Amos 1:3-5 – Damascus Is Judged

1:3 Thus says Yahweh: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. 4 So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael that will consume the strongholds of Ben-hadad. 5 I will break down the gates of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,” says Yahweh.

Damascus was the capital city of Syria (or, Aram, as it was called then), a nation to the northeast of Israel and Judah. During the reigns of David and Solomon Syria paid tribute to Israel, but with the separation of Israel into two nations, Israel and Judah, and the growth of idol worship in each nation, God was weakening them and Syria was rebelling and seeking dominance over the two nations.

2 Kings 10:32,33 tells us during the reign of Jehu in Israel, “At about that time Yahweh began to cut down the size of Israel’s territory. King Hazael conquered several sections of the country east of the Jordan River, including all of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh. He conquered the area from the town of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge to as far north as Gilead and Bashan.”

In 2 Kings 13, during the reign of Jehoahaz, Jehu’s son, Syria made a further incursion into Gilead and soundly defeated Jehoahaz’ army, decimating them, threshing them, “trampling them like dust under his feet” (verse 7).

“For three…and for four” was a way to say an indefinite number of sins Damascus had committed. So good for Yahweh, that He was going to punish Damascus/Syria for this sin with a figurative fire that would consume the fortresses of Hazael and his son Ben-hadad. His important cities, Damascus and Beth-eden would have their walls breached and their inhabitants open to slaughter. This was fulfilled, according to 2 Kings 16:9, “So the king of Assyria attacked the Aramean capital of Damascus and led its population away as captives, resettling them in Kir.”

This would make Israel happy. We would be happy if God brought down our enemies. Score one for Yahweh and His prophet Amos.