Amos 2:6-16
Summary for Amos 2:6-16: 2:6-16 a Israel: After leading the people through a litany of sins committed by Israel’s neighbors, Amos arrived at his real point: The Israelites would suffer a similar fate (cp. Nathan’s use of prophetic rhetoric to induce self-indictment, 2 Sam 12:1-13 b). 2:6 c Honorable people are the “righteous,” those who enjoyed a right relationship with God and other people. The parallel with poor people creates the idea of the “righteous needy.” The law of Moses urged those who had much to help those in need by lending freely (Deut 15:7-11 d). As a last resort, those too poor to pay their debts could become bond servants to repay their debts through labor (Lev 25:39-43 e). These righteous needy were being sold into bond servitude for a pair of sandals, a hyperbole for the pittance they owed (see Amos 8:6 f). The sandals were a pledge given for the debt or a token used to seal a bargain (see Ruth 4:7 g).2:7 h To trample ... people was to treat them ruthlessly (see also 8:4 i).
• The helpless and oppressed were people exploited by a socio-economic system that denied them the justice guaranteed by law (Exod 23:6-8 j).
• That father and son sleep with the same woman demonstrated the moral destitution of the Israelites; the law of Moses prohibited this practice (Lev 18:7-8 k, 15 l; 20:11-12 m).
• corrupting my holy name: In worshiping various fertility gods, Israel and surrounding nations engaged in “sacred prostitution” (see Hos 4:10-14 n). Sexual relations with a shrine prostitute were thought to ensure plentiful crops and thriving herds of livestock. This verse suggests that these acts were performed in the name of the Lord. When performed as religious rituals, these corrupt actions treat God’s name as worthless.
2:8 o The irony is that the oppressors of the poor flaunted their sins at religious festivals.
• The Torah allowed a lender to take a poor man’s cloak as security for a debt, but it was not to be kept overnight, because the nights were cold (Exod 22:26-27 p; Deut 24:12-13 q). A widow’s clothing was never to be taken as security for a debt (Deut 24:17 r).
• unjust fines: The wealthy bribed judges and used their influence to keep the poor, who could not defend themselves, from obtaining a fair hearing (Amos 5:12 s).
2:9 t Amorites is used here as a general term to denote the inhabitants of Canaan (see Gen 15:16 u; Judg 6:10 v).
Summary for Amos 2:11-12: 2:11-12 w In addition to priests, God provided prophets to speak his word and will (Deut 18:15-19 x) and holy men called Nazirites, who were dedicated to the Lord by vows that included abstention from fermented drinks (Num 6:1-21 y). Israel showed its disregard for God by telling both the Nazirites and the prophets to ignore and violate God’s calling (see Amos 7:12-13 z).
Summary for Amos 2:14-16: 2:14-16 aa The chapter concludes with a description of the battle in which Israel would be defeated and would flee (see Ps 33:16-17 ab).
2:15 ac The archers stood in the last ranks. If they fled, it meant the forward ranks had collapsed.
2:16 ad Amos later calls that day the “day of the Lord” (5:18 ae); both expressions indicate the time of judgment on Israel (see also 8:3 af).
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