The big picture
Amos 2 opens in verse 1 with “Thus saith the LORD ; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 8 with “And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink…”, and closes in verse 16 with “And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, turn, deliver, Moab, punishment. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Amos · King James Version · 16Amos 2:1-8
1–8: Thus saith the LORD ; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I…
Amos 2:1–8 opens with “Thus saith the LORD ; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the…” and reaches “And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Amos 2 develops its own movement around LORD, turn, deliver, Moab, punishment, with particular weight carried by LORD, turn, Moab.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Thus saith the LORD ; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof…” The number three makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD .” The line’s distinctive content terms include judge, LORD, midst. Its relationship to verses 2 and 4 shows what work it does in this passage.
“But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his…” The line’s distinctive content terms include aside, dust, earth. Its relationship to verses 6 and 8 shows what work it does in this passage.
Amos 2:1-8
King James Version1Thus saith the LORD ; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:
2But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:
3And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD .
4Thus saith the LORD ; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD , and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:
5But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
6Thus saith the LORD ; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;
7That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:
8And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
Amos 2:9-16
9–16: Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the…
Amos 2:9–16 opens with “Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he…” and reaches “And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD .” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Amos 2 develops its own movement around LORD, turn, deliver, Moab, punishment, with particular weight carried by deliver, Amorite, destroyed.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the…” Naming Amorite and Yet keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Amos 2:9-16
King James Version9Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
10Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
11And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD .
12But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
13Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.
14Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:
15Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.
16And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD .
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Amos 2:1 begins with “Thus saith the LORD ; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king…”
Where the chapter turns
Amos 2:5 forms a natural hinge: “But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.”
The final note
Amos 2:16 leaves the reader with “And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD .”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, turn, deliver, Moab, punishment, transgressions help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Which gifts come before the prohibition?
Life, the garden, food and meaningful work. The command occurs inside generosity.
How does chapter 2 deepen chapter 1?
It concentrates on dependence, partnership and responsibility within the shared human calling.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.