Amo 1:6-8 | KingComments | STEP | The Philistines are border enemies. They occupy the coastal plain in the southwest of Israel. Also with them, transgression upon transgression is found against the people of God. They are judged because they are guilty of human trafficking. Although we find no clue about this in Scripture, it is obvious that the Philistines captured people during several raids in Israel and sold them to the Edomites. Amos talks about the fact that God’s people are “deported” as “an entire population”, thus underlining the enormous scale of this crime. The intrusion into Israel and the deportation of the inhabitants can be found in 2 Chronicles 21 after which the treatise to Edom may have taken place ( ). Also the prophet Joel speaks about selling inhabitants of Israel ( ). In this treatise, we see a picture of the false, carnal religion, represented in the Philistines, surrendering man to the power of the flesh, represented in Edom. God will judge this practice of the Philistines, which is represented by the sending of fire. Of the Philistines, even the remnant will be exterminated, so that nothing will remain of this people ( ). Of the five cities in which the Philistines live, four are mentioned. As a possible reason for not mentioning Gath, it has been suggested that this city has not restored itself from the destruction that King Uzziah brought upon it ( ). Also in later lists of the Philistine cities Gath does not occur ( ; ; ).

‏ Amos 1:6-8

Judgment on the Philistines

The Philistines are border enemies. They occupy the coastal plain in the southwest of Israel. Also with them, transgression upon transgression is found against the people of God. They are judged because they are guilty of human trafficking. Although we find no clue about this in Scripture, it is obvious that the Philistines captured people during several raids in Israel and sold them to the Edomites.

Amos talks about the fact that God’s people are “deported” as “an entire population”, thus underlining the enormous scale of this crime. The intrusion into Israel and the deportation of the inhabitants can be found in 2 Chronicles 21 after which the treatise to Edom may have taken place (2Chr 21:16-17). Also the prophet Joel speaks about selling inhabitants of Israel (Joel 3:4-6). In this treatise, we see a picture of the false, carnal religion, represented in the Philistines, surrendering man to the power of the flesh, represented in Edom.

God will judge this practice of the Philistines, which is represented by the sending of fire. Of the Philistines, even the remnant will be exterminated, so that nothing will remain of this people (Eze 25:15-17).

Of the five cities in which the Philistines live, four are mentioned. As a possible reason for not mentioning Gath, it has been suggested that this city has not restored itself from the destruction that King Uzziah brought upon it (2Chr 26:6). Also in later lists of the Philistine cities Gath does not occur (Jer 25:20; Zep 2:4; Zec 9:5-6).