The Meaning of Amos 1:5 Explained

Amos 1:5

KJV: I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.

YLT: And I have broken the bar of Damascus, And cut off the inhabitant from Bikat-Aven, And a holder of a sceptre from Beth-Eden, And removed have been the people of Aram to Kir, said Jehovah.

Darby: And I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Beth-Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith Jehovah.

ASV: And I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I will break  also the bar  of Damascus,  and cut off  the inhabitant  from the plain  of Aven,  and him that holdeth  the sceptre  from the house  of Eden:  and the people  of Syria  shall go into captivity  unto Kir,  saith  the LORD. 

What does Amos 1:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh would also break the bar that secured the gate of Damascus making it impossible to defend (cf. 1 Kings 4:13). He would cut off the people who lived in the Valley of Aven (lit. evil, perhaps Baalbek or the Biq"ah Valley in Lebanon) and Aram"s ruler who lived in Beth Eden (perhaps Bit-Adini, an Aramean state on the Euphrates River200 miles to the north-northeast of Damascus). [1] These names mean "valley of wickedness" and "house of pleasure," but since the other names mentioned in the oracles are real locations, these probably were as well. The Arameans would go into exile to Kir in Mesopotamia, from which they had originated ( Amos 9:7, precise location unknown). Thus God would send them back where they came from after obliterating all they had achieved.
"Benjamin Franklin said it well at the Constitutional Convention, "I have lived, Sirach , a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth-that God governs in the affairs of men."" [2]
The fulfillment of this prophecy came when Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria captured Damascus and took the Arameans captive in732 B.C. ( 2 Kings 16:7-9).

Context Summary

Amos 1:1-10 - Outside Nations Shall Suffer Judgment
Amos opens his prophecies with predictions against neighboring peoples, that Israel may be led to appreciate her guilt and to bear the approach of God's righteous judgment, Luke 12:47. The formula of three transgressions and for four, Amos 1:3, etc., means several or many. Compare Job 5:19.
The order followed is Syria, Amos 1:3; Philistia, Amos 1:6; Tyre, Amos 1:9; Edom, Amos 1:11; Ammon, Amos 1:13; Moab, Amos 1:1. Each of these neighboring kingdoms was successively overwhelmed by the invasion of the great countries that lay in the valley of the Euphrates. Tiglath-pileser began and ultimately Nebuchadnezzar finished the work of desolation. But in turn the conquerors, becoming enervated by uninterrupted success and prosperity, were also swept away. We may be sure that there is One who judges in the earth and that, although might may assert its claims to be right, it is but for a moment. The constitution of the universe is in harmony with Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Calvary: and only a Christian civilization can be permanent. [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 1:5 mean?

And I will break the [gate] bar of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven and the one who holds and the scepter from from the house Beth Eden and shall go captive the people of Syria to Kir says Yahweh -
וְשָֽׁבַרְתִּי֙ בְּרִ֣יחַ דַּמֶּ֔שֶׂק וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י יוֹשֵׁב֙ מִבִּקְעַת־ אָ֔וֶן וְתוֹמֵ֥ךְ שֵׁ֖בֶט מִבֵּ֣ית עֶ֑דֶן וְגָל֧וּ עַם־ אֲרָ֛ם קִ֖ירָה אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה פ

וְשָֽׁבַרְתִּי֙  And  I  will  break 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
בְּרִ֣יחַ  the  [gate]  bar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּרִיחַ  
Sense: bar.
דַּמֶּ֔שֶׂק  of  Damascus 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמֶּשֶׂק 
Sense: an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 30 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem.
וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י  and  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
יוֹשֵׁב֙  the  inhabitant 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
מִבִּקְעַת־  from  the  Valley  of  Aven 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בִּקְעָה  
Sense: valley.
אָ֔וֶן  and  the  one  who  holds 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: אָוֶן  
Sense: a name used contemptuously for the following places of idolatrous worship.
וְתוֹמֵ֥ךְ  and  the  scepter 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: תָּמַךְ  
Sense: to grasp, hold, support, attain, lay hold of, hold fast.
מִבֵּ֣ית  from  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
עֶ֑דֶן  Beth  Eden 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדֶן 
Sense: luxury, dainty, delight, finery.
וְגָל֧וּ  and  shall  go  captive 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
עַם־  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲרָ֛ם  of  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
קִ֖ירָה  to  Kir 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: קִיר 
Sense: a place in Mesopotamia.
אָמַ֥ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation