English Standard Version
Amos 6:2
2Pass 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,
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?
- 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?
- New Living Translation (NLT)But go over to Calneh and see what happened there. Then go to the great city of Hamath and down to the Philistine city of Gath. You are no better than they were, and look at how they were destroyed.
Context of Amos 6:2
1"Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! 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, 3O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? 4"Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves 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 2:10For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing.
- Nahum 3:8Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall?
- Genesis 10:10The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
- Isaiah 10:9Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
- 2 Kings 17:24And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
- 2 Kings 18:34Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
- 2 Kings 19:13Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?'"
- 1 Samuel 17:4And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion 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 and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in the territory of Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines.
- Isaiah 36:18Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, "The Lord will deliver us." Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
- Isaiah 37:12Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
- Ezekiel 31:2"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: "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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries