(1-2) The LORD says … punish them. See Amos 1.3. Tyre may be indicated as a “town.”

(3) Because they delivered up a whole people to Edom (Hebrew: because of their handing over an entire exile to Edom)/They carried off a whole nation into exile in the land of Edom. The Hebrew uses the same words as in verse 6, so the translator should consult the discussion there. However, he should be careful of the meaning of this part of verse 9. The Hebrew involves two kernel sentences: (a) someone exiled/deported/took captive whole (groups of people); and (b) they (the people of Tyre/ the rulers of Tyre) handed them over/sold them to Edom. The problems are in (a). (1) The nationality of the captives is not shown. Were they Israelites or not? Could they have been Phoenicians (people of the same country captured by their fellow people of Tyre)? (2) There is no historical evidence for any extensive slave raiding by the Phoenicians, but there is evidence for slave commerce. So perhaps the subject of (a) differs from that of (b). Maybe the slave raiders were Aramean. (3) The translation of the Good News Translation is wrong as it implies capture by the Phoenicians and because it indicates that a whole people were carried off, which is not the meaning.

Although a clear understanding of the first kernel is impossible, the best solution for translation would probably be something like: “because they delivered/sold whole groups of people (or: the population of whole villages) as captives/slaves to the people of Edom” (compare especially New American Bible).

And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood/and did not keep the treaty of friendship they had made. Although this is an independent sentence in both Hebrew and Good News Translation, it is just another way of looking at the same events. This relationship should be made clear one way or another in the translation. New English Bible, for example, has done this by saying, “because, forgetting the ties of kinship, they delivered….” Another way might be by a word or a grammatical link between the two different sentences: “so (in so doing) they….”

Remember/keep. Keep is the right meaning of the Hebrew word in this context as it does not mean a mental process (“remember”) but personal action. Covenant of brotherhood, however, is more difficult, especially since this is the only place in the Old Testament where the expression occurs. Which covenant and between whom? Most commentators think of the political treaty between King Hiram of Tyre and King Solomon (1 Kgs 5.12), and this understanding is translated in Good News Translation the treaty of friendship they had made. But the political treaty between Hiram and Solomon was more than 200 years before that, which makes this understanding rather doubtful. Because of the uncertainties, a general translation such as “so they did not keep/honor the obligations brothers have toward each other” would be best. If something like this cannot be done, then the TEV solution should be followed.

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 .

(4) So I will send fire upon … fortresses. See Amos 1.4.

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 .

(1-2) The LORD says … punish them. See Amos 1.3.

(3) Because he pursued his brother with the sword/They hunted down their brothers, the Israelites. Hunted down may be a good solution for pursued … with the sword in other languages as well. Showing how the hunting was done may contribute to the emotional tone in some languages: “because, sword in hand, they hunted their kinsmen down” (New English Bible; compare Moffatt). If “hunting” vocabulary cannot be used for action toward people, the translation might be “they put their brothers to flight (or: they chased their brothers) by means of the sword.”

For brothers the translator should use a very broad term including all fellow nationals or tribesmen. It may be necessary to state who their brothers are: the Israelites. The Edomites were descended from Esau, Jacob’s brother (Gen 36.1-19).

And cast off all pity (Hebrew: destroyed his mercy)/and showed them no mercy. The Hebrew idiom cannot be translated directly into most languages. Sometimes a verb with a similar meaning can be used to create a similar picture: for example, “to stifle” in English (compare Smith-Goodspeed, Moffatt, New English Bible), “étouffer” in French, etc. But in a majority of languages even this would be impossible so a descriptive phrase has to be used as in Good News Translation, or, even more directly: “and refused to be merciful.” In this particular context the specific meaning of the Hebrew noun for mercy is “brotherly feelings,” “brotherly love.” As many cultures have a specific term in this area, it may be possible to translate “they did not (want to) love them as brothers.”

And his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever/Their anger had no limits and they never let it die. The Hebrew text here is not clear, but may be understood as follows: “he (Edom) persisted in his anger and kept his wrath to the end” (New American Bible), or: “his anger persisted forever and his wrath to the end.” This is the basis for the Good News Translation. In some translations the parallel information may be combined into one short sentence: “their anger never stopped/died down.” TEV uses die for anger because it is clear and forceful in English. In each case the translator will have to look for an appropriate natural expression. Even a flat rendering such as: “they continued to be angry with them” may be necessary.

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 .

(4) So I will send fire upon the city of Teman and burn down the fortresses of Bozrah. See Amos 1.4. Good News Translation indicates that Teman is a city, but Teman and Bozrah could be taken as names of towns, regions, or both, so it is better not to be specific, if possible. As the fortresses of Bozrah are not included in Teman, and as there is a certain distance between the towns or regions, the translation should not say that the fire sent on Teman will burn up the fortresses of Bozrah, as Revised Standard Version and other modern translations (except Good News Translation) do.

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 .

(1-2) The LORD says … punish them. See Amos 1.3.

(3) Because they have ripped up women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border/In their wars for more territory they even ripped open pregnant women in Gilead. The meaning is that when the Ammonites were fighting for more land they killed much of the population of Gilead and in so doing were especially cruel to pregnant women. Both events of “enlarging the territory” and committing atrocities happened at the same time, so the translator may have to say something like: “because, while extending their territory, they ripped open…” (compare New American Bible, Moffatt). Pregnant women in Gilead sometimes has to be translated as “pregnant women living in the land of Gilead.”

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 .

(4) So I will send fire … fortresses. See Amos 1.4. This time the Hebrew shows another slight variation: “I will set fire to” instead of the usual “I will send fire on.” This variation makes almost no charge in meaning, so the translator may use the phrase which he has used elsewhere if it seems best.

With shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind/Then there will be shouts on the day of battle, and the fighting will rage like a storm. In this case the battle of which the fire is a part is mentioned. The Hebrew parallelism makes clear that “whirlwind” is a picture of the heavy fighting. Since a translation such as tempest in the day of the whirlwind makes little sense in most languages, the Good News Translation type solution is helpful. The translator should also make sure that the relation between shouts and battle is clear. The shouts are part of the noise of the confused fighting and the failing defenses.

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 .

(5) And their king shall go into exile, he and his princes together/Their king and his officers will go into exile. Their king is, of course, the king of the Ammonites. Because this word is so far from the word to which it refers, in some languages it would be better to state the relationship: “the king of (the people of) Ammon,” or even “the king of Rabbah.”

Officers translates a very general Hebrew term which includes court officials, counsellors, military and other authorities. In many languages a term such as “notables” or “big people” would be the right equivalent.

Exile. See Amos 1.6.

(6) Says the LORD. See Amos 1.5.

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 .

(1-2) The LORD says … punish them. See 1.3.

(3) Because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom/They dishonored the bones of the king of Edom by burning them to ashes. The historical situation that underlines this accusation is not known to us. However, the act did not take place immediately after the death of the unknown king, but some time later, along with the opening of his tomb. So the particular crime is not in the act of burning, but in the opening up of the tomb and taking out the bones. Such an act was felt to be a serious offense, and not only by the ancient Semites!

The bones were burned so completely that their ashes became as fine and as white as lime. This is how the meaning can be most easily expressed in many languages. It is probable, however, that the Hebrew also refers to an additional crime: that the Moabites used the ashes of the king of Edom as one of the materials for plastering their houses. In one ancient translation this possibility has been expressed directly: “and plastered them in the lime on its house.” This understanding has also been kept in the footnote of the New English Bible. So the restructuring suggested in Translating Amos, Section 5, can also serve as a model for languages where it would be convenient and effective: “burning his bones to make lime.”

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 .