Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Yahweh will exile the Northern Israelites for their sins.
II. Photo
God will exile the Northern Israelites: “Behold, days are coming upon you when you will be carried off in baskets, and, to the last one, in fish baskets!” (v. 2b)
III. Important Verses
1-3: Hear this word, you cows of Bashan ¶ On the hill of Samaria — Who defraud the poor, Who rob the needy; Who say to your husbands, “Bring, and let’s carouse!” My Lord GOD swears by His holiness: Behold, days are coming upon you When you will be carried off in baskets, And, to the last one, in fish baskets, And taken out [of the city] — Each one through a breach straight ahead — And flung on the refuse heap — declares the LORD.
4-5: Come to Bethel and transgress; To Gilgal, and transgress even more: Present your sacrifices the next morning And your tithes on the third day; And burn a thank offering of leavened bread; And proclaim freewill offerings loudly. For you love that sort of thing, O Israelites — declares my Lord GOD.
11: I have wrought destruction among you As when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; You have become like a brand plucked from burning. Yet you have not turned back to Me — declares the LORD.
13: Behold, He who formed the mountains, And created the wind, And has told man what His wish is, Who turns blackness into daybreak, And treads upon the high places of the earth — His name is the LORD, the God of Hosts.
IV. Outline
1-3. The Northern Israelites will be exiled
4-5. Sarcastic call to worship at Bethel
6-11. God punished Northern Israel but it didn’t turn to him
12-13. God will punish the Northern Israelites
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Photo taken from http://www.susanbaileyharris.com/web_gallery/Vietnam_AngkorWat_Gallery_010808/content/bin/images/large/Fish_Baskets_BinhTay_Market_Web.jpg
