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Amos 1:10

in Amos 1

So I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre to consume its citadels.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

KJV

But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.

This verse in Amos 1

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus,.... An enemy to destroy the walls of it: this was done either by Shalmaneser king of the Assyrians, in the times of Eulaeus king of the Tyrians, of whose expedition against it Josephus (s) makes mention: or by Nebuchadnezzar, who took it after thirteen years' siege of it, in the time of Ithobalus (t): or by Alexander, by whom it was taken, as Curtius (u) relates, after it had been besieged seven months: which shall devour the palaces thereof; of the governor, the great men and merchants in it.

This site's exposition

For three transgressions of Tyre

on Amos 1:9-10

Tyre shares Gaza's crime, "they delivered up a whole congregation of exiles to Edom," and adds a second charge. They "broke a covenant of brotherhood," and 1 Kings 5:12 records the treaty between Hiram of Tyre and Solomon. At 1 Kings 9:13 Hiram calls Solomon his brother.

This site's exposition

send fire upon the walls of Tyre

John Gill names three possible fulfilments: Shalmaneser of Assyria, of whom Josephus writes, Nebuchadnezzar after a siege of thirteen years, and Alexander after seven months. Adam Clarke joins the last two, pointing to Ezekiel 26:7-14, and adds that the city became a place for fishermen to spread their nets.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Amos · Written before 420.

(Verse 9, 10.) Thus says the Lord: Because of three crimes of Tyre, and because of four, I will not revoke my decision, because they delivered up a complete captivity to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood, I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it will consume its palaces. LXX: Thus says the Lord: Because of three acts of impiety of Tyre, and because of four, I will not turn away from it, because they delivered up the captivity of Solomon to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus - The destructive fire or siege by Nebuchadnezzar, which lasted thirteen years, and ended in the destruction of this ancient city; see on Eze 26:7-14 (note), as above. It was finally ruined by Alexander, and is now only a place for a few poor fishermen to spread their nets upon.
I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre - Tyre had long ere this become tributary to Assyria. Asshur-ban-ipal (about 930 b.c.,) records his “taking tribute from the kings of all the chief Phoenician cities as Tyre, Sidon, Biblus and Aradus” . His son Shalmanubar records his taking tribute from them in his 21st year about 880, b.c.), as did Ivalush III , and after this time Tiglath-pileser II , the same who took Damascus and carried off its people, as also the east and north of Israel. The Phoenicians had aided Benhadad, in his unsuccessful war or rebellion against Shalmanubar , but their city had received no hurt. There was nothing, in the time of Amos, to indicate any change of policy in the Assyrian conquerors. They had been content hitherto with tribute from their distant dependencies; they had spared them, even when in arms against them. Yet Amos says absolutely in the name of God, “I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre,” and the fire did fall, first from Shalamaneser or Sargon his successor, and then from Nebuchadnezzar. The Tyrians (as is men’s custom) inserted in their annals their successes, or the successful resistance which they made for a time. They relate that , “Elulaeus, king of Tyre, reduced the Kittiaeans (Cypriotes) who had revolted. The king of Assyria invaded all Phoenicia, and returned, having made peace with all. Sidon and Ace and old Tyre, and many other cities revolted from the Tyrians, and surrendered to the king of Assyria. Tyre then not obeying, the king returned against them, the Phoenicians manning 60 ships for him.” These, he says, were dispersed, 500 prisoners taken; the honor of Tyre intensified. “The king of Assyria, removing, set guards at the river and aqueducts, to hinder the Tyrians from drawing water. This they endured for 5 years, drinking from the wells sunk.” The Tyrian annalist does not relate the sequel. […]

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

for pursuing their brother with a sword —As it is said: (Num.:18) “Lest I go forth against you with the sword.” And he still clings to his anger, keeps his wrath, and has not retracted it.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Amos 1:11:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

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

6 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְשִׁלַּ֥חְתִּיand I will send forth

    veshilachtiH7971 →845 times

  • אֵ֖שׁa fire

    ʾeshH784 →378 times

  • בְּח֣וֹמַתon [the] wall of

    bechomatH2346 →133 times

  • צֹ֑רTyre

    tzorH6865 →

  • וְאָכְלָ֖הand it will consume

    veakhelahH398 →810 times

  • אַרְמְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃ פfortresses its

    ʾarmenoteihaH759 →32 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Zechariah 9:4

    Behold, the Lord will impoverish her and cast her wealth into the sea, and she will be consumed by fire.

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 28:18

      By the multitude of your iniquities and the dishonesty of your trading you have profaned your sanctuaries. So I made fire come from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes…

  • Through

    Amos 1:7

    So I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza, to consume its citadels.

    it leads to

    • Zephaniah 2:4

      For Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon left in ruins. Ashdod will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be uprooted.

    • 2 Kings 18:8

      He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.

    • Jeremiah 47:1

      This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet about the Philistines before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.

    • Jeremiah 25:18–20

      to make them a ruin, an object of horror and contempt and cursing, as they are to this day—Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials;

    • Zechariah 9:5–7

      Ashkelon will see and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, as will Ekron, for her hope will wither. There will cease to be a king in Gaza, and Ashkelon will be uninhabited.

  • Through

    Ezekiel 26:12

    They will plunder your wealth and pillage your merchandise. They will demolish your walls, tear down your beautiful homes, and throw your stones and timber and soil into the water.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 23:8

      Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?

  • Through

    Amos 1:4

    So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael to consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 49:27

      “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-hadad.”

Where this verse is studied

About Amos

The Prophet Amos — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
The Prophet Amos — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

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; Jerome, Commentary on Amos; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.