Table of Contents
Amos 3
Amos 3
1 Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,
2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?
6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?
7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
9 Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.
10 For they know not to do right, saith the Lord, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
11 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.
12 Thus saith the Lord; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.
13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord God, the God of hosts,
14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.
15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord.
Notes
Cross Reference
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 2
<html><b>Only you did I love</b> Heb. יָדַעְתִּי, lit., I knew. I loved you, but you rebelled against Me; therefore,… But our Sages expounded on it in a different manner in Tractate <i>Avodah Zarah</i> (4a).</html>
Verse 3
<html><b>Will two walk together</b>—Concerning what you say to the prophets, “Do not prophesy,” do the prophets prophesy from their own mind unless they were commanded? Are things done in any way but in their customary fashion? <b>unless they agree</b>—Unless they made an appointment to go together to such and such a place.</html>
Verse 4
<html><b>Will a lion roar in the forest if he has no prey</b>—When a lion lays hold of its prey, it customarily roars, and it does not roar unless it has taken [prey]. Similarly, Scripture states: (Isa. 5:29) “He will roar like the lion cubs, and he will growl and lay hold of prey.” Similarly, (ibid. 31:4) “As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey.”</html>
Verse 5
<html><b>Will a bird fall on a net upon the ground unless it has a snare</b>—in the net which has fallen upon it? <b>Will a net ascend from the ground</b>—from the place it was laid unless a bird was caught in it? When it wishes to escape, it pulls up the net and lifts it from its place a little, and at that time it is caught.</html>
Verse 6
<html><b>Will a shophar be sounded</b>—For the lookout sees troops approaching the city and sounds the shophar to warn the people. These are but words of allegory and similitude, [to be explained as follows:] <b>[4] Will a lion roar</b>—That is Nebuchadnezzar. Another explanation: The prophets compare the holy spirit that comes upon them from the roar of a lion, as he states below: (verse 8) “A lion has roared; who will not fear?” And here he explains the allegory. Did the Holy One, blessed be He, bring the holy spirit into the mouths of the prophets to [prophesy] evil unless retribution was decreed by Him? That is the prey. Will the Holy One, blessed be He, let out a cry to speak harshly unless He has taken you with the snare of iniquity? Will a bird fall on a net that the net will not snare it? I.e, is it possible that you commit sins and it will not be a snare to you? Will a net ascend etc.? Similarly, will your iniquities ascend on high and not take you? Will a shophar be sounded in the city?… So should you quake before the words of the prophets who look out for you to deliver you from the evil, that it not come, and when the evil comes to you, should you not know that the Holy One, blessed be He, does it to you because you did not take heed of His prophets?</html>
Verse 7
<html><b>For the Lord God does nothing unless He has revealed His secret</b>—That secret to His servants, the prophets.</html>
Verse 8
<html><b>A lion has roared; who will not fear?</b>—So has the Holy One, blessed be He, spoken to the prophets to prophesy. Who will not prophesy?</html>
Verse 9
<html><b>Announce</b>—You Philistines and Egyptians, announce this and say in your palaces that they gather on the mountains of Samaria, to see from atop the mountains into the midst of the city, their evil way.</html>
Verse 10
<html><b>right</b> Heb. נְכֹחָה, meaning ‘straight.’ <b>violence and plunder</b>—I.e, money of plunder.</html>
Verse 11
<html><b>An adversary, even round about the land</b>—The adversary is prepared to come, and he will come around this land.</html>
Verse 12
<html><b>As the shepherd saves</b>—I.e, he saves little. <b>the cartilage of an ear</b> Heb. בְּדַל. [from <i>Jonathan</i>] <b>so will the children of Israel… be saved</b> I.e, very few people. <b>in the corner of a bed or in the corner of a couch</b> Heb. בִּפְאַת מִטָּה וּבִדְמֶשֶׁק עֶרֶשׂ. <i>Jonathan</i> renders: with the strength of rule and trusting in Damascus. I say that the interpretation of the <i>Targum</i> is as follows: Since, in the days of Jehoahaz son of Jehu it is written. (II Kings 13:7) “For the king of Aram had destroyed them,” and Jeroboam his grandson saved them partially, as it is said. (ibid. 14:27) “And the Lord did not speak to eradicate the name of Israel from under the heavens, and He saved them through Jeroboam the son of Joash.” (ibid. verse 25) “He restored the boundary of Israel.” And that is the meaning of ‘in the corner of a bed.’ The corner of a house is the strongest part of the house. Therefore, he translates. ‘with the strength of rule’ of Jeroboam, and Amos prophesied in the days of Jeroboam. He further prophesied that they would eventually rely on the kings of Aram, and so they did in the days of Pekah son of Remaliah. This is the meaning of וּבִדְמֶשֶׁק עֶרֶשׂ, and their couch will be Damascus. Their rest and trust will be on Damascus. And our Sages said in <i>Seder Olam</i> (ch. 22) Rabbi Nehorai said in the name of Rabbi Joshua: These are the ten tribes, which relied on Hezekiah, and on Judah, and escaped with them. <b>in the corner of a bed</b>—This teaches us that only one eighth of them was left. And the rest of the couch -where was it? In Damascus, to fulfill what is stated: (below 5:27) “And I will exile you beyond Damascus.” And I heard in the name of Rabbi Menahem of blessed memory, that he explained. This is one eighth, since it is not stated. “the corner of;” but “in the corner of a bed,” in part of it, in one of the two ends of a corner. That is an eighth of the bed, for it has four corners, and two ends of each corner. [This is Rabbi Menahem’s explanation of <i>Seder Olam</i> ch. 22. This is probably Rabbi Menahem ben Helbo, the author of <i>Pithronim</i>.] Another explanation I found in the words of Rabbi Meir of blessed memory, as follows: <b>In the corner of a bed</b>—Because of the sin of Ahaziah son of Ahab, who sent to inquire “of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this illness” (I Kings 1:2). <b>and in Damascus is the couch</b>—Ben-hadad, king of Aram, sent to inquire of the God of Israel (ibid. ch. 8).</html>
Verse 15
<html><b>the winter house with the summer house</b>—Since they were delicate, the wealthy people would build for themselves two houses, one for the winter and one for the summer. <b>ivory houses</b>—Which are paneled with ivory. [from <i>Jonathan</i>]</html>