Amos 1:13
in Amos 1This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border.
KJV
Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:
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This verse in Amos 1
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThus saith the Lord, for three transgressions of the children of Ammon,.... These are the descendants of Benammi, a son of Lots, by one of his daughters, Gen 19:38; are distinguished from the Ammonites, 2Ch 20:1; were near neighbours of the Jews, but great enemies to them, though akin: and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; See Gill on Amo 1:
This site's exposition
For three transgressions of the Ammonites
on Amos 1:13-15
Ammon "ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory," an atrocity. Fire falls on Rabbah "amid war cries on the day of battle," and the king goes into exile, "he and his princes together." With Ammon the oracles have circled Israel's borders.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
The [false teachers] are also to be admonished to consider well, how sacred Scripture is set up as a kind of lantern for us in the night of this life. When the words are not rightly understood, darkness is the result. And obviously, their perverse mind would not hurry them into a false understanding unless they were first inflated with pride. For while they think themselves wiser than others, they scorn to follow others in matters which these understand better.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
That which was foretold by them was to him as certain as if he had seen it with his bodily eyes. It intimates how strong he was in that faith which is the evidence of things not seen. The person by whom this prophecy was sent-- Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, and was one of them.
It is particularly threatened that their king and his princes shall go together into captivity, carried away by the king of Babylon, not long after Judah was. See what changes God's providence often makes with men, or rather their own sin; kings become captives, and princes prisoners.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Saul rescued Jabesh-gilead. The Ammonites joined the Chaldeans in their invasion of Judea for the sake of plunder. ripped up . . . women with-child--as Hazael of Syria also did (2Ki 8:12; compare Ho 13:16). Ammon's object in this cruel act was to leave Israel without "heir," so as to seize on Israel's inheritance (Jer 49:1).
The children of Ammon - The country of the Ammonites lay to the east of Jordan, in the neighborhood of Gilead. Rabbah was its capital. Because they have ripped up - This refers to some barbarous transaction well known in the time of this prophet, but of which we have no distinct mention in the sacred historians.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Ammon - These who receive their existence under circumstances, in any way like those of the first forefathers of Moab and Ammon, are known to be under physical as well as intellectual and moral disadvantages. Apart from the worst horrors, on the one side reason was stupefied, on the other it was active in sin. He who imprinted His laws on nature, has annexed the penalty to the infraction of those laws. It is known also how, even under the Gospel, the main character of a nation remains unchanged.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
they ripped up the pregnant woman of Gilead —They destroyed it and also ripped up their pregnant women so that no heir would remain who would contest the inheritance. And so does Scripture state: (Jer.:1) “Concerning the children of Ammon. So said the Lord: Has Israel no sons?
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
the palaces of Bozrah —It is between Moab and Edom, and it belonged to the land of Moab, but it was attracted to Edom.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֹּ֚ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ | sheloshah | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| פִּשְׁעֵ֣י | pishei | <the> transgressions of | H6588 → | 93 times |
| בְנֵֽי־ | venei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עַמּ֔וֹן | amon | Ammon | H5983 → | |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אַרְבָּעָ֖ה | ʾarbaah | four | H702 → | 318 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ | ʾashivenu | I will revoke it | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | because | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בִּקְעָם֙ | bikam | ripped open they | H1234 → | |
| הָר֣וֹת | harot | [the] pregnant [women] of | H2030 → | |
| הַגִּלְעָ֔ד | hagilad | <the> Gilead | H1568 → | |
| לְמַ֖עַן | lemaan | so as | H4616 → | 272 times |
| הַרְחִ֥יב | harchiv | to enlarge | H7337 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| גְּבוּלָֽם׃ | gevulam | territory their | H1366 → | 240 times |
כֹּ֚הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֣רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שְׁלֹשָׁה֙three
sheloshahH7969 →432 times
פִּשְׁעֵ֣י<the> transgressions of
pisheiH6588 →93 times
בְנֵֽי־[the] people of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
עַמּ֔וֹןAmmon
amonH5983 →
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
אַרְבָּעָ֖הfour
ʾarbaahH702 →318 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּI will revoke it
ʾashivenuH7725 →1056 times
עַל־because
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בִּקְעָם֙ripped open they
bikamH1234 →
הָר֣וֹת[the] pregnant [women] of
harotH2030 →
הַגִּלְעָ֔ד<the> Gilead
hagiladH1568 →
לְמַ֖עַןso as
lemaanH4616 →272 times
הַרְחִ֥יבto enlarge
harchivH7337 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
גְּבוּלָֽם׃territory their
gevulamH1366 →240 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hosea 13:16Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 15:16
At that time Menahem, starting from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in its vicinity, because they would not open their gates. So he attacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.
- 2 Kings 8:12
“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword,…
- Psalms 137:8–9
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
- Isaiah 13:16
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.
- 2 Kings 15:16
Through
Ezekiel 35:10Because you have said, ‘These two nations and countries will be ours, and we will possess them,’ even though the LORD was there,
it leads to
- Ezekiel 36:5
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Surely in My burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who took My land as their own possession…
- Psalms 83:4–12
saying, “Come, let us erase them as a nation; may the name of Israel be remembered no more.”
- Ezekiel 48:35
The perimeter of the city will be 18,000 cubits, and from that day on the name of the city will be: THE LORD IS THERE.”
- Psalms 48:1–3
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.
- Ezekiel 36:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Amos
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Gregory the Dialogist, PASTORAL CARE 3:24; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.