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About this book

Amos

About this book
Chapter 1

1 The following is a record of what Amos prophesied. He was one of the herdsmen from Tekoa. These prophecies about Israel were revealed to him during the time of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 Amos said: “The Lord comes roaring out of Zion; from Jerusalem he comes bellowing!⁠ The shepherds’ pastures wilt; the summit of Carmel withers.”⁠ 3 This is what the Lord says: “Because Damascus has committed three crimes—make that four!—I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They ripped through Gilead like threshing sledges with iron teeth.⁠ 4 So I will set Hazael’s house on fire; fire will consume Ben Hadad’s fortresses. 5 I will break the bar on the gate of Damascus. I will remove the ruler from Wicked Valley, the one who holds the royal scepter from Beth Eden. The people of Aram will be deported to Kir.” The Lord has spoken! 6 This is what the Lord says: “Because Gaza has committed three crimes—make that four!—I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They deported a whole community and sold them to Edom. 7 So I will set Gaza’s city wall on fire; fire will consume her fortresses. 8 I will remove the ruler from Ashdod, the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. I will strike Ekron with my hand; the rest of the Philistines will also die.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken! 9 This is what the Lord says: “Because Tyre has committed three crimes—make that four—I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold a whole community to Edom; they failed to observe a treaty of brotherhood.⁠ 10 So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; fire will consume her fortresses.” 11 This is what the Lord says: “Because Edom has committed three crimes—make that four—I will not revoke my decree of judgment. He chased his brother with a sword; he wiped out his allies. In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; in his fury he relentlessly attacked them.⁠ 12 So I will set Teman on fire; fire will consume Bozrah’s fortresses.” 13 This is what the Lord says: “Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes—make that four—I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women so they could expand their territory.⁠ 14 So I will set fire to Rabbah’s city wall; fire will consume her fortresses. War cries will be heard on the day of battle; a strong gale will blow on the day of the windstorm. 15 Ammon’s king will be deported; he and his officials will be carried off together.” The Lord has spoken!

Texts in conversation

Compare Amos 1:11 and Obadiah 1:10

Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Obadiah condemns Edom for violence against "your brother Jacob." Amos echoes this charge, accusing Edom of chasing "his brother" with a sword and destroying all compassion.

Passages

Amos 1:11

Hebrew Bible
11 This is what the Lord says: “Because Edom has committed three crimes—make that four—I will not revoke my decree of judgment. He chased his brother with a sword; he wiped out his allies. In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. 12 So I will set Teman on fire; fire will consume Bozrah’s fortresses.”
600–501 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Amos

Obadiah 1:10

Hebrew Bible
8 “At that time,” the Lord says, “I will destroy the wise sages of Edom, the advisers from Esau’s mountain. 9 Your warriors will be shattered, O Teman, so that everyone will be destroyed from Esau’s mountain! 10 “Because you violently slaughtered your relatives, the people of Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed forever. 11 You stood aloof while strangers took his army captive and foreigners advanced to his gates. When they cast lots over Jerusalem, you behaved as though you were in league with them. 12 You should not have gloated when your relatives suffered calamity. You should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah when they were destroyed. You should not have boasted when they suffered adversity.
600–501 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Obadiah

References

"... In this oracle explicitly against Edom, Amos calls Israel Edom's "brother." This arguably alludes to Obadiah, the nearest chronological and textual referent for this idea (compare Numbers 20:14). As we will see in chapter three, Edom's brotherhood with Israel included a treaty-like understanding that deserved a respect Edom did not render. Obadiah makes use of very explicit language to communicate the depth of this relationship, calling Edom Jacob's brother (Obadiah 10). The use of Jacob here, the first in the book, maintains the tie back to the patriarchal narratives. Although nothing is stated here explicitly concerning the relationship the two peoples had established at this point in history, the point is clear: "this is not how a brother should behave!" ..."
Daniel Forbes, “The Intertextual Impact of Obadiah on the Writing Prophets” (MA diss., The Master's College, 2014), 42, 65–66.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Amos 1:11 and Obadiah 1:10

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