But never again prophesy at Bethel/Don’t prophesy here at Bethel any more. See verse 12. It is the place Bethel which is important here, not the prophetic activity as such. The translation should have the same effect, as does Good News Translation here at Bethel.

For it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple (Hebrew: house) of the kingdom/This is the king’s place of worship, the national temple. The king’s sanctuary is the place where the king himself worships, as in Good News Translation: This is the king’s place of worship. Some scholars think “house of the kingdom” refers to a royal residence, and translate “royal palace” (Smith-Goodspeed, New English Bible). However, there is no evidence that Bethel was one of Jeroboam’s residences. Therefore “house” is more generally understood as temple. This can then be translated “royal temple” (New American Bible, The Translator’s Old Testament) or national temple (so also Moffatt). In many languages it will simply come out as “temple of the king.” One of the equivalents proposed in verse 9 can be used to translate temple.

The king’s sanctuary and a temple of the kingdom therefore do not mean exactly the same thing, but they refer to the same place, as is clear in Good News Translation. Some translations may have to say something like “the national temple where the king worships (God)” or “the place where the king worships (God), that is, the national temple.” If the best way of translating national temple or temple of the kingdom is “the king’s temple,” as discussed above, the translator may not be able to make the distinction and it would all come out as “the place where the king worships (God).”

Quoted with permission from de Waard, Jan & Smalley, William A. A Handbook on Amos. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1979. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .