Amos 2:1

KJV1611 – Modern English

Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה עַל־שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ פִּשְׁעֵ֣י מוֹאָ֔ב וְעַל־אַרְבָּעָ֖ה לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ עַל־שָׂרְפ֛וֹ עַצְמ֥וֹת מֶֽלֶךְ־אֱד֖וֹם לַשִּֽׂיד׃

Transliteration

kōh ʾāmar YHWH upon-šəlōšāh pišʿê môʾāb wə-upon-ʾarbāʿāh lōʾ ʾăšîbennû upon-śārəpô ʿaṣəmôt melek-ʾĕdôm laśśîd

Grammar Details

• *kōh*: adverb - thus/so
• *ʾāmar*: perfect, 3rd masculine singular - said/speaks
• *YHWH*: divine name - Yahweh/LORD
• *šəlōšāh*: cardinal number, masculine - three
• *pišʿê*: construct masculine plural of *pešaʿ* - transgressions/rebellions of
• *môʾāb*: proper noun - Moab
• *wə*: conjunction - and
• *ʾarbāʿāh*: cardinal number, masculine - four
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *ʾăšîbennû*: hiphil imperfect 1st singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix - I will not turn it back/revoke it
• *śārəpô*: infinitive construct with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his burning
• *ʿaṣəmôt*: feminine plural construct - bones of
• *melek*: masculine singular construct - king of
• *ʾĕdôm*: proper noun - Edom
• *laśśîd*: preposition + definite article + noun - to the lime/ash

Word Meanings

• *pišʿê*: transgressions/rebellions/crimes
• *ʾăšîbennû*: I will not turn it back/revoke it/reverse it
• *śārəpô*: his burning/calcining
• *laśśîd*: to lime/to ash/to dust/to calcium oxide (material used in plaster)

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  This is what the LORD says: 'For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom.'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thus saith{H559} Jehovah:{H3068} For three{H7969} transgressions{H6588} of Moab,{H4124} yea, for four,{H702} I will not turn away{H7725} the punishment thereof; because he burned{H8313} the bones{H6106} of the king{H4428} of Edom{H123} into lime:{H7875}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thus saith{H559}{(H8804)} the LORD{H3068}; For three{H7969} transgressions{H6588} of Moab{H4124}, and for four{H702}, I will not turn away{H7725}{(H8686)} the punishment thereof; because he burned{H8313}{(H8800)} the bones{H6106} of the king{H4428} of Edom{H123} into lime{H7875}:

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Thus sayeth the LORDE: For thre and foure wickednesses off Moab, I will not spare him: because he brent the bones off the kynge of Edom to asshes.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Thus sayth the Lorde, For three transgressions of Moab, and for foure, I will not turne to it, because it burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Thus sayth the Lorde, For three wickednesses of Moab, & for foure I will not spare him: because he burnt the bones of the king of Edom into lime.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ¶ Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Moab, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime;

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Moab, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of his burning the bones of the king of Edom to lime,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Moab, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Moab, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  These are the words of the Lord: For three crimes of Moab, and for four, I will not let its fate be changed; because he had the bones of the king of Edom burned to dust.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Moab, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime;

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  This is what the LORD says:“Because Moab has committed three crimes– make that four!– I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They burned the bones of Edom’s king into lime.

Referenced Verses

• Zeph 2:8-9 : 8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, by which they have reproached my people and magnified themselves against their border. 9 Therefore as I live, says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even a breeding of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation: the remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
• Jer 48:1-9 : 1 Against Moab, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe to Nebo, for it is ruined; Kiriathaim is confounded and captured; Misgab is confounded and dismayed. 2 There shall be no more praise of Moab. In Heshbon they have devised evil against it: 'Come, and let us cut it off from being a nation.' You too shall be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue you. 3 A voice of crying shall be heard from Horonaim, plundering and great destruction. 4 Moab is destroyed; her little ones have set up a cry. 5 For on the ascent of Luhith they will go up with continual weeping; for on the descent of Horonaim, the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. 6 Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. 7 Because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures, you shall also be taken; and Chemosh shall go into captivity with his priests and his princes together. 8 And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape; the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD has spoken. 9 Give wings to Moab, that it may flee and get away; for its cities shall be desolate, without any to dwell in them. 10 Cursed be he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he who keeps back his sword from blood. 11 Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into captivity; therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is unchanged. 12 Therefore behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will send to him wanderers, who shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels and break their bottles. 13 And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence. 14 How do you say, 'We are mighty and strong men for the war'? 15 Moab is plundered, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter, says the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 16 The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hastens quickly. 17 All you who are around him, bemoan him; and all you who know his name say, 'How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod!' 18 You daughter who inhabits Dibon, come down from your glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon you, and he shall destroy your strongholds. 19 O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and watch; ask him who flees and her who escapes, 'What has happened?' 20 Moab is confounded, for it is broken down. Howl and cry; tell it in Arnon, that Moab is plundered. 21 Judgment has come upon the plain country: upon Holon, Jahazah, and Mephaath, 22 And upon Dibon, Nebo, and Bethdiblathaim, 23 And upon Kiriathaim, Bethgamul, and Bethmeon, 24 And upon Kerioth, Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near. 25 The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, says the LORD. 26 Make him drunk, for he magnified himself against the LORD. Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and also he shall be in derision. 27 For was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For whenever you spoke of him, you skipped for joy. 28 You who dwell in Moab, leave the cities and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that makes her nest in the sides of the holes' mouth. 29 We have heard the pride of Moab (he is exceedingly proud), his loftiness, and his arrogance, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart. 30 I know his wrath, says the LORD, but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it. 31 Therefore I will howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; my heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres. 32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for you with the weeping of Jazer; your plants are gone over the sea, they reach to the sea of Jazer; the spoiler has fallen upon your summer fruits and upon your vintage. 33 Joy and gladness are taken from the plentiful field and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses; none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting. 34 From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh and to Jahaz they have uttered their voice, from Zoar to Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old; for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate. 35 Moreover, I will cause to cease in Moab, says the LORD, him who offers in the high places, and him who burns incense to his gods. 36 Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and my heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres, because the riches he has acquired are perished. 37 For every head shall be bald and every beard clipped; upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth. 38 There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab and in its streets, for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure, says the LORD. 39 They shall howl, saying, 'How it is broken down! How has Moab turned his back with shame!' So Moab shall be a derision and a dismaying to all those around him. 40 For thus says the LORD: Behold, he shall fly like an eagle and shall spread his wings over Moab. 41 Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab in that day shall be like the heart of a woman in her pangs. 42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnified himself against the LORD. 43 Fear, the pit, and the snare shall be upon you, O inhabitant of Moab, says the LORD. 44 He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit, and he who gets out of the pit shall be taken in the snare; for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, says the LORD. 45 Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force; but a fire shall come out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones. 46 Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh perish, for your sons are taken captive and your daughters captive. 47 Yet I will bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days, says the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
• Ezek 25:8-9 : 8 Thus says the Lord GOD; Because Moab and Seir say, Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations; 9 Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim,
• Isa 15:1-9 : 1 The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence. 2 He has gone up to Bajith and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall wail over Nebo and over Medeba; on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off. 3 In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth; on the tops of their houses and in their streets, everyone shall wail, weeping abundantly. 4 And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even to Jahaz; therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous to him. 5 My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee to Zoar, like a heifer of three years old: for by the ascent of Luhith with weeping shall they go up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction. 6 For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate; for the hay is withered away, the grass fails, there is no green thing. 7 Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have stored up, they shall carry away to the brook of the willows. 8 For the cry has gone around the borders of Moab; its wailing to Eglaim, and its wailing to Beerelim. 9 For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood; for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapes of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land.
• Isa 25:10 : 10 For on this mountain the hand of the LORD will rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under Him, as straw is trodden down for the refuse heap.
• 2 Kgs 3:26-27 : 26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. 27 Then he took his eldest son, who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land.
• Amos 1:3 : 3 Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have threshed Gilead with instruments of iron:
• Amos 2:4 : 4 Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept His commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after which their fathers walked:
• Amos 2:6 : 6 Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes:
• Mic 6:5 : 5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the LORD.
• Amos 1:6 : 6 Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom:
• Amos 1:9 : 9 Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and did not remember the brotherly covenant:
• Amos 1:11 : 11 Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever:
• Amos 1:13 : 13 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:
• Ps 83:4-7 : 4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be remembered no more. 5 For they have conspired together with one accord: they are allied against you: 6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagrites; 7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
• Prov 15:3 : 3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good.
• Isa 11:14 : 14 But they shall swoop down upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; together they shall plunder the people of the east: they shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
• Num 22:1-9 : 1 And the children of Israel set out, and camped in the plains of Moab on this side of the Jordan by Jericho. 2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many; and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. 4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now this company will lick up all around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 He sent messengers therefore to Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Look, a people has come out of Egypt; see, they cover the face of the earth, and they dwell opposite me. 6 Come now therefore, I pray you, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me: perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed. 7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. 8 And he said to them, Stay here this night, and I will bring word again to you, as the LORD shall speak to me: and the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 And God came to Balaam, and said, Who are these men with you? 10 And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11 Look, a people has come out of Egypt, which covers the face of the earth; come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. 12 And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people: for they are blessed. 13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go back to your land: for the LORD refuses to let me go with you. 14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak and said, Balaam refuses to come with us. 15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they. 16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray you, hinder you from coming to me: 17 For I will promote you to very great honor, and I will do whatever you say to me: come therefore, I pray you, curse this people for me. 18 And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more. 19 Now therefore, I pray you, stay here this night also, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me. 20 And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men come to call you, rise up, and go with them; but only the word which I shall say to you, that shall you do. 21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. 22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the way. 24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he struck her again.
• Deut 23:4-5 : 4 Because they did not meet you with bread and water on the way, when you came out of Egypt; and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam; but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loved you.
• 2 Kgs 3:9 : 9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, and they made a circuit of seven days' journey. And there was no water for the army and the cattle that followed them.