Amos 1:13

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Thus says the LORD: 'For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke punishment, because they ripped open pregnant women in Gilead in order to enlarge their territory.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה עַל־שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ פִּשְׁעֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־עַמּ֔וֹן וְעַל־אַרְבָּעָ֖ה לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ עַל־בִּקְעָם֙ הָר֣וֹת הַגִּלְעָ֔ד לְמַ֖עַן הַרְחִ֥יב אֶת־גְּבוּלָֽם׃

Transliteration

Thus ʾāmar YHWH for-šəlōšāh pišʿê bənê-ʿammôn and-for-ʾarbāʿāh not ʾăšîbenû for-biqʿām hārôt haggilʿād for-purpose harḥîb ʾet-gəbûlām

Grammar Details

• *ʾāmar*: perfect, 3rd masculine singular - said/has said
• *YHWH*: proper name - LORD/Yahweh
• *šəlōšāh*: cardinal number, masculine - three
• *pišʿê*: construct state, masculine plural - transgressions of
• *bənê*: construct state, masculine plural - sons of
• *ʿammôn*: proper name - Ammon
• *ʾarbāʿāh*: cardinal number, masculine - four
• *ʾăšîbenû*: imperfect, 1st singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix - I will restore/turn back it
• *biqʿām*: infinitive construct with 3rd masculine plural suffix - their ripping up
• *hārôt*: feminine plural adjective - pregnant women
• *haggilʿād*: definite article + proper name - the Gilead
• *harḥîb*: infinitive construct, hiphil - to enlarge
• *gəbûlām*: masculine singular noun with 3rd masculine plural suffix - their territory

Word Meanings

• *pišʿê*: transgressions/rebellions/crimes
• *ʾăšîbenû*: I will not revoke/turn back/restore the punishment
• *biqʿām*: their ripping open/splitting/cutting open
• *hārôt*: pregnant women/women with child
• *harḥîb* *gəbûlām*: to enlarge their territory/expand their border

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of mon, 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:

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they ripped up the pregnant women of Gilead to enlarge their border:

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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:

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Thus sayeth the LORDE: For thre ad foure wickednesses of the children off Ammon, I will not spare them: because they rypte vp the wome greate with childe in Galaad, to make the borders of their londes the wyder.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Thus sayth ye Lord, For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for foure, I will not turne to it, because they haue ript vp the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Thus saith the Lord, For three wickednesses of the children of Ammon, and for foure I will not spare them: because they haue ript vp the women with childe of Gilead, that they might enlarge their borders.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; Because they have ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead, That they may enlarge their border.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of their ripping up the pregnant ones of Gilead, To enlarge their border,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  These are the words of the Lord: For three crimes of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not let its fate be changed; because in Gilead they had women with child cut open, so that they might make wider the limits of their land.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  This is what the LORD says:“Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes– make that four!– I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women so they could expand their territory.

