Amos 4:2

Amos 4:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
• New International Version (NIV)The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness: “The time will surely come when you will be taken away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The Lord God has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The Lord God has sworn by His holiness: “Behold, the days shall come upon you When He will take you away with fishhooks, And your posterity with fishhooks.

Context of Amos 4:2

1Hear this word, you [well-fed, pampered] cows (women) of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, Who say to their husbands, “Bring [the wine] now, and let us drink!” The Lord God has sworn [an oath] by His holiness That, “Behold, the days are coming upon you When they shall take you away with meat hooks, And the last of you with fish hooks. 3And you shall go out through the breaches [made in the city wall], Every woman straight before her [unable to turn aside], And you shall be cast to Harmon,” Says the Lord. 4“Come to Bethel [where the golden calf is] and transgress; In Gilgal [where idols are worshiped] multiply transgression; Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days!

Amos 4:2 word by word

נִשְׁבַּ֨ע אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ בְּקָדְשׁ֔וֹ כִּ֛י הִנֵּ֥ה יָמִ֖ים בָּאִ֣ים עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְנִשָּׂ֤א אֶתְכֶם֙ בְּצִנּ֔וֹת וְאַחֲרִיתְכֶ֖ן בְּסִיר֥וֹת דּוּגָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
• Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
• hath swornשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• by his holinessקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• that, lo, the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• shall comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• upon you, that he will take you awayנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
• with hooksצִנָּהtsinnâh · hookH6793
• and your posterityאַחֲרִית'achărîyth · endH319
• with fishhooksסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · thornH5518
• with fishhooksדּוּגָהdûgâh · fishingH1729

Cross-references for Amos 4:2

• Amos 6:8The Lord God has sworn [an oath] by Himself—the Lord God of hosts, says: “I loathe and reject the [self-centered] arrogance of Jacob (Israel), And I hate his palaces and citadels; Therefore, I shall hand over the [idolatrous] city [of Samaria] with all that it contains [to the Assyrian invaders].”
• Psalms 89:35Once [for all] I have sworn by My holiness, [My vow which cannot be violated]; I will not lie to David.
• Isaiah 37:29Because your raging against Me And your arrogance has come up to My ears, I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your mouth, And I will turn you back by the way you came.
• Jeremiah 16:16“Behold (listen carefully), I will send for many fishermen,” says the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and from every hill and out of the clefts of the rocks.
• Ezekiel 39:4You will fall [dead] on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the nations who are with you. I will give you to every kind of predatory bird and animal of the field as food.
• Habakkuk 1:15The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, And drag them away with a net, And gather them together in their fishing net; So they rejoice and are glad.

Commentaries on Amos 4:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2He will take you away with hooks - Two modes of fishing are here alluded to: Angling with rod, line, and baited hook. That with the gaff, eel-spear, harpoon, or such like; the first used in catching small fish, by which the common people may be here represented; the second, for catching large fish, such as leave the sea, and come up the rivers to deposit their spawn; or such as are caught in the sea, as sharks, whales, dolphins, and even the hippopotamus…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The Lord God hath sworn by His holiness - They had sinned to profane His “Holy Name” (see the note at Amos 2:7). God swears by that holiness which they had profaned in themselves on whom it was called, and which they had caused to be profaned by others. He pledges His own holiness, that He will avenge their unholiness.: “In swearing “by His holiness,” God sware by Himself. For He is the supreme uncreated justice and Holiness. This justice each, in his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2has sworn by His holiness: Holiness means God exists outside and independent of creation; his nature is entirely different from what he has created. The oath is similar to Amos 6:8; 8:7. hooks: The Assyrians were known for their cruel treatment of war captives (see 2 Chronicles 33:11; compare 2 Kings 19:28). A stela (a stone pillar with an inscription) found in northern Syria shows the Assyrian king Esarhaddon holding cords that go through the lips of two…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. The Lord--the same Hebrew as "masters" (Am 4:1). Israel's nobles say to their master or lord, Bring us drink: but "the Lord" of him and them "hath sworn," &c. by his holiness--which binds Him to punish the guilty (Psa 89:35). he will take yon away--that is God by the instrumentality of the enemy. with hooks--literally, "thorns" (compare 2Ch 33:11). As fish are taken out of the water by hooks, so the Israelites are to be taken out of their cities by the…Read the comment

Topics related to Amos 4:2

• Fish
• Fishhook
• Poor
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Fishhooks
• Hook
• Prepare
• Amos (1)
• Fishhook
• Thorns, Thistles, Etc.

Commentaries on Amos 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings