The Meaning of Amos 1:11 Explained

Amos 1:11

KJV: Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:

YLT: Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Edom, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of his pursuing with a sword his brother, And he hath destroyed his mercies, And tear perpetually doth his anger, And his wrath -- he hath kept it for ever,

Darby: Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke its sentence; because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity; and his anger did tear continually, and he kept his wrath for ever.

ASV: Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Edom, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus saith  the LORD;  For three  transgressions  of Edom,  and for four,  I will not turn away  [the punishment] thereof; because he did pursue  his brother  with the sword,  and did cast off  all pity,  and his anger  did tear  perpetually,  and he kept  his wrath  for ever: 

What does Amos 1:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Amos 1:11-15 - Judah Shall Be Judged Also
Edom was Esau; that is, the people were closely akin to Israel; perhaps for that very reason the hatred on either side became more and more inveterate from the days of the Exodus to the siege and fall of Jerusalem, Psalms 137:7-8. Teman and Bozrah were principal cities, the first being named after Esau's grandson, Genesis 36:11. Isaiah, in after years, saw the warrior Angel of Jehovah coming up from Edom to the foothills of Palestine, his garments stained with the blood of the foe whom he had overthrown, Isaiah 63:1. Thus Jesus Christ has overcome our foes, and now stands sentry between us and them.
Rabbah was the capital city of Ammon. The strife between the citizens and the Chosen People smoldered from the days of Saul, flaming out from time to time in terrible intensity. Moab-the terrible act referred to here was probably associated with 2 Kings 3:27. Alas that, in the divine vengeance, Judah should be associated with these heathen peoples! The indictment is not for sins against man, but for those committed against God. We are judged by the greater light and the higher standards that we possess. The fire here threatened was the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar and his Chaldeans, who have their modern counterparts. Man is often used by the Almighty for the chastening and purifying of his fellows. [source]

Chapter Summary: Amos 1

1  The time when Amos prophesied
3  He shows God's judgment upon Syria,
6  upon the Philistines,
9  upon Tyrus,
11  upon Edom,
13  upon Ammon

What do the individual words in Amos 1:11 mean?

Thus says Yahweh for three transgressions of Edom for four not I will turn away its [punishment] because he pursued with the sword his brother and cast off all pity and tore perpetually His anger and his wrath he kept forever
כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה עַל־ שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ פִּשְׁעֵ֣י אֱד֔וֹם וְעַל־ אַרְבָּעָ֖ה לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ עַל־ רָדְפ֨וֹ בַחֶ֤רֶב אָחִיו֙ וְשִׁחֵ֣ת רַחֲמָ֔יו וַיִּטְרֹ֤ף לָעַד֙ אַפּ֔וֹ וְעֶבְרָת֖וֹ שְׁמָ֥רָה נֶֽצַח

כֹּ֚ה  Thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
שְׁלֹשָׁה֙  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
פִּשְׁעֵ֣י  transgressions 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
אֱד֔וֹם  of  Edom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱדֹום 
Sense: Edom.
אַרְבָּעָ֖ה  four 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ  I  will  turn  away  its  [punishment] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
עַל־  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
רָדְפ֨וֹ  he  pursued 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
בַחֶ֤רֶב  with  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
אָחִיו֙  his  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
וְשִׁחֵ֣ת  and  cast  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
רַחֲמָ֔יו  all  pity 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רַחַם 
Sense: womb.
וַיִּטְרֹ֤ף  and  tore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָרַף  
Sense: to tear, rend, pluck.
לָעַד֙  perpetually 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַד  
Sense: perpetuity, for ever, continuing future.
אַפּ֔וֹ  His  anger 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
וְעֶבְרָת֖וֹ  and  his  wrath 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבְרָה  
Sense: outpouring, overflow, excess, fury, wrath, arrogance.
שְׁמָ֥רָה  he  kept 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
נֶֽצַח  forever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵצַח  
Sense: eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness.