Lo-debar and Karnaim were areas that Jeroboam II took back from the Arameans (see 2 Kings 14:25–28). Amos uses wordplay with their names (see Berean Stand Bible textual notes).
Lo-debar sounds like a Hebrew phrase meaning “nothing” or “no word.” Karnaim sounds like a word meaning “horns,” which were a symbol of strength or power. By using these names, the prophet suggests that what Israel celebrates as strength and success is actually empty and powerless. In the book of Amos, this wordplay supports his message that military victories do not prove God’s favor.