1Ah, you who are at ease in ZionaZion Emendation yields “Joseph,” cf. v. 6, and 5.6, 15, where “Joseph” denotes the northern kingdom. And confident on the hill of Samaria,You notables of the leading nationOn whom the House of Israel pin their hopes:bpin their hopes Taking baʼ l- as synonymous with baʼ ʻad; see Isa. 45.24 and second note there.
2Cross over to Calneh and see,Go from there to Great Hamath,And go down to Gath of the Philistines:Are [you] better than those kingdoms,Or is their territory larger than yours?cOr is their territory larger than yours? Emendation yields “Or is your territory larger than theirs?”
3dMeaning of verse uncertain. Yet you ward off [the thought of] a day of woeAnd convene a session of lawlessness.
4They lie on ivory beds,Lolling on their couches,Feasting on lambs from the flockAnd on calves from the stalls.
5They hum snatches of songTo the tune of the lute—They account themselves musicianseThey hum snatches … account themselves musicians Meaning of Heb. uncertain. like David.
6They drink [straight] from the wine bowlsAnd anoint themselves with the choicest oils—But they are not concerned about the ruin of Joseph.
7Assuredly, right soonThey shall head the column of exiles;They shall loll no more at festive meals.
8The Sovereign GOD wholeheartedly swears:I loathe the Pride of Jacob,fPride of Jacob A poetic designation of the northern kingdom. And I detest his fortresses.I will declare forfeit city and inhabitants alike—declares the ETERNAL, the God of Hosts.
9If ten people are left in one house, they shall die.
10And if someone’s kinsman—who is to burn incense for one of the deceasedgwho is to burn incense for one of the deceased Or “along with an embalmer.”—comes to carry the remains out of the house,hAnd if someone’s kinsman … out of a house Meaning of Heb. uncertain. and he calls to the one at the rear of the house, “Are there any alive besides you?” the answer will be, “No, none.” And he will say, “Hush!”—so that no one may utter GOD’s name.
11For GOD will command,And the great house shall be smashed to bits,And the little house to splinters.
12Can horses gallop on a rock?Can it be plowed with oxen?iCan it be plowed with oxen? Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “Can one plow the sea with oxen?” Yet you have turned justice into poison weedAnd the fruit of righteousness to wormwood.
13[Ah,] those who are so happy about Lo-dabar,Who exult, “By our mightWe have captured Karnaim”!jLo-dabar…Karnaim Two towns east of the Jordan recovered for Israel by Jeroboam II (see 2 Kings 14.25). For Lo-dabar, cf. 2 Sam. 9.4, 5; 17.27; for Karnaim, cf. Gen. 14.5.
14But I, O House of Israel,Will raise up a nation against you—declares the ETERNAL, the God of Hosts—Who will harass you from Lebo-hamathTo the Wadi Arabah.