Amos 2:16

THE MESSAGE

God 's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Moab —make that four—I'm not putting up with her any longer. She violated the corpse of Edom's king, burning it to cinders. For that, I'm burning down Moab, burning down the forts of Kerioth. Moab will die in the shouting, go out in the blare of war trumpets. I'll remove the king from the center and kill all his princes with him." God 's Decree. God 's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Judah —make that four—I'm not putting up with them any longer. They rejected God 's revelation, refused to keep my commands. But they swallowed the same old lies that got their ancestors onto dead-end roads. For that, I'm burning down Judah, burning down all the forts of Jerusalem." God 's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Israel —make that four—I'm not putting up with them any longer. They buy and sell upstanding people. People for them are only things—ways of making money. They'd sell a poor man for a pair of shoes. They'd sell their own grandmother! They grind the penniless into the dirt, shove the luckless into the ditch. Everyone and his brother sleeps with the ‘sacred whore'— a sacrilege against my Holy Name. Stuff they've extorted from the poor is piled up at the shrine of their god, While they sit around drinking wine they've conned from their victims. "In contrast, I was always on your side. I destroyed the Amorites who confronted you, Amorites with the stature of great cedars, tough as thick oaks. I destroyed them from the top branches down. I destroyed them from the roots up. And yes, I'm the One who delivered you from Egypt, led you safely through the wilderness for forty years And then handed you the country of the Amorites like a piece of cake on a platter. I raised up some of your young men to be prophets, set aside your best youth for training in holiness. Isn't this so, Israel?" God 's Decree. "But you made the youth-in-training break training, and you told the young prophets, ‘Don't prophesy!' You're too much for me. I'm hard-pressed—to the breaking point. I'm like a wagon piled high and overloaded, creaking and groaning. "When I go into action, what will you do? There's no place to run no matter how fast you run. The strength of the strong won't count. Fighters won't make it. Skilled archers won't make it. Fast runners won't make it. Chariot drivers won't make it. Even the bravest of all your warriors Won't make it. He'll run off for dear life, stripped naked." God 's Decree.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Even the most courageous of the warriorswill flee naked on that day—

Hebrew Names Version
And he who is courageous among the mighty will flee away naked in that day," says the LORD.

King James Version
And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord .

English Standard Version
and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day," declares the Lord .

New American Standard Bible
"Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked on that day," declares the LORD.

New Century Version
At that time even the bravest warriors will run away without their armor," says the Lord .

Amplified Bible
"Even the bravest among the warriors shall flee naked on that day," says the LORD.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he that is of a mighty courage among the strong men, shall flee away naked in that day, sayth the Lord.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked in that day," declares the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
Even the most courageous of heart among the mighty men will flee naked in that day," declares Yahweh.

Berean Standard Bible
Even the bravest of mighty men will flee naked on that day," declares the LORD.

Contemporary English Version
You may be brave and strong, but you will run away, stripped naked. I, the Lord , have spoken!

Complete Jewish Bible
On that day even the bravest warriors will throw off their weapons and flee," says Adonai .

Darby Translation
and he that is stout-hearted among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith Jehovah.

Easy-to-Read Version
At that time even very brave soldiers will run away. They will not take the time to put their clothes on." This is what the Lord said.

George Lamsa Translation
And he who is courageous like a mighty man shall flee away naked in that day, says the LORD.

Good News Translation
On that day even the bravest soldiers will drop their weapons and run." The Lord has spoken.

Lexham English Bible
Even those who are strong of heart among the mighty will flee away naked from the city on that day. This is the declaration of Yahweh!"

Literal Translation
And the strong one in his heart among the mighty shall run away naked in that day, declares Jehovah.

American Standard Version
and he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
And he who is without fear among the fighting men will go in flight without his clothing in that day, says the Lord.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.

King James Version (1611)
And hee that is couragious among the mighty, shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he that is of mightie courage among the strong men, shal flee away naked in that day, sayth the Lorde.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the strong shall find no confidence in power: the naked shall flee away in that day, saith the Lord.

English Revised Version
and he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.

World English Bible
And he who is courageous among the mighty will flee away naked in that day," says Yahweh.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and a stronge man of herte schal fle nakid among stronge men in that dai, seith the Lord.

Update Bible Version
and he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, says Yahweh.

Webster's Bible Translation
And [he that is] courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.

New English Translation
Bravehearted warriors will run away naked in that day." The Lord is speaking!

New King James Version
The most courageous men of might Shall flee naked in that day," Says the LORD.

New Living Translation
On that day the most courageous of your fighting men will drop their weapons and run for their lives," says the Lord .

New Life Bible
Even the strongest of heart among the men of war will run away without clothes on that day," says the Lord.

New Revised Standard
and those who are stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, says the Lord .

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Nay, he that is stout in his heart, among heroes, naked, shall flee, in that day, Declareth Yahweh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the stout of heart among the valiant shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord.

Revised Standard Version
and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day," says the LORD.

Young's Literal Translation
And the courageous of heart among the mighty, Naked doth flee in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& he that is as maly of stomack as a giaunte, shall in that daye be fayne to runne his waye naked, sayeth the LORDE.

Contextual Overview

⁹"In contrast, I was always on your side. I destroyed the Amorites who confronted you, Amorites with the stature of great cedars, tough as thick oaks. I destroyed them from the top branches down. I destroyed them from the roots up. And yes, I'm the One who delivered you from Egypt, led you safely through the wilderness for forty years And then handed you the country of the Amorites like a piece of cake on a platter. I raised up some of your young men to be prophets, set aside your best youth for training in holiness. Isn't this so, Israel?" God 's Decree. ¹²"But you made the youth-in-training break training, and you told the young prophets, ‘Don't prophesy!' You're too much for me. I'm hard-pressed—to the breaking point. I'm like a wagon piled high and overloaded, creaking and groaning. ¹⁴"When I go into action, what will you do? There's no place to run no matter how fast you run. The strength of the strong won't count. Fighters won't make it. Skilled archers won't make it. Fast runners won't make it. Chariot drivers won't make it. Even the bravest of all your warriors Won't make it. He'll run off for dear life, stripped naked." God 's Decree. ¹⁶ God 's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Moab —make that four—I'm not putting up with her any longer. She violated the corpse of Edom's king, burning it to cinders. For that, I'm burning down Moab, burning down the forts of Kerioth. Moab will die in the shouting, go out in the blare of war trumpets. I'll remove the king from the center and kill all his princes with him." God 's Decree. God 's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Judah —make that four—I'm not putting up with them any longer. They rejected God 's revelation, refused to keep my commands. But they swallowed the same old lies that got their ancestors onto dead-end roads. For that, I'm burning down Judah, burning down all the forts of Jerusalem." God 's Message: "Because of the three great sins of Israel —make that four—I'm not putting up with them any longer. They buy and sell upstanding people. People for them are only things—ways of making money. They'd sell a poor man for a pair of shoes. They'd sell their own grandmother! They grind the penniless into the dirt, shove the luckless into the ditch. Everyone and his brother sleeps with the ‘sacred whore'— a sacrilege against my Holy Name. Stuff they've extorted from the poor is piled up at the shrine of their god, While they sit around drinking wine they've conned from their victims. "In contrast, I was always on your side. I destroyed the Amorites who confronted you, Amorites with the stature of great cedars, tough as thick oaks. I destroyed them from the top branches down. I destroyed them from the roots up. And yes, I'm the One who delivered you from Egypt, led you safely through the wilderness for forty years And then handed you the country of the Amorites like a piece of cake on a platter. I raised up some of your young men to be prophets, set aside your best youth for training in holiness. Isn't this so, Israel?" God 's Decree. "But you made the youth-in-training break training, and you told the young prophets, ‘Don't prophesy!' You're too much for me. I'm hard-pressed—to the breaking point. I'm like a wagon piled high and overloaded, creaking and groaning. "When I go into action, what will you do? There's no place to run no matter how fast you run. The strength of the strong won't count. Fighters won't make it. Skilled archers won't make it. Fast runners won't make it. Chariot drivers won't make it. Even the bravest of all your warriors Won't make it. He'll run off for dear life, stripped naked." God 's Decree.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

courageous: Heb. strong of his heart, Jeremiah 48:41

flee: Judges 4:17, 2 Kings 7:8-20, Mark 14:52

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 12:18 - flee to Jerusalem Isaiah 34:2 - the indignation Isaiah 66:6 - a voice of the Lord Jeremiah 9:26 - Egypt Amos 5:12 - they afflict Obadiah 1:9 - thy

Cross-References

Genesis 2:1
Heaven and Earth were finished, down to the last detail.

Genesis 2:2
By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done. This is the story of how it all started, of Heaven and Earth when they were created.

1 Samuel 15:22
Then Samuel said, Do you think all God wants are sacrifices— empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to God 's command, he says No to your kingship.

1 Timothy 6:17
Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And [he that is] courageous among the mighty,.... Or "strong in his heart" b; one that is of a great heart, famous for courage and bravery, that excels in it among the mighty; the most valiant soldiers and officers:

shall flee away naked in that day: shall throw away his armour, nay, put off his clothes, as being both a hinderance to him in his flight; and that he may make the better speed:

saith the Lord: which is added to show the certainty of all this; it might be depended upon that so it would be, since the Lord God of truth had spoken it; and it was fulfilled about eighty years after this prophecy.

b אמיץ לבו "fortis corde suo", Vatablus, Piscator; "fortis animo", Junius Tremellius, Drusius "validus corde suo", Mercerus; "qui corde firmo est", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Israel relied, against God, on his own strength. “Have we not,” they said, “taken to us horns by our own strength?” Amos 6:13. Amos tells them then, that every means of strength, resistance, flight, swiftness of foot, of horse, place of refuge, should fail them. Three times he repeats, as a sort of dirge, “he shall not deliver himself.”

Therefore the flight shall perish - (Probably place of flight Job 11:20; Psalms 142:5; Jeremiah 25:35). They had despised God, as their “place of refuge” , so “the place of refuge, should perish from the swift,” as though it were not. He should flee amain, but there would be no “place to flee unto.” God alone “renews strength;” therefore “the strong” man should not “strengthen his force or might,” should not be able to gather or “collect his strength” as we say. Fear should disable him. “The handler of the bow” (as in Jeremiah 46:9), and who by habit is a skilled archer, although himself out of the immediate reach of the enemy, and able, unharmed, to annoy him and protect the fugitives, “shall not stand” (as in Jeremiah 46:21; Nahum 2:8). Panic should overtake him. The “mighty” man, the “fleet of foot” should “not deliver,” yea, “the horseman” should not “deliver himself;” yea, he who, “among the mighty,” was “strongest of his heart,” firm-souled among those of mightiest prowess, “shall flee away naked,” that is, bared of all, armor or dress, which might encumber his flight “in that day” which the Lord made a day of terror His own day.

Saith the Lord - Probably literally, “the secret utterance of the Lord.” Amos, more than Hosea, uses this special authentication of his words , which is so common in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. He claims a knowledge, which those around him had not, and ratifies it by the express appeal to the direct, though secret, revelation of God; what those who were not of God, would deny; what they who were of God, would believe.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Amos 2:16. Shall flee away naked — In some cases the alarm shall be in the night; and even the most heroic shall start from his bed, and through terror not wait to put on his clothes.