Translations
Original
Notes
Lebo-hamath marked the northern border of Solomon’s influence (1 Kings 8:65) and the land Jeroboam II recovered. The Dead Sea, also known as the Sea of the Arabah (see footnote on 2 Kings 14:25), marked the southern border of Jeroboam’s recovered territory. The irony was clear. The same land that Israel had regained would later be taken over and oppressed by an enemy nation, Assyria.
The pronouncements of sorrow in this section develop two main themes:
Israel’s apostasy (turning away from God) would make the day of the Lord a day of judgment, not salvation; and
Judah’s spiritual complacency (feeling satisfied and unconcerned about faithfulness to God) would also bring judgment.
Events
- Prophecies of Amosc. 788 BC
People
Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes LORD: Names or title used to refer to God
Places
Brook of the Arabah: Eastern boundary of Jeroboam II's kingdom Hamath: A major city and kingdom in Syria, often mentioned in the Bible
Glossary
Book of Amos Brook of the Arabah Hamath, Entrance of River of the Wilderness