Referenced Verses

• Ezek 25:2-7 : 2 Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 3 Say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Sovereign LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you said, 'Aha!' against my sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile, 4 therefore, I am handing you over to the people of the east as a possession. They will set up their camps among you and pitch their tents around you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5 I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and the land of the Ammonites a resting place for flocks. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 6 For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you clapped your hands, stomped your feet, and rejoiced with all the scorn in your heart against the land of Israel, 7 therefore, I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples, destroy you from the lands, and annihilate you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
• Jer 49:1-6 : 1 Concerning the children of Ammon, this is what the LORD says: Does Israel have no sons? Does he have no heir? Why then has their king taken possession of Gad, and why do his people dwell in its cities? 2 Therefore, behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites. It will become a desolate heap, and its villages will be burned with fire. Then Israel will take possession of those who dispossessed him, declares the LORD. 3 Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed! Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn. Wander around by the fences, for their king will go into exile, along with his priests and officials together. 4 Why do you boast of your valleys, your abundant valley, O rebellious daughter? You trust in your treasures and say, 'Who will come against me?' 5 Behold, I am bringing terror upon you from all around you, declares the Lord, the LORD of Hosts. You will be driven away, each man fleeing before him, with no one to gather the fugitives. 6 But afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the LORD.
• Isa 5:8 : 8 Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field until there is no room, and you live alone in the midst of the land.
• Zeph 2:8-9 : 8 I have heard the taunts of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have reproached My people and enlarged their borders. 9 Therefore, as surely as I live—declares the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel—Moab will become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual ruin. The remnant of My people will plunder them, and the survivors of My nation will inherit their land.
• Ezek 35:10 : 10 Because you said, 'These two nations and countries will be ours, and we will take possession of them,' even though the LORD was there,
• Amos 1:3 : 3 Thus says the LORD: 'For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke punishment, because they threshed Gilead with sharp implements of iron.'
• Hab 2:5-6 : 5 Indeed, because wine betrays, and an arrogant man is restless, enlarging his appetite like Sheol and never satisfied, he gathers all the nations to himself and collects all peoples as his own. 6 Will not all these take up a taunt against him, with mocking sayings and riddles? They will say, "Woe to him who amasses what is not his! How long will this go on? And who weighs himself down with stolen goods?"
• Ezek 21:28 : 28 And to them it will seem like a false divination in their eyes, because they have taken oaths of allegiance. But he will remind them of their guilt and seize them.
• Deut 2:19 : 19 When you come near the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to conflict, for I will not give you any land of the Ammonites as a possession because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as their possession.'
• Deut 23:3-4 : 3 No one born of an illegitimate union may enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD. 4 No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation; none of their descendants may ever enter the assembly of the LORD.
• Judg 10:7-9 : 7 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites. 8 They crushed and oppressed the Israelites that year. For eighteen years, they oppressed all the Israelites who were on the east side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9 The Ammonites also crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, and Israel was greatly distressed.
• Judg 11:15-28 : 15 Jephthah said to him, 'This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.' 16 For when they came up from Egypt, Israel traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and arrived at Kadesh. 17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 'Please let us pass through your land,' but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent to the king of Moab, but he refused. So Israel stayed in Kadesh. 18 Then they journeyed through the wilderness, went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came to the east side of the land of Moab. They camped on the other side of the Arnon but did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19 Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who was king of Heshbon, and said to him, 'Let us pass through your land to our destination.' 20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his land. Instead, he gathered all his people, camped at Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21 The Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into Israel’s hand, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who lived in that territory. 22 They took possession of the entire region of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. 23 Now the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites before His people Israel. Would you now take possession of it? 24 Do you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, we will take possession of whatever the Lord our God has driven out before us. 25 Are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive or fight against Israel? 26 While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, in Aroer and its villages, and in all the towns along the Arnon for three hundred years, why didn’t you recover them during that time? 27 I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. May the Lord, the Judge, judge today between the Israelites and the Ammonites. 28 But the king of the Ammonites would not listen to the message Jephthah sent to him.
• 1 Sam 11:1-2 : 1 Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you." 2 Nahash the Ammonite answered them, "On this condition I will make a treaty with you: by gouging out everyone's right eye, bringing disgrace on all Israel."
• 2 Sam 10:1-8 : 1 After this, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. 2 Then David said, 'I will show kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.' So David sent his servants to console Hanun about his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites, 3 the officials of the Ammonites said to Hanun, their lord, 'Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending comforters to you? Isn’t it rather to investigate, spy out the city, and overthrow it that David has sent his servants to you?' 4 So Hanun seized David's servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, exposing their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When this was reported to David, he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, 'Stay at Jericho until your beards grow back, and then return.' 6 When the Ammonites realized they had become odious to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and twelve thousand men from Tob. 7 When David heard of this, he sent Joab and all the army of mighty warriors. 8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob, along with the men of Tob and Maacah, were stationed by themselves in the open field.
• 2 Kgs 24:2 : 2 The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites. He sent them to destroy Judah, fulfilling the word of the LORD spoken through His servants, the prophets.
• 2 Chr 20:1 : 1 After this, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and some of the Ammonites joined forces and came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
• 2 Chr 20:10 : 10 'But now, here are the men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whose land you would not let Israel invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them.'
• Neh 2:19 : 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arabian heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. They said, "What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"
• Neh 4:7-9 : 7 So I stationed people in the lowest parts behind the wall, in the open areas, and I positioned them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. 8 Then I saw what was happening; I stood and addressed the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, 'Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.' 9 When our enemies realized that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated their plans, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work. 10 From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The leaders stood behind all the people of Judah. 11 Those who were building the wall and those who carried loads were doing their work with one hand while holding a weapon with the other. 12 Every builder had his sword strapped to his side as he worked, and the one who sounded the trumpet stood beside me. 13 So I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, 'The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from one another along the wall.' 14 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, gather to us there. Our God will fight for us. 15 We continued the work, with half of the men holding spears, from the break of dawn until the stars came out. 16 At that time, I also said to the people, 'Let every man and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can be our guard by night and work by day.' 17 Neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each kept his weapon, even when going for water.
• Ps 83:7 : 7 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,