Amos 6 · Verse 2

Amos 6:2

Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
Amos 6:2, King James Version

Amos 6:2 in other translations

BSBCross over to Calneh and see; go from there to the great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?
WEBGo to Calneh, and see. From there go to Hamath the great. Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Is their border greater than your border?
ASVPass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines: are they better than these kingdoms? or is their border greater than your border?
YLTPass ye over to Calneh and see, And go thence to Hamath the great, And go down to Gath of the Philistines, Are they better than these kingdoms? Greater is their border than your border?
DARBYPass unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go to Hamath the great; and go down to Gath of the Philistines: are they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
BBEGo on to Calneh and see; and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines: are you better than these kingdoms? or is your land wider than theirs?
WebsterPass ye to Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: are they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

What does Amos 6:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. Calneh--on the east bank of the Tigris. Once powerful, but recently subjugated by Assyria (Is 10:9; about 794 B.C.). Hameth--subjugated by Jeroboam II (2Ki 14:25). Also by Assyria subsequently (2Ki 18:34). Compare Am 6:14. Gath--subjugated by Uzziah (2Ch 26:6). be they better--no. Their so recent subjugation renders it needless for Me to tell you they are not. And yet they once were; still they could not defend themselves against the enemy. How vain, then, your secure confidence in the strength of Mounts Zion and Samaria! He takes cities respectively east, north, south, and west of Israel (compare Na 3:8).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Pass ye unto Calneh - This is, says Calmet, the Ctesiphon on the river Tigris. Hamath - The same as Emesa. Hamath was a city on the Orontes, in Syria. Gath - A well-known town, and head of one of the five seignories of the Philistines. Be they better - You have no more reason to expect exemption from the consequences of your sins than they had. They have been punished; so shall you. Why then will ye trust in their gods, that could not save their own cities?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Amos 6:1-7

Those are looked upon as doing well for themselves, who do well for their bodies; but we are here told what their ease is, and what their woe is. Here is a description of the pride, security, and sensuality, for which God would reckon. Careless sinners are every where in danger; but those at ease in Zion, who are stupid, vainly confident, and abusing their privileges, are in the greatest danger. Yet many fancy…

Read the full comment on Amos 6:1-7 →

Amos 6:2 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.

עִבְר֤וּ'iv.Rupass overH5674
כַֽלְנֵה֙khal.NehCalnehH3641
וּרְא֔וּu.re.'Uand seeH7200
וּלְכ֥וּu.le.Khuand goH1980
מִשָּׁ֖םmi.Shamfrom thereH8033
חֲמַ֣תcha.MatHamath-H2579
רַבָּ֑הra.BahRabbahH2579
וּרְד֣וּu.re.Duand go downH3381
גַת\־gat-GathH1661
פְּלִשְׁתּ֗יםpe.lish.Tmof [the] PhilistinesH6430
הֲטוֹבִים֙ha.to.Vim¿ [are they] goodH2896
מִן\־min-more thanH4480
הַמַּמְלָכ֣וֹתha.mam.la.Khotthe kingdomsH4467
הָאֵ֔לֶּהha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
אִם\־'im-or?H518
רַ֥בravgreatH7227
גְּבוּלָ֖םge.vu.Lam[is] territory theirH1366
מִגְּבֻלְכֶֽם\׃mi.ge.vul.Khemmore than territory yourH1366

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

Cross references for Amos 6:2

  • Nahum 3:8

    Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?

  • Genesis 10:10

    And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

  • 2 Kings 18:34

    Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

  • 2 Chronicles 26:6

    And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.

  • Isaiah 10:9-11

    Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus? As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

  • 1 Samuel 17:4

    And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

  • 1 Samuel 17:23

    And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

  • 2 Kings 19:13

    Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?

  • Isaiah 37:12-13

    Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

  • Jeremiah 2:10-11

    For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

  • 1 Kings 8:65

    And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.

  • Ezekiel 31:2-3

    Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness? Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pass.
Jer 2:10,11; Na 3:8
Calneh.
Ge 10:10; Isa 10:9
Calno.
Hamath.
2Ki 17:24,30; 18:34; 19:13
Gath.
1Sa 17:4,23; 2Ch 26:6
better.
Isa 10:9-11; 36:18,19; 37:12,13; Eze 31:2,3; Na 3:8

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

Context

  • Amos 6:1

    Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

  • Amos 6:2

    Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

  • Amos 6:3

    Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

Read all of Amos 6

Amos 6:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Pasad á Calne, y mirad; y de allí id á la gran Hamath; descended luego á Gath de los Palestinos: ved si son aquellos reinos mejores que estos reinos, si su término es mayor que vuestro término.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Passez à Calné, et voyez; et, de là, allez à Hamath la grande, et descendez à Gath des Philistins: sont-elles meilleures que ces royaumes-ci? Est-ce que leur frontière est plus étendue que votre frontière?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Gehet hinüber nach Kalne und sehet, und gehet von dort nach Hamath, der großen Stadt, und steiget hinab nach Gath der Philister: sind sie vorzüglicher als diese Königreiche, oder ist ihr Gebiet größer als euer Gebiet?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Transite in Chalane, et videte, et ite inde in Emath magnam, et descendite in Geth Palæstinorum, et ad optima quæque regna horum: si latior terminus eorum termino vestro est.