Amos 4 · Verse 2

Amos 4:2

The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

Amos 4:2, King James Version

Amos 4:2 in other translations

BSB	The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness: “Behold, the days are coming when you will be taken away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
WEB	The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness, “Behold, the days shall come on you that they will take you away with hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks.
ASV	The Lord Jehovah hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that they shall take you away with hooks, and your residue with fish-hooks.
YLT	Sworn hath the Lord Jehovah by His holiness, That lo, days are coming upon you, And he hath taken you away with hooks, And your posterity with fish-hooks.
DARBY	the Lord Jehovah hath sworn by his holiness, that behold, days shall come upon you, when he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fish-hooks;
BBE	The Lord God has taken an oath by his holy name, that the days are coming when they will take you away with hooks, and the rest of you with fish-hooks.
Webster	The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fish-hooks,

What does Amos 4:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

2. The Lord--the same Hebrew as "masters" (Am 4:1). Israel's nobles say to their master or lord, Bring us drink: but "the Lord" of him and them "hath sworn," &c. by his holiness--which binds Him to punish the guilty (Psa 89:35). he will take yon away--that is God by the instrumentality of the enemy. with hooks--literally, "thorns" (compare 2Ch 33:11). As fish are taken out of the water by hooks, so the Israelites are to be taken out of their cities by the enemy (Eze 29:4; compare Job 41:1, 2; Jr 16:16; Ha 1:15). The image is the more appropriate, as anciently captives were led by their conquerors by a hook made to pass through the nose (2Ki 19:28), as is to be seen in the Assyrian remains.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 He will take you away with hooks - Two modes of fishing are here alluded to: 1. Angling with rod, line, and baited hook. 2. That with the gaff, eel-spear, harpoon, or such like; the first used in catching small fish, by which the common people may be here represented; the second, for catching large fish, such as leave the sea, and come up the rivers to deposit their spawn; or such as are caught in the sea, as sharks, whales, dolphins, and even the hippopotamus, to which the more powerful and opulent inhabitants may be likened. But as the words in the text are generally feminine, it has been supposed that the prophecy is against the proud, powerful, voluptuous women. I rather think that the prophet speaks catachrestically; and means men of effeminate manners and idle lives. They are not the bulls of Bashan, but the cows; having little of the manly character remaining. Some understand the latter word as meaning a sort of basket or wicker fish-nets.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Amos 4:1-5

What is got by extortion is commonly used to provide for the flesh, and to fulfil the lusts thereof. What is got by oppression cannot be enjoyed with satisfaction. How miserable are those whose confidence in unscriptural observances only prove that they believe a lie! Let us see to it that our faith, hope, and worship, are warranted by the Divine word.

Read the full comment on Amos 4:1-5 →

Amos 4:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

נִשְׁבַּ֨עnish.Ba'he has swornH7650

אֲדֹנָ֤י'a.do.Nai[the] LordH136

יְהוִה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3069

בְּקָדְשׁ֔וֹbe.ka.de.Shoby holiness hisH6944

כִּ֛יkiforH3588

הִנֵּ֥הhi.Nehhere!H2009

יָמִ֖יםya.MimdaysH3117

בָּאִ֣יםba.'Im[are] comingH935

עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם'a.lei.Khemon youH5921

וְנִשָּׂ֤אve.ni.Sa'and someone will take awayH5375

אֶתְכֶם֙'et.Khem<obj.> youH853

בְּצִנּ֔וֹתbe.tzi.Notwith barbsH6793

וְאַחֲרִיתְכֶ֖ןve.'a.cha.ri.te.Khenand posterity yourH319

בְּסִיר֥וֹתbe.si.Rotwith hooks ofH5518

דּוּגָֽה\׃du.GahfishingH1729

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Amos 4:2

Jeremiah 16:16
Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
Psalms 89:35
Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
Habakkuk 1:15-16
They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
Isaiah 37:29
Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
Amos 6:8
The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.
Ezekiel 39:4-5
Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

hath sworn.
6:8
See on
Ps 89:35
he will.
Isa 37:29; Jer 16:16; Eze 39:4,5; Hab 1:15,16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Amos 4:1
Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.
Amos 4:2
The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
Amos 4:3
And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the Lord.

Read all of Amos 4

Amos 4:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	El Señor Jehová juró por su santidad: He aquí, vienen días sobre vosotros en que os llevará en anzuelos, y á vuestros descendientes en barquillos de pescador.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Le Seigneur, l’ Éternel, a juré par sa sainteté, que, voici, des jours viennent sur vous, où il vous enlèvera avec des hameçons, et votre postérité avec des haims de pêche.
German Elberfelder 1871	Geschworen hat der Herr, Jehova, bei seiner Heiligkeit: Siehe, Tage werden über euch kommen, da man euch an Haken wegschleppen wird, und euren Rest an Fischerangeln.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Juravit Dominus Deus in sancto suo, quia ecce dies venient super vos, et levabunt vos in contis, et reliquias vestras in ollis ferventibus.