acts toward them. Israel’s existence as a nation was only because of His intervention. By themselves they could never have conquered the Canaanites. The Amorite (cf. v. 10; note comments on Gen. 14:13-16), as the most formidable, stands for all the nations in Canaan at the time of the Conquest (cf. Gen. 15:16-21; Josh. 24:8-15). The inhabitants of the land were the greatest of men, tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks (cf. Num. 13:28-33; Deut. 1:26-28). Yet God uprooted them, totally destroying them, both fruit above and roots below.
I destroyed his fruit above, and his roots beneath. (rsv) This picture is not kept in the tev but included in the earlier use of totally destroyed because this was a standard Canaanite and Hebrew idiom,* and the meaning of the expression as a whole should be translated and not the meanings of the individual words.*If the Hebrew idiom can be replaced by an equivalent idiom in your language, it should be done. In English we could say: “I destroyed them root and branch” (Robinson, TT); in German: “ich rotte sie mit Stumpf und Stiel aus,” etc. If it is not possible to find an equivalent idiom, the meaning of the total expression should be translated in a general way, as tev has done.
whose height was like the height of the cedars
and who was as strong as the oaks;
I destroyed his fruit above
and his roots beneath.
Instead of announcing the punishment immediately after the accusation, as was done in the judgments against the seven other nations, God heightened Israel’s guilt by setting her rebellion against the backdrop of His own gracious acts toward them. Israel’s existence as a nation was only because of His intervention. By themselves they could never have conquered the Canaanites. The Amorite (cf. v. 10; note comments on Gen. 14:13-16), as the most formidable, stands for all the nations in Canaan at the time of the Conquest (cf. Gen. 15:16-21; Josh. 24:8-15). The inhabitants of the land were the greatest of men, tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks (cf. Num. 13:28-33; Deut. 1:26-28). Yet God uprooted them, totally destroying them, both fruit above and roots below.
I destroyed his fruit above, and his roots beneath. (rsv) This picture is not kept in the tev but included in the earlier use of totally destroyed because this was a standard Canaanite and Hebrew idiom,* and the meaning of the expression as a whole should be translated and not the meanings of the individual words.*If the Hebrew idiom can be replaced by an equivalent idiom in your language, it should be done. In English we could say: “I destroyed them root and branch” (Robinson, TT); in German: “ich rotte sie mit Stumpf und Stiel aus,” etc. If it is not possible to find an equivalent idiom, the meaning of the total expression should be translated in a general way, as tev has done.
Amos 2:8
they lay themselves down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge,
and in the house of their God they drink
the wine of those who have been fined.
God’s Law placed restrictions on items which could be taken as collateral. Millstones were not to be taken since they were needed for grinding grain and thus were essential to sustaining life (Deut. 24:6). The cloak of a poor man was not to be kept as a pledge overnight (Ex. 22:26-27; Deut. 24:10-13; also note Job 22:6); a widow’s garment could not be taken in pledge at all (Deut. 24:17). Yet the people openly and flagrantly were lying down with the forbidden garments, going so far in their contempt for the Law as to spread them at the sacrificial feasts by every altar (cf. 1 Sam. 9:12-13).
on garments taken in pledge,
and in the house of their God they drink
the wine of those who have been fined.
God’s Law placed restrictions on items which could be taken as collateral. Millstones were not to be taken since they were needed for grinding grain and thus were essential to sustaining life (Deut. 24:6). The cloak of a poor man was not to be kept as a pledge overnight (Ex. 22:26-27; Deut. 24:10-13; also note Job 22:6); a widow’s garment could not be taken in pledge at all (Deut. 24:17). Yet the people openly and flagrantly were lying down with the forbidden garments, going so far in their contempt for the Law as to spread them at the sacrificial feasts by every altar (cf. 1 Sam. 9:12-13).
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