Amos 1:6-10 Philistia and Tyre Judged

1:6 Thus says Yahweh: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom. 7 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds. 8 I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” says the Lord Yahweh.

9 Thus says Yahweh: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. 10 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds.”

Score two more for Yahweh and Amos. Israel and Judah’s enemies to the west and north. Judah had fought a war with the Philistines during the time of Uzziah, and they were quite successful, nearly eliminating the city of Gath, which is not mentioned here along with Philistia’s other major cities, Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Ekron. These seafarers who had likely come from Crete and colonized the western seaboard of Canaan, had carried Israelites into exile, as slaves, no doubt, and God was going to send that fire again, breaking down these stronghold cities. The inhabitants, and especially the scepter-holders, the rulers, would suffer defeat, a defeat so total that even the remnant of their people would perish.

And the same for Tyre, capital city of the Phoenicians, their neighbor to the north, also along the seacoast of the Mediterranean. They too captured Israelites, whom they then sold as slaves to Edom, the nation on Israels southeast. They had forgotten the covenant Hiram made with David. They went from being suppliers of wood for the building of the Temple in Jerusalem, to being unfaithful brothers who took advantage of Israel’s weakness.

This would be like Mexico and Canada raiding our country and gaining victory. We would be excited about God’s judgment on these nations for their turning on us.