Amos 6

Jerusalem was capital of the southern Jewish nation of Judah. Samaria was capital of the northern Jewish nation of Israel. Both capitals were crown properties of the kings, and no longer governed by tribal leaders. These political centers became hubs of activity and home to the most prosperous Jews of the day. If someone needed money, influence, or raw power, Jerusalem (also known as Zion) and Samaria were the best bets.

Calneh, Hamath, and Gath were all city-states subdued first by their neighboring Israelite nations and later by Assyrian invaders. Calneh and Hamath were big cities in eastern Syria. Calneh fell to Assyria in 738 BC, 16 years before Israel fell to Assyrians in 722 BC. Hamath fell two years after Israel, in 720 BC. Gath fell a decade after that, in 711 BC. The latest date many scholars say Amos could have delivered this message is 742 BC. Assyrians had conquered none of these towns yet. But the Jews had taken control of them all, while allowing them to continue to rule themselves, under Israel and Judah’s authorities.

Literally “Joseph,” a nickname for the northern nation of Israel. Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, made up two of the 12 tribes that originally formed Israel.

Literally “Jacob,” another nickname for Israel.

The strong sometimes grow arrogant and overconfident. People protected inside walled cities felt especially strong and almost invincible. But to an invading army, a city wall is a speedbump. All it needs is a ramp or a hammer or shovel. Invaders often built a ramp up the wall, if they couldn’t sap the ground below it with a cave to collapse it. Sometimes a hard knock on the front gate would do the trick if the invaders knocked hard enough with a battering ram. Other times, oil and flaming arrows would weaken the gate.

Apparently, the person reporting the deaths recognizes that God is punishing the nation. And that person is too afraid of God to even mention his name, although he just mentioned his name.

Lo-debar and Karnaim are towns Israel defeated and took east of the Jordan River. Just two of many towns. Amos may have mentioned these two because of what the words meant. Lo-debar means “nothing.” Karnaim means “horns,” like those of a bull. Horns in ancient culture symbolized strength. It’s not hard to crack that code: Israel is strong enough to conquer nothing. And even that, God’s going to take away.

The Arabah is a dry and desolate stretch of territory between the nations of Israel and Jordan. It runs south from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea.