Oracles Against Nations and Israel in Amos

Amos 5
Part I: Oracles against the Nations and Israel (1:3 – 2:16)
Introduction (cf. M. Sweeney, pp. 200-204; Blenkinsopp, pp. 74-75).
1. Oracles against 6 (six) nations surrounding Israel (gentiles – Damascus/Aram;

Philistia; Tyre; Edom; Ammon; Moab). In the map, tue movement is
counterclockwise. The sequence ends with oracle against Judah and Israel (= 8
oracles; cf. eight beatitudes and eight woes in Luke).
2. This prophetic judgment speech has a literary pattern (5 elements):

1) Messenger formula (“Thus says YHWH” – Kò ´ämar yhwh(
´ädönäy)).
2) Use of progressive numerical sequence together the statement, “I will not

revoke the punishment” (literally in Hebrew “I will not cause it to return”
lö´ ´ášîbeºnnû).
-the numerical parallelism n:n+1 in various combinations is common
in ancient Near East and in the Old Testament, see Prov 30:18-19; see also
Prov 30:15-16; Ps 62:11-12; Job 5:19-27; 33:14-15; Sir 50:25-26. It could
mean “more than enough” (NRSV note) or multiplicity (note Tagalog sanlibo’t
isa; siyam-siyam) or for convenient counting using four fingers (Wolff, p.
137); or graduated enumeration of crimes in which the last becomes the
ground of divine punishment (Wolff, p. 138, see e.g. Sir 26:5-6; 26:28)
-the meaning of the expression lö´ ´ášîbeºnnû is debated (NRSV
translates “I will not revoke the punishment”; NAB: “I will not revoke my
word”; NIV: “I will not turn back my wrath”). Scholars suggest the following
nuances (see Leslie Allen, “Amos” in Word Biblical Commentary, CD-Rom
edition):
i. “I will not make it return”. The “it” here refers to YHWH’s resolve
to punish);
ii. “I will not hold it back” – “it” refers to YHWH’s anger.
iii. “I will make it return” – the “not” in Hebrew should be read as for
emphasis. Hence, “I will make my punishment return”.
iv. Or “I will not take it back”, “it” here refers to the nation
mentioned.
3) Statement of the Crime

4) Statement of the Punishment
5) Concluding YHWH speech formula, “says YHWH”.
3. The setting of the oracles against nations (see Wolff, Joel and Amos, pp. 135-52):
1) Ritual of cursing on enemy nations. Such rite is attested in Egyptian
execration texts in which a priest pronounces curses upon a series of
enemy nations and then breaks a pottery vessel to symbolize its defeat and
destruction.
Amos 6
2) Covenant cursing ceremony in which a prophet pronounces curses upon

nations.
3) Prophets and diviners pronouncing curses against enemy nations in time of
war. E.g. The Moabite king and Balaam in Numbers 22-24; 1 Kgs 22 in
which Ahab, king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, assemble their
armies for war against Aram. Note the symbolic action of the prophet
Zedekiah ben Henaanah.
--War could be the setting of these oracles. YHWH is presented here as a

warrior going to war against the nations surrounding Israel and Israel itself.
--However, in Amos there is no evident yet of Assyria threatening Israel (that

would happen some years after Amos time leading to the fall of Samaria in
721 B.C.). Rumblings of war by Assyria could have prompted Amos’ message
(Sweeney, p. 202). Note that these nations mentioned are vassals of Israel (cf.
2 Kgs 14:25) and now start to rebel against Israel and weakening the kingdom
giving Assyria the leverage when it attacks Israel and the other nations in its
campaign some year later. Note the word “transgression” (Hebrew Peša` ) at
times mean “rebellion” (pag-aaklas) in the Hebrew Bible (1 Kgs 12;19; Isa
1:2; Ezek 20:38; Hos 8:1).
--the sequence of nations (counterclockwise) suggests also a war strategy by

which Israel could be invaded and conquered by an army approaching from
the north (like Assyra) – from land to sea, along the trade route.
--but the sequence might simply indicate a rhetorical strategy of Amos. He

sets the mood of condemnation by condemning the nations surrounding Israel
first then goes against Judah (Amos 2:4-50) and finally against Israel, his
rhetorical goal. Note that the oracle against Israel constitutes the longest
oracle of the series (Sweeney, p. 203).

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Amos 5

Part I: Oracles against the Nations and Israel (1:3 – 2:16)

Introduction (cf. M. Sweeney, pp. 200-204; Blenkinsopp, pp. 74-75).

1. Oracles against 6 (six) nations surrounding Israel (gentiles – Damascus/Aram;

2. This prophetic judgment speech has a literary pattern (5 elements):

2) Use of progressive numerical sequence together the statement, “I will not

3) Statement of the Crime

2) Covenant cursing ceremony in which a prophet pronounces curses upon

--War could be the setting of these oracles. YHWH is presented here as a

--However, in Amos there is no evident yet of Assyria threatening Israel (that

--the sequence of nations (counterclockwise) suggests also a war strategy by

--but the sequence might simply indicate a rhetorical strategy of Amos. He

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