Amos 1 3

Amos 1:3 kjv

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:

Amos 1:3 nkjv

Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron.

Amos 1:3 niv

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth,

Amos 1:3 esv

Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.

Amos 1:3 nlt

This is what the LORD says: "The people of Damascus have sinned again and again,
and I will not let them go unpunished!
They beat down my people in Gilead
as grain is threshed with iron sledges.

Amos 1 verses

Amos 1 3 Meaning

Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke its punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.This verse pronounces God's unyielding judgment against Damascus, the capital of Aram (Syria), due to its severe and numerous transgressions. The phrase "three transgressions... and for four" signifies that Damascus's sins have reached an undeniable and full measure, leaving no room for God to relent from His impending judgment. The specific transgression cited is the exceptionally cruel and inhuman threshing of Gilead with iron threshing sledges, implying brutal military action and torture against the people of Gilead, a Transjordanian territory inhabited by Israelites.

Amos 1 3 Context

Amos chapter 1 opens with a series of oracles, known as "Oracles against the Nations," where the LORD pronounces judgment against six nations surrounding Israel—Damascus (Aram), Gaza (Philistia), Tyre (Phoenicia), Edom, Ammon, and Moab—before turning to Judah and finally, Israel. This structure demonstrates God's universal sovereignty and justice over all peoples, not just His covenant people. By starting with foreign nations, Amos prepares his original audience, the Northern Kingdom of Israel, to acknowledge God's universal standards of morality before delivering a much harsher indictment against their own nation's spiritual and social failings. Verse 3 initiates this sequence, directly confronting Damascus for a specific, extreme act of brutality committed against the Israelites in Gilead, demonstrating God's justice even for non-covenant nations whose actions violate basic human dignity. The historical backdrop for this cruelty is likely the incursions and oppression by King Hazael of Aram against Israelite territories east of the Jordan during the reigns of Jehu and Jehoahaz (late 9th century BCE), described in 2 Kings 8:12 and 10:32-33.

Amos 1 3 Word analysis

• Thus says the LORD: (`כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה`, _Koh amar Yahweh_)
  • This is a classic prophetic messenger formula.
  • It asserts divine authority and indicates the message is not Amos's, but a direct utterance from the covenant God, Yahweh.
  • It immediately establishes the absolute truth and inescapable nature of the pronouncement.
• For three transgressions... and for four: (`עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה פִּשְׁעֵי... וְעַל אַרְבָּעָה`, _al shəloshah pishʿey... wəʿal arbbāʿāh_)
  • This is a common numerical proverb or ascending scale, often used in wisdom literature (cf. Prov 30).
  • It indicates a completed series, or even an overflowing, excessive measure of wrongdoing. It's not a literal count, but signifies that the limit has been reached, the tipping point crossed, and judgment is now inevitable.
  • The phrase implies a succession of sins, culminating in the last, specific one that triggers the judgment, highlighting a state of unrepentant, accumulating evil.
• transgressions: (`פִּשְׁעֵי`, _pishʿey_)
  • The Hebrew word `pesha'` signifies rebellion, revolt, willful disobedience, or a breaking of a trust or covenant.
  • Though Damascus was not under Israel's covenant, this word applies to their moral rebellion against universal standards of justice inherent in God's created order.
• Damascus: (`דַּמֶּשֶׂק`, _Dammesek_)
  • The capital city of Aram (Syria), a dominant regional power and a long-standing adversary of Israel.
  • Its specific identification grounds the prophecy in a real historical and geopolitical context, validating the divine word.
• I will not revoke its punishment / I will not turn back: (`לֹא אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ`, _lo ashivennoo_)
  • Literally "I will not turn it back," or "I will not reverse it."
  • This declares the finality and irrevocability of the divine judgment. Once God's decree is issued for this specific offense, there is no relenting or turning away from its execution.
  • It underscores God's resolve and the certainty of punishment for persistent wickedness.
• because they have threshed Gilead: (`דָּשוּ אֶת־הַגִּלְעָד`, _dashu et-haGilʿad_)
  • "Threshed" (`dashu`) describes the action of separating grain from straw, typically done by trampling with oxen or dragging a threshing sledge over the harvested crop.
  • Applied to humans, it is a gruesome metaphor for extreme, methodical brutality, torture, and crushing of a people.
  • Gilead refers to the Israelite territory east of the Jordan River, settled by the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh. It was frequently attacked and ravaged by Aramaeans (cf. 2 Kgs 10:32-33).
• with threshing sledges of iron: (`בַּחֲרֻצוֹת הַבַּרְזֶל`, _bacharutzot habbarzel_)
  • "Threshing sledges" were wooden planks studded underneath with sharp flints or iron teeth/blades.
  • The addition of "iron" emphasizes the extreme cruelty and deliberate savagery of the act. Instead of being used for agricultural purposes, this tool was brutally deployed against human bodies, signifying intentional mutilation and prolonged torture rather than mere conquest.
  • This detail highlights the egregious nature of the sin, crossing a moral boundary recognized by God for all humanity, not just Israel.
• "three transgressions... and for four, I will not revoke its punishment":
  • This phrase acts as a declaration of full indictment, a divine closing of the case, indicating the time for mercy is past, and only judgment remains. It's not arbitrary; it's a statement that their sin has reached a maximum threshold of tolerance.
• "because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron":
  • This entire phrase identifies the particular egregious act that served as the final straw or the primary justification for God's irreversible judgment. It demonstrates that God's judgment is precise and specific to known atrocities. The method used (iron sledges) underscores the barbaric and inhuman nature of their actions.

Amos 1 3 Bonus section

• The Global Standard of God's Justice: Amos's oracle against Damascus, followed by judgments on other nations, serves to show that Yahweh is not just the God of Israel, but the sovereign ruler and moral judge of the entire earth. His justice is not exclusive to the covenant community; there are universal ethical standards (often termed 'Noahic Covenant' principles or 'natural law') that even pagan nations are accountable to. The crime of Damascus—extreme cruelty in warfare—falls under such universal moral violation.
• Preparatory for Israel's Judgment: By starting with the surrounding nations, Amos subtly builds a case for God's judgment. He targets sins that Israel themselves recognized as detestable (e.g., Hazael's actions). This was to establish divine impartiality and lead the audience to tacitly agree with God's justice before turning the gaze onto their own deeper, more systemic sins against their own covenant with God. The people of Israel, who had experienced these atrocities, would readily affirm God's judgment against Damascus. This then paves the way for Amos to apply the same, or even stricter, principles of justice to Israel itself.
• Hazael's Historical Atrocity: While the Bible doesn't explicitly describe the "threshing with iron sledges," the prophecy given to Elisha regarding Hazael in 2 Kings 8:12 ("you will dash in pieces their little ones, and rip open their pregnant women") shows a history of predicted and enacted extreme violence by Hazael against Gilead, fitting the character of the act Amos describes. The specificity points to a real, widely known historical event.
• Significance of "Iron": The detail of "iron" sledges is crucial. Most ancient threshing sledges had flints or even wood teeth. Iron teeth signify an upgraded, more effective, and therefore more destructive and painful version of this cruel instrument. It emphasizes calculated, severe torment beyond mere military objective.

Amos 1 3 Commentary

Amos 1:3 introduces God's overarching authority and His ethical demands upon all nations, not solely Israel. The prophecy against Damascus is an opening salvo, establishing God's sovereignty as the moral governor of the entire world. The use of the "three... and for four" formula signifies that Damascus's pattern of rebellion had reached a point of no return; their sin was complete and pervasive. The specified crime, the threshing of Gilead with iron sledges, vividly portrays an act of war so barbaric and cruel that it violated fundamental human dignity, exceeding what God deemed permissible even in conflict. This wasn't merely conquest but intentional, protracted brutality, a sin against God's universal moral law imprinted on humanity. The Lord's unyielding resolve ("I will not revoke its punishment") underscores the certainty and severity of the judgment that follows such inhumane actions. It reminds us that God holds all peoples accountable to a universal standard of justice, and specific, egregious acts of cruelty provoke His righteous wrath.