This text was originally prepared for publication in an academic journal. I have reformatted it to fit the limitations of this blog editor.
According to Amos 1:1, the contents of this book were oracles concerning Israel (the northern kingdom) delivered by Amos during the reign of Uziah king of Judah and Jeraboam son of Joash king of Israel two years before the earthquake. The reference to the earthquake is definite, indicating that the readers of the book are expected to be familiar with the event, and Zechariah referred to this earthquake more than 200 years later.1 Based on this introduction, Amos was an older contemporary of Isaiah. He lived in the southern kingdom of Judah but delivered his messages to Israel about 750 BCE. The primary thrust of his oracles is an indictment of Israel for her covenant unfaithfulness to YHWH and a proclamation of certain coming judgment. The content of Amos 9:7-15 constitutes a climactic summation of the book as a whole. These verses contain three or four separate oracles that many interpreters treat as unrelated to one another. Although these oracles may have been produced and delivered separately from one another, they were, in my opinion, assembled in the book thematically, and so in that sense they are intrinsically related to one another.
Amos 9:7
Laer:c]yIIAta, a/lh} hwhyAµaun} laer:c]yI ynEB] yli µT,a'' µyYIviku
ynEb]kii a/lh} z
.ryQimi µr:a}w" r/Tp]K'mi µyYITiv]lip]W µyir"x]mi
6r<a,me ytiyle[‘h,
9:7 Are you not like the sons of Kush to me, oh
sons of Israel? – it is the declaration of YHWH. Did I not bring up Israel from the land of
Egypt, the Philistines from Kaphtor, and Aram from Kir?
ynEP] l['me Ht;ao yTid“m'v]hiw“ ha;F;j'h' hk;l;m]M'B' hwhy ynIdoa}
ynEy[e hNEhi j
.hwhyAµaun“ bqo[}y" tyBeAta,
dymiv]a' dymev]h' alo yKi sp,a, hm;d:a}h;
9:8 Behold, the eyes of Adonai YHWH are against
the sinful kingdom, and I will utterly destroy it from upon the face of the
earth. Nevertheless, I will certainly
not exterminate the house of Jacob — it is the declaration of YHWH.
This verse
consists of three clauses, of which the first two are a coordinate pair, and the
third is concessive to mitigate the consequences of the first two.
ha;F;j'h'
hk;l;m]M'B' hwhy ynIdoa} ynEy[e The reference to the eyes of
YHWH designates the focus of His attention; ha;F;j'h' hk;l;m]M'B' identifies the object of His attention. Here the B must express
an adversative force, as confirmed by the second clause.
yTid“m'v]hiw“ The
form is a 1cs hiphil perfect from the root שמד with vav consecutive. The qal stem has a stative/passive meaning – be
exterminated – and the hiphil expresses the transitive sense ‘exterminate,
destroy’. The object is the sinful
kingdom (Israel); the scope is ‘from upon the face of the earth’. Verse 9:7 indicates that Israel is the
subject of this oracle, and this verse refers to the exodus from Egypt as a
defining factor for this people. Based
on the date reference in 1 K 6:1, Amos delivered his oracles more than 680
years after the exodus. At the time of
the exodus, the term ‘Israel’ referred to the collective group of all twelve
tribes and their clans; in Amos’ day, that name had become restricted to the
inhabitants of the northern kingdom.
dymiv]a' dymev]h'
alo yKi sp,a, yKi sp,a, introduces
a concessive force that moderates the totality of the previous statement. The verbal combination dymiv]a' dymev]h' pairs the 1cs hiphil imperfect with the hiphil infinitive
absolute of שמד for emphasis. The
kingdom of Israel will be utterly destroyed from upon the face of the land
(i.e., the land assigned to them by lot through Joshua), but the entire house
of Jacob will not be exterminated.
The destruction of the northern kingdom occurred in 722 BC, roughly 30
years after this oracle was delivered.
The change of names from Israel to Jacob in this context is
notable. Jacob was also known as Israel,
and Israel designated Joseph’s two sons to be the heir of his name in Gen
48:16. In the course of time, the
descendants of Jacob became divided into two kingdoms. The southern kingdom was known as Judah and
included descendants of Judah, Simeon, Levi, and Benjamin. The northern kingdom was known as Israel and
included descendants of Levi and all of the other tribes (except perhaps Reuben
and Gad), but the dominant tribal group was Ephraim, the younger son of
Joseph. The prophecy in this verse could
be satisfied by the survival of the southern kingdom and its people, including
escapees from the northern kingdom following its destruction. However, Gen 48:19 states that descendants of
Ephraim would become ‘the fullness of the nations,’ implying at least
that this people would survive the destruction of their homeland as individuals scattered among
the nations.
['/NyI rv,a}K' laer:c]yI tyBeAta, µyI/Gh'Alk;b]
yti/[nIh}w" hW<x'm] ykinOa; hNEhiAyKi f
.6r<a; r/rx] l/PyIAalw“ hr:b;K]B'
9:9 For behold, I
have ordained, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations as if
it were being tossed with a sieve, and no pebble from the land will fall.
yti/[nIh}w"
hW<x'm] ykinOa; This clause couples a piel participle with a
hiphil perfect form as a coordinated pair.
The force of this combination has been taken to signify that God had
determined at some unstated time in the past a specific form of judgment, and
the remainder of the verse indicates the impact of that judgment, which will
come about at some unspecified time in the future.
The judgment will consist of ‘shaking’ Israel among all the
nations. The hiphil of the root h[n means shake, cause to totter, cause
to wonder. The agricultural allusion
is that of shaking granular particles in a sieve to separate out the smaller
grains from the larger debris, not the other way around as commonly
interpreted. The literal significance
could be that the Israelites, i.e, descendants of the northern kingdom, will be
forced to wander from nation to nation for an extended period of time.
6r<a; r/rx] This combination at the
end of the verse has proved to be difficult for interpreters. r/rx] is clearly the subject of the final verb. The term literally means ‘pebble’ or
possible a ‘small stone with sharp edges’, but many interpreters have
taken the term as a metaphor for kernels of grain. The second term, 6r<a;, is more problematic. Based strictly on word sequence, this
combination would normally be understood as a construct chain meaning a
pebble of/from land. However, there
are two problems with this interpretation: (1) The Masoretic accents separate 6r<a; from r/rx] with a disjunctive accent, which is uncommon for a construct
chain. (2) The word 6r<a; is indefinite. If the word were definite, it could
readily be understood as ‘a pebble from the land (i.e., Israel, or certain
people from Israel)’.2 The
NASB interprets 6r<a; as a
directive predicate complement to the ground. There are also two problems with this
interpretation: (1) There is neither a preposition nor a directive he to
introduce a directive force. (2) The word 6r<a; normally means land not ground, but
BDB does list nine instances where the meaning ground is attested.3 Yet, the LXX text of Amos (επι την γην – upon/over the ground) does
support this reading, indicating that this interpretation is relatively ancient
(c. 200 BCE). The translation above has
opted for the first possibility.
This verse employs an
agricultural allusion that would be familiar to everyone who heard it in Amos’
day. According to Freeman, Manners
and Customs, the threshing process consisted first of running over the
sheaves of grain with a threshing sledge to dislodge the grain from the chaff.4 After threshing, the farmer would toss the
mixture in the air to separate the chaff from the grain. Because the chaff is much lighter than the
grain, it would be carried away by a breeze, and the harder, denser material
would fall back to the ground. The resulting pile would include the grain mixed
with fines (dirt, rocks, and other solid debris). The fines are generally larger and denser
than the grain. That is where the sieve
comes in. Such a sieve is used even
today, though the process is mechanized.
In a modern threshing machine, the sieve consists of a metal plate with
holes drilled through it. A stream of
grain and fines passes over the sieve plate to produce a separation between the
grain and the fines. Some threshing machines
also include an electromagnet below the sieve to separate metal filings from
the grain. The fines are trashed and the
grain flows into a hopper. The sieve
referred to here was a hand-held device that is shaken to pass the grain so
that what remains in the sieve is trashed.
In the imagery of the oracle, the material that passes through to the
sieve is the grain to be saved; what remains in the sieve will be thrown
away.
The word r/rx] occurs just twice in the Hebrew bible: here and 2 Sam 17:13. Related words refer to stones with sharp
edges. BDB translates the word as pebble. In either case, such stones cannot be eaten
and could damage the grain during storage if not removed. Now, if the original text was ‘pebbles from
the land’, then the specific reference is to the wicked people (i.e., those not
faithful to the covenant with YHWH) from the nation of Israel who are to be
caught in the sieve. If the LXX text
preserves the original meaning, then the focus is on failure of the pebbles to
pass through to the ground, not the reverse.
In either case, the overall impact of the verse is similar.
.h[;r:h; WnydE[}B' µyDIq]t'w“ vyGIt'Aalo µyrIm]aoh; yMi[' yaeF;j' lKo WtWmy: br<j,B' y
9:10 All the sinners
of my people, those who are saying ‘Calamity will not come near or confront us,’
will die by the sword.
yMi['
yaeF;j' lKo By
implication, the previous clause produces the image of two groups: what passes
through the sieve (destiny not addressed here) and the pebbles that do
not. The agricultural metaphor implies
that the contents left in the sieve are to be eliminated; the first clause of
this verse makes the identification specific: all the sinners of my people. This group is further identified by the first
word in the next clause µyrIm]aoh; -- those who are saying.
h[;r:h;
WnydE[}B' µyDIq]t'w“ vyGIt'Aalo The impact of this
assertion could be either (1) a denial that God will judge them, or (2) an
expression of over-confidence based on their perception of national power. In point of fact, the peoples that surrounded
Israel continued battling one another, permitting Israel to expand its borders
throughout much of its history. As a
result Israel appeared relatively strong compared to its neighbors, and those
nations viewed Israel as much more powerful than Judah.
wyt;sorIh}w" ˆh,yxer“PiAta, yTir“d"g:w“ tl,p,NOh' dywID:
tK'suAta, µyqia; aWhh' µ/YB' ay
.µl;/[ ymeyKi h;ytiynIb]W
µyqia;
9:11 In that day I
will raise up the booth of David which has fallen; I will build up its
breaches, its ruins I will raise up, and I will build it as in the days of
antiquity.
aWhh'
µ/YB' This is an extremely abrupt shift in tone –
so much so that Biblia Hebraica5 indicates that this verse
begins a different oracle. The
expression in that day presupposes a specific time reference in the
prior context, but no such reference is clearly present. The destruction of the sinners of my
people took place at specific point in time (c. 722 BC) that now has been
followed by nearly 2300 years of sifting through the nations. By implication, that day refers to the
time when the sifting will be completed, but the only clue for specifically
identifying that day is provided by the remainder of this clause.
“ tl,p,NOh' dywID:
tK'suAta, µyqia; Amos
lived in Judah but he addressed most of his oracles to the kingdom of Israel,
not that of Judah. This verse predicts
the restoration of the fallen booth of David,6 but the Davidic line
of kings continued reigning in Judah for another 140 years after the fall of
Israel. Consequently, the significance
of this passage cannot be merely the restoration of a Davidic king, since such a king was in power throughout Amos' lifetime. The hallmark of David’s reign was a united
kingdom including all 12 tribes, so this must be the significance of its
restoration – the reunion of the remnant of Judah with the remnant of Israel
under one Davidic king.
¨ h;ytiynIb]W µyqia; /// yTir“d"g:w“ Two of these verb forms are
1cs perfect with vav consecutive, and the remaining form is 1cs imperfect. The active agent in this restoration will be
YHWH himself. This does not deny the
activity of physical people, as indicated in verse 14, but YHWH will be the
driving force behind the activity of the people. Note in particular the mixed metaphor within this passage. A sucah is a temporary shelter that can be readily assembled and dismantled, but the passage refers to breaches and ruins, implying the remains of a permanent structure. If I am correct in identifying the reference as the Davidic monarchy over the entire house of Israel, then it was intended to be a permanent aspect of God's purpose from the outset.
µl;/[
ymeyKi The term µl;/[ signifies very long or unending
duration, past, present, or future.
Since the present context is talking about restoration, it most naturally
refers to what existed in the distant past.
If the reference is to Solomon’s reign as the golden age of
Israel’s kingdom, then the time reference is roughly 200 years earlier.
µh,ylee[} ymiv] ar:qnIArv,a} µyII/Gh'Alk;w“ µ/daÖ
tyrIaeev]Ata, Wvr“yyII ˆ['m''l] by
.taZO hc,[o hwhyAµaun“
9:12 In order that
the remnant of Edom and all of the nations over whom my name is called might be
inherited—the declaration of YHWH—He is doing this.
µ/daÖ
tyrIaeev]Ata, Wvr“yyII ˆ['m''l] ˆ['m''l] functions as a conjunction expressing purpose. Wvr“yyII
is a 3mp qal imperfect from
vry. This root can express the idea
of inherit and dispossess simultaneously. That is, the subject of the verb inherits,
and the object identifies either what is inherited or who is to be
dispossessed. However, in this instance
no subject is specifically mentioned in the clause or in the immediately prior
context. There are two possibilities: 1)
The plural subject is a reference to the remnant of Israel who will survive
their exile;7 2) The
indefinite plural subject is used to express the passive of the verbal
root. The above translation opts for the
second possibility. Now, why would the
author use this mode for expressing the passive? The niphal stem is the only passive form attested
in the bible for this root, and its usage is uniformly negative – be
dispossessed, be impoverished.
µyII/Gh'Alk;w“
µ/daÖ tyrIaeev]Ata, The compound object that makes up the
remainder of the clause poses an additional interpretive difficulty. The first object is the remnant of Edom. Edom is identified as the descendants of
Esau, and these people were generally hostile to both Judah and Israel. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a pot
of stew, and Jacob cheated him out of the blessing of the firstborn. Because Esau lived a life apart from faith in
the God of his fathers, it is not surprising that the remnant of Israel might
ultimately dispossess the remnant of Esau.8 However, the reference to all the nations
is more difficult to understand.
µh,ylee[}
ymiv] ar:qnIArv,a} This relative clause
defines the limit to the specific nations in question. ar:qnI is either a 1cp qal perfect
(call, proclaim) or a 3ms niphal perfect (be called, be proclaimed) from
the root arq. Since there is no first person plural
reference in the text, ymiv] (my name) must be the
subject of the clause, and the verb must be understood as a passive form. The preposition µh,ylee[} has a wide range of possible meanings, but it is used in
two different ways with this particular verbal root: (1) to express an
adversarial relationship against and (2) to express ownership. This particular type of expression occurs in
Jer 15:16 and several other passages to express a positive relation between an
individual and YHWH. Now, the Abrahamic
covenant promised that Abraham would be the source of blessing to all nations,
not an automatic source of cursing, so the positive meaning is more likely the
one intended. Because this clause
indicates a favorable status for the nations mentioned, that same relation must
apply to the remnant of Edom, and the idea of dispossession must not be
present. Rather the idea of inheritance
must be the mechanism for communicating the blessing both to the nations and
the remnant of Edom. This idea is consistent
with the last clause of Isaac’s
‘blessing’ for Esau in Gen 27:40 — … and it shall be when you become restless, you will tear his yoke
from your neck. This suggests that a
time will come when the adversarial relation between Israel and Esau will end. Possibly, this has taken place, at least
partially, with the kingship of Herod the Great, an Idumean and descendant of
Esau. At any rate, Edom no longer exists
as a separate identifiable people group, so this might apply to the hostile
Arabian peoples who now surround modern Israel. (Note that Esau married a descendant of Ishmael, the one from whom the Arabs claim descent. Thus the branches of Ishmael and Esau have been joined.)
The root vry in the qal stem normally
refers to inheriting or taking possession of land, but this verse refers to
inheriting people groups. What could
this mean? BDB includes this category
for the qal stem with two senses: inherit a slave, become heir. As a suggestion, if Israel inherits these
people groups, then they become beneficiaries of blessings
promised to Israel without supplanting Israel.
Such evidently has been the experience of gentile groups who have become
participants in the New Covenant through Yeshua. Consequently, the common Christian view that the gentile Church has replaced Israel in the divine program is just wrong.
taZO hc,[o This has been
interpreted as an independent clause which is introduced by a participle. In this case, hc,[o is an ms qal
active participle in the construct state, so a literal rendering would be a
doer of this. The subject of the
clause is YHWH, which is represented by a pronoun in the translation.
[r""Z:h''
ËvemooB]
µybiin:[} ËrEEdow“ rxeeQoB'' vre/j vG""nIIw“
hwhyAµaun“ µyaiiB; µymiiy: hNEEhii gy
.hn:gg"/mt]Ti t/[b;G“h''Alk;w“ sysii[;
µyrIh;h, WpyFihiw“
9:13 Behold, days
are coming—the declaration of YHWH —when a plowman will draw near with the
reaper, and treading of grapes with the sowing of the seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and
all the hills will melt.
This verse
uses hyperbole to predict abundant future fertility for the land, but could
these images serve as symbols for something beyond the simple agricultural
fertility? The overall verse consists of
three parallel statements. The first
sets the time frame and identifies the prediction as the oracle of YHWH. The second contains two agricultural images,
and the third contains imagery to represent abundant fertility of the land.
µyaiiB; µymiiy:
hNEEhii This expression constitutes one way of
expressing an emphatic affirmation about a time in the indefinite future.
rxeeQoB''
vre/j vG""nIIw“ vG""nIIw“ is
a 3ms niphal perfect of the root vgnI with vav consecutive; however, the
meaning is the same as that of the qal – draw near. The next two words are both qal participles
describing agricultural occupations – plowing and reaping. The image presented is this: The reaper is harvesting a crop in the field,
and a plowman is following immediately behind to prepare the field for the next
crop.
The participle form of rxeeQo is used in three different ways: (1) as
a symbol for coming judgment due to sinful conduct; (2) for literal reapers
working in a field; (3) as a symbol for receiving the consequences (good or
bad) of one’s actions. Similarly, vre/j also has both literal and symbolic uses. The literal use describes the process for
working seeds into the ground during planting.
The symbolic use involves sowing a habitual practice of good or bad conduct
into one’s life. If a symbolic meaning
is intended here, then the passage might indicate that the separation between
the sowing of a practice into one’s life and the time when that practice will
bear its ultimate fruit (good or bad) will draw together.9 However, the order of the symbols in the
verse is reversed from what one would expect.
Reaping (the symbol for judgment) comes first followed immediately after
by a plowman preparing the new planting (perhaps symbolic of a new start). If the symbolic meaning is assumed, then the reaping represents the 2700 plus years of judgment experienced by the people of Israel, and the plowing represents their restoration in the land.
[r""Z:h''
ËvemooB]
µybiin:[} ËrEEdow“ This
parallel clause has different symbols but exactly the same scope as the
previous clause and in the same order. µybiin:[} ËrEEdo -- treading grapes – describes the process for producing new
wine (sweet grape juice) from newly harvested grapes (synonymously parallel
with rxeeQo); this constitutes the final phase of
the farming process for the grapes. [r""Z:h'' Ëvemoo -- sowing of seed – represents
the first step in the farming process for most types of crop (synonymous
parallel with vre/j).
As before, both literal and symbolic meanings are found for these
expressions in the Hebrew bible. From a
symbolic standpoint, seed may represent a deed, attitude, or practice
that is built into one’s life. Treading
out literal grapes produces the juice, which becomes wine, the final product of
the vineyard. Symbolically, the treading
is used in several passages to represent execution of judgment, and the
resulting juice proves the quality of the fruit, the quality of the lives of
those under judgment, or blood resulting from execution. Again, the symbol for judgment comes first
followed by the sowing of new seed.
(Note that this is a mixed metaphor.
Treading of grapes is specific to viniculture, and broadcast sowing
of seed is specific to annual field crops like wheat, barley, etc.)
hn:gg"/mt]Ti t/[b;G“h''Alk;w“ sysii[; µyrIh;h, WpyFihiw“ The
first two parts of verse 9:13 could be understood either positively or
negatively. This third part of the verse
consists of two parallel clauses both of which are usually understood
positively. The verb in the first
clause, WpyFihiw“, is a 3mp hiphil perfect form of 5fn with vav consecutive. The root
has a primary meaning of drip, but it has a derived sense for speaking a
prophetic oracle.10 The
direct object of the verb, sysii[;, is used for the juice from freshly
crushed grapes or other similar fruit.
As such, it is frequently translated by sweet wine. The term is used just four other times in the
Hebrew scriptures, and each time it is used as part of the description for the
excesses of those who will be judged.
However, nothing in any of these contexts suggest that sysii[; is itself a negative term.
Rather, this clause builds from the reference to treading grapes
in the previous clause. The treading of
grapes is expected to produce new wine (sweet grape juice), and this verse
implies that the hills will produce it in abundance. The second clause is synonymously parallel
but more oblique in its reference. The
term t/[b;G“h'' literally means the hills and refers to a geographic feature
that is lower than a mountain. Both
terms -- mountains and hills – have been used symbolically by the
prophets:
In Is 2:12-22 hills and high places used to represent places
that are in opposition to YHWH and will come under judgment.
Joel 4:9-21 uses the imagery of harvest and processing of the results
as symbols for judgment. The result is
to be devastation for those who have opposed YHWH and restoration and blessing
for those of Israel who have remained faithful.
Taken by
itself, this clause could be understood positively or negatively. As previously mentioned, the first two
agricultural images imply that judgment (a harvest) will be followed immediately
by sowing of new seed (possibly, return of the exiles); the subsequent pair of
images reflect abundance to be produced by that new seed (flourishing of those
who return from exile). The next two
verses state just this assertion without the use of symbolic language.
µymiir:k] W[f]n:w“ Wbv;y:w“ t/Mv'n“ µyrI[;
Wnb;W laer:c]yII yMi[' tWbv]Ata, yTib]v''w“ dy
.µh,yrIP]Ata, Wlk]a;w“ t/Ng" Wc[;w“ µn:yyEEAta,
Wtv;w“
9:14 And I
will turn back the captivity of my people Israel, and they will build desolated
cities and dwell [in them]; they will plant vineyards and drink their wine; and
they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
laer:c]yII yMi[' tWbv]Ata,
yTib]v''w“ The verb and object constitute a peculiar combination from the
perspective of the Greek mode of thought.
From the Greek mode of thought ‘Restore the captivity’ would
signify re-imposing captivity at some time after freedom had been gained. However, the overall context demands exactly
the opposite meaning: ‘take from captivity and restore to freedom.’ laer:c]yII yMi[' iis an expression consisting of a noun with a pronominal suffix followed by an appositive,
indicating that my people = Israel. This term originally applied to all 12 tribes
equally; but at the time the oracle was delivered, it designated just the
people of the northern kingdom.11 The remainder of the verse specifically
reverses selected curses in Deuteronomy 28:30, 33, and 39. This signifies that the curse for
faithlessness toward YHWH will ultimately be lifted from the descendants of the
people against whom Amos addressed his oracles.
rm'a; µh,l; yTit'n: rc,a} µt;m;d“a'
l['me d/[ Wvt]N:yII alow“ µt;m;d“a'Al[' µyTi[]f'n“W wf
.Úyh,loaÖ hwhy
9:15 And I will plant them on their ground, and
they will not again be uprooted from their ground that I have given them, says
YHWH your God.
Verses 9:7-10 assert the
certainty of coming judgment – reaping and treading of grapes – for
Israel. Verse 14 promises that a new
planting will come for Israel, and this verse asserts that the new planting of
Israel in her land will flourish, be permanent, and produce an abundance of
fruit (faithfulness to YHWH).
Use in the New Testament Text of Acts 15
When evaluating a citation from the Hebrew scriptures in the
New Testament writings, at least two factors should be addressed: 1)
Differences between the LXX text and that of the MT, and 2) Differences between
the NT text and that of the LXX.
MT tradition for Amos 9:11 and 9:12
tl,p,NOh' dywID: tK'suAta, μyqia; aWhh' μ/YB'
μl;/[ ymeyKi h;ytiynIb]W μyqia; wyt;sorIhÄw" ˆh,yxer“PiAta,
yTir“d"g:w“
μyI/Gh'AlK;w“ μ/da‘ tyrIaev]Ata, Wvr“yyI ˆ['m'l]
taZO hc,[o hwhyAμaun“ μh,yle[Ä ymiv] ar:q]nIArv,aÄ
Greek text from Amos 9:11 and 1212 (The highlighted text represents the portion
of the oracle cited in Acts 15.)
εν τη ημερα εκεινη αναστησω την σκηνην Δαυιδ την πεπτωκυιαν, και
ανοικοδομησω τα πεπτωκοτα αυτης και τα κατεσκαμεννα αυτης αναστησω
και ανοικοδομησω αυτην καθως αι ημεραι του αιωνος, οπως εκζητησωσιν
οι καταλοιποι των ανθρωπων και παντα τα εθνη εφ' ους επικεκληται
το ονομα μου επ' αυτους, λεγει κυριος ο θεος ο ποιων ταυτα
11 In that day
I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen. I will rebuild its ruins and set up its parts
that have been broken down. I will rebuild
it as in the ancient days 12 so that the remnant of men, even all the Gentiles
upon whom my name is called, may earnestly seek [me], says the Lord who does
these things.
Differences between LXX and MT
In the first clause of verse 11, the definite present
participle tl,p,NOh' is translated by a present perfect form πεπτωκυιαν.
In the second clause, ˆh,yxer“Pi (its breaches) is translated by τα πεπτωκοτα αυτης (its fallen down places), which is less
specific.
In the first clause of verse 12, μ/da‘ (Edom) has been translated as των ανθρωπων (of the men).
In the last clause, hwhyAμaun“ is translated by λεγει κυριος ο θεος, which is
equivalent to
μyhiloa‘h; hwhyAμaun“.
μyhiloa‘h; hwhyAμaun“.
In general, the LXX translation
is very close to that of the MT. The
most significant difference consists in the change of Edom to men,
which is the result of reading a different vocalization to the same consonantal
text.13
Differences between LXX and NT
Greek text from Acts 15:16 and 1714
Μετα ταυτα αναστρεψω και ανοικοδομησω την σκηνην Δαυιδ την πεπτωκυιαν, και τα κατεσκαμμενα αυτης ανοικοδομησω και ανορθωσω αυτην, οπως αν εκζητησωσιν οι κατάλοιποι των ανθρωπων τον κυριον και παντα τα εθνη εφ' ους επικεκληται το ονομα μου επ' αυτους, λεγει κυριος ποιων ταυτα
16 After these things I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David which has fallen. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, 17 so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, 18 says the Lord, who does these things.
LXX
εν τη ημερα εκεινη αν αναστησω την σκηνην Δαυίδ την πεπτωκυιαν, και ανοικοδομησω
τα πεπτωκοτα αυτης και τα κατεσκαμμενα αυτης αναστησω και ανοικοδομησω αυτην καθως αι ημεραι του αιωνος, οπως εκζητησωσινοι καταλοιποι των ανθρωπων και παντα τα εθνη εφ' ους επικεκληται το ονομαμου επ' αυτους, λεγει κυριος ο θεος ο ποιων ταυτα
11 In that day
I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen. I will rebuild its ruins and set up its parts
that have been broken down. I will rebuild
it as in the ancient days 12 so that the remnant of men, even all the Gentiles
upon whom my name is called, may earnestly seek [me], says the Lord who does
all these things.
The Greek text of the NT is verbally very similar to that of
the LXX with the following major exceptions:
The temporal phrase after this
replaces in that day.
The verb αναστρεψω (I will return) is added to the NT text.
The NT states ‘I will rebuild’
instead of ‘I will raise up.’
The clause concerning the
restoration of the tabernacle of David is omitted.
The greatest difference is the omission of any specific
reference to restoration of the Davidic monarchy.
Differences between the Hebrew Text of the NT and the MT
Hebrew text according to Delitzsch’s translation of the NT:15
tlp/Nh' dywD: tKsu ta, μyqa,w“ bWva; ˆke yrEjÄa'
h;ytiynI\b]W μyqia; h;yt,/syrIhÄw"
μyyI/Gh'Alk;w“ μd:a; tyrIaev]
hwhy ta, Wvr“d“yI ˆ['m'l]
hL,ae lk; hc,/[ hwhy μaun“ μh,yle[Ä ymiv]
ar:q]nI rv,aÄ
MT version:
tl,p,NOh' dywID: tK'suAta, μyqia;
aWhh' μ/YB'
μl;/[ ymeyKi h;ytiynIb]W μyqia; wyt;sorIhÄw" ˆh,yxer“PiAta,
yTir“d"g:w“
μyI/Gh'AlK;w“ μ/da‘ tyrIaev]Ata,
Wvr“yyI ˆ['m'l]
taZO hc,[o hwhyAμaun“ μh,yle[Ä ymiv]
ar:q]nIArv,aÄ
Differences are as follows:
bWva;
ˆke yrEjÄa' The original
oracle has the temporal phrase ‘in that day,’ which anticipates a future
but unspecified point in time. The NT
passage changes the temporal phrase to the temporal clause ‘after this I
will return.’ This clause still
refers to an indefinite point in the future, but it has a specific starting
reference ‘after this,’ which clearly is a reference to Gentile
salvation.
h;yt,/syrIhÄw This is not a different word from the MT,
but it is a different spelling and a different form. Both the MT and Delitzsch’s translation
contain the fp form for ‘ruins,’ but the MT word ends with a 3ms
pronominal suffix and Delitzsch’s translation has a 3fs pronominal suffix. This difference arises due to different
antecedents. The antecedent in the MT is
ˆh,yxer“Pi ‘its breaches;’
the antecedent in Delitzsch’s translation is tK'su
‘booth.’
μl;/[
ymeyKi This phrase is completely
omitted from the NT citation, because James’ focus is on what God is doing at
the present time (first century CE), not what existed 1000 years before, and
not what will exist after these things.
μ/da‘
tyrIaev]Ata, Wvr“yyI The
verbal content of this passage has been altered. The text as presented in the NT reads, ‘In
order that the remnant of man (mankind), even all the Gentiles over whom my
name is called, may seek YHWH.’ As
discussed above, the MT asserts that the remnant of Edom will be recipients of blessing
along with all the gentiles called by My name. The NT usage is consistent with this
interpretation without any reference to Edom.
Conclusion
Within the context of Amos, this
oracle pronounces the certainty of judgment and extended exile for the people
of the northern kingdom. During that
exile, the people were to be dispersed through many nations, and that
experience would purge them of those who practiced idolatry. However, the oracle promised that after this
purging was completed, the remnant of Israel would be restored to the land
permanently, the Davidic monarchy would be restored, and the land (or the restored people of Israel) would produce
unprecedented abundance. This abundance
is described by means of agricultural metaphors, but the blessings promised in
Torah are only present in proportion with the convenantal faithfulness of the
people. Consistent with the original
promise to Abraham, blessing also would extend to all nations who were called
by Adonai’s name by association with the restored people of Israel.
Yakov (James) quoted two verses from this
passage to justify the decision of accepting Gentiles into the fellowship of
New Covenant believers without requiring ‘conversion’ to the Judaism of
their day.16 In the process,
he either cited freely or made selected verbal changes to fit the specific
situation. In the original context, the
oracle promised restoration of the booth of David and the Davidic monarchy at
some unspecified point following the complete sifting of Israel through the
nations. In this passage, the
restoration of the tabernacle is stated to occur after a people for God had
been taken out from the Gentiles, but mention of restoration for the Davidic
monarchy was omitted. The point of the
NT passage is not that the promise in Amos chapter 9 has been altered to
substitute Gentiles for Jews but that its fulfillment would take place after
the process of obtaining a body of redeemed people from the nations had been
completed.
The verbal similarity between the
NT text and that of the LXX indicates that either Yakov was speaking in Greek
and familiar with the LXX wording or that he spoke in Hebrew and cited a Hebrew
text that was verbally similar to that of the LXX. A third possibility is that the Geek text was
written by Luke some years later, and he chose to use the LXX wording rather
than create his own translation.
Notes
1 Zech 14:5 – And you will flee by the valley
of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel. Yes, you will flee just as you fled before
the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then YHWH my God will come; all sacred ones
are with Him.
2 Note that the Masoretic vocalization
increases the first vowel from a tsere to a qammetz. This is a result of pausal lengthening for
cantillation, not the loss of the ה
for a definite article.
3 A
Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, by Francis Brown, S. R.
Driver, and Charles Briggs, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, reprinted 1974), s.v. ‘.¤r¤t.’ (Identified hereafter as BDB.)
4 Manners And Customs of the Bible, by
James M. Feeman (Logos International, 1972), s.v., 'Amos.'
5 Biblia
Hebraica, Foreword to the 3rd edition by Paul Khale, (Suttgart:
Württemburgische Bibelanstalt, 7th edition, 1951), s.v., Amos 9.
6 One interpreter I have read has suggested
that sh¼°u¨S ,Ë‹Fªx is a reference to the tent in which
the ark of the covenant had been placed prior to the construction of the
temple. However, neither that tent nor
the original tabernacle were ever described as a v‹Fªx in
scripture.
7 In order
that they (the returning Israelites) might inherit the remnant of Edom and all
of the nations over whom my name is called....
8 A second possibility is that the Masoretic
vocalization is in error and Edom should be Adam. The resulting translation would then
become: In order that the remnant of Adam,
even all of the nations over whom my name is called, might be inherited....
9 C.f.,
Ecc 8:11: Because the judgment
against evil is not carried out quickly, the hearts of men are filled within
them to practice evil.
10 The
derived usage requires a predicate complement introduced by kt, kg, or -k, so this
meaning is not appropriate here.
11 Perhaps this promise connected with the restoration
of the fallen booth of David can be understood as a promise for the
reunification of all 12 tribes at that time. In point of fact, the newly formed Sanhedrin
is now debating whether the modern state of Israel must be divided into the
tribal areas with family allotments of land assigned to the residents of those
areas.
12 Septuaginta,
two volumes. Edited by Alfred Rhalfs
(Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935. Reprinted, 1971)
13 I.e., Edom was read as Adam,
and Adam was understood as a collective noun.
14 Greek New Testament, (United Bible
Society, 2nd Edition)
15 The New Testament, Translated
from Greek into Hebrew by Professor Franz Delitzsch (British and Foreign Bible
Society, 1969)
16 Even in Yakov's day there were at least three
different approaches to the religion of the Jews – the Pharisees, the
Sadducees, and the Essenes. Acts 15 does
not attempt to define the details of Jewish practice expected beyond that of
circumcision and observance of the Torah of Moses.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A Hebrew and English Lexicon of
the Old Testamemnt, by Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles
Briggs. Oxford: Clarendon Press, reprinted
1974.
Biblia Hebraica. Suttgart: Württemburgische Bibelanstalt, 7th
edition, 1951.
Greek New Testament, United Bible Society, 2nd
Edition
Manners And Customs of the Bible, by James M. Feeman.
Logos International, 1972.
The New Testament,
Translated from Greek into Hebrew by Professor Franz Deilitsch (British and
Foreign Bible Society, 1969)
Septuaginta, two
volumes. Edited by Alfred Rhalfs.
Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935.
Reprinted, 1971.
