Amos 6:2
New International Version
Go to Kalneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours?

New Living Translation
But go over to Calneh and see what happened there. Then go to the great city of Hamath and down to the Philistine city of Gath. You are no better than they were, and look at how they were destroyed.

English Standard Version
Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory,

Berean Standard Bible
Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to the great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?

King James Bible
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

New King James Version
Go over to Calneh and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?

New American Standard Bible
Go over to Calneh and look, And go from there to Hamath the great, Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms, Or is their territory greater than yours?

NASB 1995
Go over to Calneh and look, And go from there to Hamath the great, Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms, Or is their territory greater than yours?

NASB 1977
Go over to Calneh and look, And go from there to Hamath the great, Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms, Or is their territory greater than yours?

Legacy Standard Bible
Pass on over to Calneh and look, And go from there to Hamath the great, Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms, Or are their borders greater than your borders?

Amplified Bible
Go over to Calneh [in Babylonia] and look, And from there go [north of Damascus] to the great city of Hamath; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms [of yours], Or is their territory greater than yours?

Christian Standard Bible
Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?

American Standard Version
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines: are they better than these kingdoms? or is their border greater than your border?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Cross over to Kalia and see and go from there to the great Khamath, and go down to Gath of the Philistines which is better than all these kingdoms, if their borders are greater than your borders

Brenton Septuagint Translation
O house of Israel, pass by all of you, and see; and pass by thence to Ematrabba; and thence descend to Geth of the Philistines, the chief of all these kingdoms, see if their coasts are greater than your coasts.

Contemporary English Version
Look what happened to the cities of Calneh, powerful Hamath, and Gath in Philistia. Are you greater than any of those kingdoms?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Pass ye over to Chalane, and see, and go from thence into Emath the great: and go down into Geth of the Philistines, and to all the best kingdoms of these: if their border be larger than your border.

English Revised Version
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or is their border greater than your border?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Go to Calneh and look. Go from there to the great city of Hamath. Then go to Gath, the city of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?

Good News Translation
Go and look at the city of Calneh. Then go on to the great city of Hamath and on down to the Philistine city of Gath. Were they any better than the kingdoms of Judah and Israel? Was their territory larger than yours?

International Standard Version
Cross over to Calneh and look around, then go on to that great city of Hamath, and from there go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory more extensive than yours?

JPS Tanakh 1917
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see, And from thence go ye to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines; Are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their border greater than your border?

Literal Standard Version
Pass over [to] Calneh and see, | And go there [to] Hamath the great, | And go down [to] Gath of the Philistines, | Are [they] better than these kingdoms? [Is] their border greater than your border?

Majority Standard Bible
Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to the great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?

New American Bible
Pass over to Calneh and see, go from there to Hamath the great, and down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms, or is your territory greater than theirs?

NET Bible
They say to the people: "Journey over to Calneh and look at it! Then go from there to Hamath-Rabbah! Then go down to Gath of the Philistines! Are they superior to our two kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?"

New Revised Standard Version
Cross over to Calneh, and see; from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is your territory greater than their territory,

New Heart English Bible
Go to Calneh, and see; and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? or is their border greater than your border?

Webster's Bible Translation
Pass ye to Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: are they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

World English Bible
Go to Calneh, and see. From there go to Hamath the great. Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Is their border greater than your border?

Young's Literal Translation
Pass ye over to Calneh and see, And go thence to Hamath the great, And go down to Gath of the Philistines, Are they better than these kingdoms? Greater is their border than your border?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woe to those at Ease in Zion
1Woe to those at ease in Zion and those secure on Mount Samaria, the distinguished ones of the foremost nation, to whom the house of Israel comes. 2Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to the great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours? 3You dismiss the day of calamity and bring near a reign of violence.…

Cross References
Genesis 10:10
His kingdom began in Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

1 Samuel 5:8
So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" "It must be moved to Gath," they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.

1 Kings 8:65
So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him--a great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt--kept the feast before the LORD our God for seven days and seven more days--fourteen days in all.

2 Kings 18:34
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?

2 Chronicles 26:6
Uzziah went out to wage war against the Philistines, and he tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built cities near Ashdod and among the Philistines.

Isaiah 10:9
"Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?

Jeremiah 49:23
Concerning Damascus: "Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard a bad report; they are agitated like the sea; their anxiety cannot be calmed.


Treasury of Scripture

Pass you to Calneh, and see; and from there go you to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

Pass.

Jeremiah 2:10,11
For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing…

Nahum 3:8
Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?

Calneh.

Genesis 10:10
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Isaiah 10:9
Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

Calno.

2 Kings 17:24,30
And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof…

2 Kings 18:34
Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

2 Kings 19:13
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?

Gath.

1 Samuel 17:4,23
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span…

2 Chronicles 26:6
And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.

better.

Isaiah 10:9-11
Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus? …

Isaiah 36:18,19
Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? …

Isaiah 37:12,13
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar? …

Jump to Previous
Better Border Calneh Gath Great Greater Hamath Kingdoms Larger Philistia Philistines Territory Thence Wider
Jump to Next
Better Border Calneh Gath Great Greater Hamath Kingdoms Larger Philistia Philistines Territory Thence Wider
Amos 6
1. The wantonness of Israel,
7. shall be plagued with desolation;
12. and their incorrigibleness shall end in affliction.














(2) The meaning is obscure. Kalneh, the Kalno of Isaiah 10:9, the Assyrian Kulunu (comp. Genesis 10:10), is here probably mentioned first because it is most easterly. It is identified by Kiepert with Holwan, but its position is uncertain, though generally regarded as lying in the neighbourhood of the Greek Ctesiphon, on the Tigris. Hamath is the ancient Hittite city in the valley of the Orontes, and it had felt the strong hand of Jeroboam II. (2Kings 14:28). We have no reason for believing that at this period the Assyrian power had destroyed the importance of these places, though the prophet may have regarded that issue as imminent. Hamath the Great (or Rabba; comp. Joshua 11:8), according to the inscriptions, sustained defeats from Salmanassar II. about 850 B.C. It was finally overthrown by Sargon in 720 B.C., who in his own boastful language "swept over its land like a flood." Gath, the home of Goliath, had probably lost its original importance. Uzziah destroyed it. Were Calno, Hamath, Gath, more important than Zion or Samaria? Then, says the prophet, do not expect in your opulence and self-satisfaction immunity from a worse doom.

Verse 2. - Pass ye. Go and compare your condition with that of other countries, from the furthest east to the north, to your own neighbours - has not God done more for you than for them? Nothing is said about the destruction of the three capitals, nor is Samaria threatened with similar ruin. Rather the cities are contemplated as still flourishing and prosperous (though by this time they had suffered at their enemies' hands), and Israel is bidden to remember that she is more favoured than they. Calneh, one of the five great Babylonian cities, is probably the Kul-unu of the inscriptions, a town in Southern Babylonia, whose site is unknown. In Genesis 10:10 and Isaiah 10:9 the LXX. call it Chalanne or Chalane; in the present passage they mistake the Hebrew, and render, διάβητε πάντες, "pass ye all by" (see Schrader, 'Die Keilinschriften,' p. 442). St. Jerome identifies it with Ctesiphon, on the east bank of the Tigris. Others (see Rawlinson, 'Herodotus,' 1, p. 490, 2nd edit.) find in it Nopher or Nipur, the modern Niffer, some sixty miles southeast of Babylon. As one of the oldest cities in the world, ranking with Babel, Erech, and Aecad, it was well known to the Israelites. Hamath the great; Septuagint, Ἐματραββά. This was the principal city of Upper Syria, and a place of great importance. In after years it was called Epiphania, after Antiochus Epiphanes (Genesis 10:18; Numbers 34:8; Isaiah 10:9). It fell in Sargon's reign, B.C. 720; afterwards it lost its independence, and was incorporated in the Assyrian empire. Oath of the Philistines. One of their five chief cities, and at one time the principal (1 Chronicles 18:1). The site is placed by Porter at Tell-es-Safi, an isolated hill; standing above the bread valley of Elah, and "presenting on the north and west a white precipice of many hundred feet." Dr. Thomson ('The Land and the Book,' p. 215, etc.) considers Gath to be the same city as Betogabra, Eleutheropolis, and the modern Beth Jibrin, which is some few miles south of Tell Safi. He thinks the site of Tell Sift is not adapted for the seat of a large city, and he saw few indications of ancient ruins there; whereas Beit Jibrin has in and around it the most wonderful remains of antiquity to be found in all Philistia. It had probably declined in importance at this time (see note on ch. 1:6), but its old reputation was still remembered. It was taken by Uzziah, but seems not to have remained long in his possession (2 Chronicles 26:6). In the year B.C. 711 Sargon reduced Ashdod and Garb, which he calls Gimtu Asdudim, i.e. Gath of the Ashdodites. Be they better? Have they received more earthly prosperity at God's hands than you? Is their territory greater than yours? No. How ungrateful, then, are you for all my favours (comp. Jeremiah 2:5-11)! Schrader and Bickell regard the verse as an interpolation, grammatically, metrically, and chronologically inadmissible; but their arguments are not strong, and Ames makes no mention of the fate of these cities.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Cross over
עִבְר֤וּ (‘iḇ·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

to Calneh
כַֽלְנֵה֙ (ḵal·nêh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3641: Calneh -- a place in Babylon

and see;
וּרְא֔וּ (ū·rə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7200: To see

go
וּלְכ֥וּ (ū·lə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

from
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

there
מִשָּׁ֖ם (miš·šām)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

to great
רַבָּ֑ה (rab·bāh)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

Hamath;
חֲמַ֣ת (ḥă·maṯ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2574: Hamath -- a place North of Damascus

then go down
וּרְד֣וּ (ū·rə·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

to Gath
גַת־ (ḡaṯ-)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1661: Gath -- 'wine press', a Philistine city

of the Philistines.
פְּלִשְׁתּ֗ים‪‬ (pə·liš·tm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

Are you better than
הֲטוֹבִים֙ (hă·ṭō·w·ḇîm)
Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

these
הָאֵ֔לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

kingdoms?
הַמַּמְלָכ֣וֹת (ham·mam·lā·ḵō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4467: Kingdom, sovereignty, dominion, reign

Is their territory
גְּבוּלָ֖ם (gə·ḇū·lām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1366: A cord, a boundary, the territory inclosed

larger
רַ֥ב (raḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

than yours?
מִגְּבֻלְכֶֽם׃ (mig·gə·ḇul·ḵem)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1366: A cord, a boundary, the territory inclosed


Links
Amos 6:2 NIV
Amos 6:2 NLT
Amos 6:2 ESV
Amos 6:2 NASB
Amos 6:2 KJV

Amos 6:2 BibleApps.com
Amos 6:2 Biblia Paralela
Amos 6:2 Chinese Bible
Amos 6:2 French Bible
Amos 6:2 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Amos 6:2 Go to Calneh and see (Amo. Am)
Amos 6:1
Top of Page
Top of Page