Amos 1:11-2:3, Judgment on Edom, Ammon and Moab

1:11 Thus says Yahweh: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and showed him no mercy, and his anger was unrelenting, he kept his wrath forever. 12 So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it will devour the strongholds of Bozrah.”

13 Thus says Yahweh: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. 14 So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour her strongholds. There will be shouting on the day of battle, like a tempest in the day of the whirlwind; 15 and their king shall go into exile, he and his princes together,” says Yahweh.

2:1 Thus says Yahweh: “For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. 2 So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet; 3 I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and will kill all its princes with him,” says Yahweh.

Now Amos has prophecies from Yahweh against the three nations immediately to the east and south of Israel and Judah, on the other side of the Jordan River.  Edom is another name for Esau, Jacob’s fraternal twin brother, whom Jacob deceived to get his father’s blessing and the birthright. Though previously a client nation of Israel, Edom has become independent and has waged war against Israel. They should have had compassion for their relatives, but they did not, showing no mercy. They had a deep-seated anger against Israel, and it would not be satisfied. So, once again, God will send the fire on her, as represented by her two main cities, Teman and Bozrah. In fulfillment, Edom fell to Assyria and was overrun by the Nabateans.

Amos skips over Moab to prophesy against Ammon, to Moab’s north. Ammon and Moab were formed from the sons of Lot borne by his two daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:30-38). A sordid tale. In their constant attempts to enlarge their own territory, Ammon had committed war crimes, killing pregnant women of Gilead, the region belonging to Israel east of the Jordan. So once again, Yahweh will send fire against their major cities. Eventually, Assyria sacked the city of Rabbah and took large numbers of its citizens captive, and Ammon passed out of existence.

Finally, God is batting a thousand, as He announces punishment against Moab. There was a long history of conflict with Moab, but surprisingly, God is not angry with Moab for crimes against Israel. He is angry with Moab’s desecration of the body of Edom’s king. The punishment is fire or destruction of Moab’s major cities and all her rulers.

From the standpoint of Israel, “Way to go, Yahweh!”