Amplified Bible
Amos 6:2
2Go over to Calneh [in Babylonia] and look, And from there go [north of Damascus] to the great city of Hamath; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms [of yours], Or is their territory greater than yours?
Amos 6:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
- New International Version (NIV)Go to Kalneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Go over to Calneh and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?
Context of Amos 6:2
1Woe (judgment is coming) to those who are at ease and carefree in Zion (Judah) And to those on the mountain of Samaria who feel secure, The distinguished men of the foremost of nations, To whom the house of Israel comes. Go over to Calneh [in Babylonia] and look, And from there go [north of Damascus] to the great city of Hamath; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms [of yours], Or is their territory greater than yours? 3Do you put off the day of punishment, Yet cause the seat of violence to come near? 4Those who lie on [luxurious] beds of ivory And lounge around out on their couches, And eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall,
Read all of Amos 6Amos 6:2 word by word
עִבְר֤וּ כַֽלְנֵה֙ וּרְא֔וּ וּלְכ֥וּ מִשָּׁ֖ם חֲמַ֣ת רַבָּ֑ה וּרְד֣וּ גַת־פְּלִשְׁתּ֗ים הֲטוֹבִים֙ מִן־הַמַּמְלָכ֣וֹת הָאֵ֔לֶּה אִם־רַ֥ב גְּבוּלָ֖ם מִגְּבֻלְכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Passעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- ye unto Calnehכַּלְנֶהkalneh kalnêh kalnô · CalnehH3641
- and seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- and from thence goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- ye to Hamathחֲמָתchămâth · HamathH2574
- the greatחֲמַת רַבָּהchămath rabbâh · Hamath the greatH2579
- the greatרַבrab · manyH7227
- then go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- to Gathגַּתgath · GathH1661
- of the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
- betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- than these kingdomsמַמְלָכָהmamlâkâh · kingdomH4467
- or their borderגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: areaH1366
- greaterרַבrab · manyH7227
Cross-references for Amos 6:2
- Jeremiah 2:10“For cross over to the coasts of Kittim (Cyprus) [to the west] and see, Send also to Kedar (Arabia) [to the east] and carefully observe and consider And see whether there has been such [a thing] as this!
- Nahum 3:8Are you better than Thebes, Which was situated by the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose defense was the sea (the Nile), Whose wall consisted of the sea?
- Genesis 10:10The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [in Babylonia].
- Isaiah 10:9Is not Calno [conquered] like Carchemish [on the Euphrates]? Is not Hamath [subdued] like Arpad [her neighbor]? Is not Samaria [in Israel] like Damascus [in Aram]?
- 2 Kings 17:24The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from Avva and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons (people) of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
- 2 Kings 18:34Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad [in Aram]? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah [in the valley of the Euphrates]? Have they rescued Samaria (Israel’s capital) from my hand?
- 2 Kings 19:13Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad [of northern Syria], the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’ ”
- 1 Samuel 17:4Then a champion came out from the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
- 2 Chronicles 26:6He went out and made war against the Philistines, and broke through the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities near Ashdod and [elsewhere] among the Philistines.
- Isaiah 36:18Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you by saying, “The Lord will rescue us.” Has any one of the gods of the nations [ever] rescued his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
- Isaiah 37:12Did the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed rescue them—Gozan, Haran [of Mesopotamia], Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?
- Ezekiel 31:2“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes, ‘Whom are you like in your greatness?
Commentaries on Amos 6:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Pass ye unto Calneh - This is, says Calmet, the Ctesiphon on the river Tigris. Hamath - The same as Emesa. Hamath was a city on the Orontes, in Syria. Gath - A well-known town, and head of one of the five seignories of the Philistines. Be they better - You have no more reason to expect exemption from the consequences of your sins than they had. They have been punished; so shall you. Why then will ye trust in their gods, that could not save their own…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Pass over to Calneh - He bids them behold, east, north, and west, survey three neighboring kingdoms, and see whether God had not, even in the gifts of this world, dealt better with Israel. Why then so requite Him? “Calneh” (which Isaiah calls “Calno” Isaiah 10:9, Ezekiel, “Canneh Ezekiel 27:23), was one of the four cities, built by Nimrod “in the land of Shinar Genesis 10:10, the beginning of his kingdom.” From that time, until this of Amos, no mention of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Calneh and Hamath were Aramean city-states influenced by Israel (see 2 Kings 14:28). Calneh fell to Assyria in 738 BC, and Hamath had to pay tribute soon after. Uzziah had destroyed the wall of Gath (2 Chronicles 26:6), but it also fell to Assyria in 711 BC. Are you better: Israel itself fell in 722 BC.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Calneh--on the east bank of the Tigris. Once powerful, but recently subjugated by Assyria (Is 10:9; about 794 B.C.). Hameth--subjugated by Jeroboam II (2Ki 14:25). Also by Assyria subsequently (2Ki 18:34). Compare Am 6:14. Gath--subjugated by Uzziah (2Ch 26:6). be they better--no. Their so recent subjugation renders it needless for Me to tell you they are not. And yet they once were; still they could not defend themselves against the enemy. How vain…Read the comment
Topics related to Amos 6:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Amos 6
- 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
Amplified Bible — © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631
Commentaries