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

1Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan who live on Mount Samaria! You oppress the poor; you crush the needy. You say to your husbands, “Bring us more to drink!” The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his own holy character: “Certainly the time is approaching when you will be carried away in baskets, every last one of you in fishermen’s pots. 3Each of you will go straight through the gaps in the walls; you will be thrown out toward Harmon.” The Lord is speaking! 4“Go to Bethel and rebel! At Gilgal rebel some more! Bring your sacrifices in the morning, your tithes on the third day!

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 sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his very own life. The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking: “I despise Jacob’s arrogance; I hate their fortresses. I will hand over to their enemies the city of Samaria and everything in it.”
• Psalms 89:35Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness, I will never deceive David.
• Isaiah 37:29Because you rage against me and the uproar you create has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose, and my bridle between your lips, and I will lead you back the way you came.”
• Jeremiah 16:16But for now I, the Lord, say: “I will send many enemies who will catch these people like fishermen. After that I will send others who will hunt them out like hunters from all the mountains, all the hills, and the crevices in the rocks.
• Ezekiel 39:4You will fall dead on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the people who are with you. I give you as food to every kind of bird and every wild beast.
• Habakkuk 1:15The Babylonian tyrant pulls them all up with a fishhook; he hauls them in with his throw net. When he catches them in his dragnet, he is very happy.

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