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 me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who are always calling to your husbands, “Bring us another drink!” The Sovereign Lord has sworn this by his holiness: “The time will come when you will be led away with hooks in your noses. Every last one of you will be dragged away like a fish on a hook! 3You will be led out through the ruins of the wall; you will be thrown from your fortresses,” says the Lord. 4“Go ahead and offer sacrifices to the idols at Bethel. Keep on disobeying at Gilgal. Offer sacrifices each morning, and bring 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 Sovereign Lord has sworn by his own name, and this is what he, the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, says: “I despise the arrogance of Israel, and I hate their fortresses. I will give this city and everything in it to their enemies.”
• Psalms 89:35I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie:
• Isaiah 37:29And because of your raging against me and your arrogance, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came.”
• Jeremiah 16:16“But now I am sending for many fishermen who will catch them,” says the Lord. “I am sending for hunters who will hunt them down in the mountains, hills, and caves.
• Ezekiel 39:4You and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains. I will feed you to the vultures and wild animals.
• Habakkuk 1:15Must we be strung up on their hooks and caught in their nets while they rejoice and celebrate?

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