Amos 7

Two more chapters to go. I think it has been a long time since I completed a book. I am sort of close to completion for Job and for the 12. Perhaps both will be done before too much longer. I had thought to have done Job by last summer, but it was too hard to rush, and too important. Maybe by the end of this summer, only a year late. There is no late.

The music for verses 1 to 3 and 4 to 6 are similar as would be expected. So much for the claims that prosody is confined to one verse at a time (Dresher and Wickes). It is simply not true. Musical phrases contain strong connections to each other. The first 6 verses are shown below.
For those who do not read music, verse 1 is this shape
C qad,qad,B z-q,qad,B z-q,g# B ^A pas,           z-q,g# f e

and verse 4

C qad,qad,B z-q,         f d f g# B ^A qad,qad,B z-q,g# e

In both these verses there is a recitation on the rest note. But though each verse pair is of similar shape, the verses are not identical, nor are the other pairs. In verse 5 Amos is more directly agitated over Israel. He moves to the high C immediately rather than by step. For tiny is he is identically phrased in verses 2 and 5. O Biblical studies students - please learn to read music.

Of the remaining verses, verses 11 and 17 are quite different though they have the same words in part. There are two different speakers. But interestingly both have recitation on the rest note.

I wonder what the significance of recitation notes is. I have some ideas but I cannot confirm them quickly without more data and correlating the data with the content.

See also  this article on puns in Amos (ht FB James McGrath). The plumb line pun says that Yahweh is going to measure Israel against himself. (plumb = אנך, I = אנכי).

Amos 7		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
כֹּ֤ה הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִנֵּה֙ יוֹצֵ֣ר גֹּבַ֔י בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת עֲל֣וֹת הַלָּ֑קֶשׁ וְהִ֨נֵּה לֶ֔קֶשׁ אַחַ֖ר גִּזֵּ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ	1	C	Thus my Lord Yahweh showed me, and behold, he who fashions the great grub at the start of the coming up of final crop, and behold, the final crop following the king's mowing.	3e	4C	24 12
וְהָיָ֗ה אִם כִּלָּה֙ לֶֽאֱכוֹל֙ אֶת עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֔רֶץ וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ סְֽלַֽח נָ֔א מִ֥י יָק֖וּם יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב כִּ֥י קָטֹ֖ן הֽוּא	2		And it was when they had finished devouring the field-grass of the earth and I said, My Lord Yahweh, forgive please. Who will raise Jacob? For tiny is he?	3e	4C	32 4
נִחַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַל זֹ֑את לֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֖ה אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה	3		Yahweh sighed over this. It will not be, says Yahweh.	3e	4A	6 7
כֹּ֤ה הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה קֹרֵ֛א לָרִ֥ב בָּאֵ֖שׁ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ אֶת תְּה֣וֹם רַבָּ֔ה וְאָכְלָ֖ה אֶת הַחֵֽלֶק	4	C	Thus my Lord Yahweh showed me and behold, he called for contention in the fire, my Lord Yahweh, and it devoured an excessive abyss and it devoured the share.	3d	4C	23 15
וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ חֲדַל נָ֔א מִ֥י יָק֖וּם יַעֲקֹ֑ב כִּ֥י קָטֹ֖ן הֽוּא	5		And I said, My Lord Yahweh, set it aside, please. Who will raise Jacob? For tiny is he.	3e	4C	17 4
נִחַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַל זֹ֑את גַּם הִיא֙ לֹ֣א תִֽהְיֶ֔ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה	6		Yahweh sighed over this. Even this will not be, says my Lord, Yahweh.	3e	4B	6 12
כֹּ֣ה הִרְאַ֔נִי וְהִנֵּ֧ה אֲדֹנָ֛י נִצָּ֖ב עַל חוֹמַ֣ת אֲנָ֑ךְ וּבְיָד֖וֹ אֲנָֽךְ	7	B	Thus he showed me and behold my Lord taking a stand over a plumb wall, and in his hand a plumbline.	3c	4B	17 5
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י מָֽה אַתָּ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ עָמ֔וֹס וָאֹמַ֖ר אֲנָ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲדֹנָ֗י הִנְנִ֨י שָׂ֤ם אֲנָךְ֙ בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹֽא אוֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד עֲב֥וֹר לֽוֹ	8		And Yahweh said to me, What you are seeing, Amos. And I said, A plumbline. And my Lord said, Note me well. I have set up a plumbline within my people Israel. I will not again any more pass through him.	3e	4C	19 26
וְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ בָּמ֣וֹת יִשְׂחָ֔ק וּמִקְדְּשֵׁ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יֶחֱרָ֑בוּ וְקַמְתִּ֛י עַל בֵּ֥ית יָרָבְעָ֖ם בֶּחָֽרֶב	9		And desolate will be the high places of Isaac and the sanctuaries of Israel deserted, and I will arise against the house of Jeroboam by the sword.	3d	4B	19 11
וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח אֲמַצְיָה֙ כֹּהֵ֣ן בֵּֽית אֵ֔ל אֶל יָרָבְעָ֥ם מֶֽלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר קָשַׁ֨ר עָלֶ֜יךָ עָמ֗וֹס בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹא תוּכַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ לְהָכִ֖יל אֶת כָּל דְּבָרָֽיו	10		And Amaziah, a priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has colluded against you within the house of Israel. The land cannot abide all his words.	3e	4B	21 28
כִּי כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר עָמ֔וֹס בַּחֶ֖רֶב יָמ֣וּת יָרָבְעָ֑ם וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔ל גָּלֹ֥ה יִגְלֶ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֽוֹ	11	~	For thus says Amos, By the sword Jeroboam will die, and Israel will go into exile away from their own ground.	3e	4B	14 13
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲמַצְיָה֙ אֶל עָמ֔וֹס חֹזֶ֕ה לֵ֥ךְ בְּרַח לְךָ֖ אֶל אֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָ֑ה וֶאֱכָל שָׁ֣ם לֶ֔חֶם וְשָׁ֖ם תִּנָּבֵֽא	12		And Amaziah said to Amos, You visionary. You run away to the land of Judah, and there eat bread and there prophesy.	3e	4C	22 11
וּבֵֽית אֵ֔ל לֹֽא תוֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד לְהִנָּבֵ֑א כִּ֤י מִקְדַּשׁ מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ ה֔וּא וּבֵ֥ית מַמְלָכָ֖ה הֽוּא	13		And at Bethel prophesy not again any more, for it is the sanctuary of the king and it is the house of the kingdom.	3e	4C	11 12
וַיַּ֤עַן עָמוֹס֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל אֲמַצְיָ֔ה לֹא נָבִ֣יא אָנֹ֔כִי וְלֹ֥א בֶן נָבִ֖יא אָנֹ֑כִי כִּֽי בוֹקֵ֥ר אָנֹ֖כִי וּבוֹלֵ֥ס שִׁקְמִֽים	14		And Amos answered and he said to Amaziah, Not a prophet am I, and not the child of a prophet am I, for of the herds am I, a tender of sycamore.	3e	4C	26 11
וַיִּקָּחֵ֣נִי יְהוָ֔ה מֵאַחֲרֵ֖י הַצֹּ֑אן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ יְהוָ֔ה לֵ֥ךְ הִנָּבֵ֖א אֶל עַמִּ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל	15		And Yahweh took me as I followed the flocks, and Yahweh said to me, Go prophesy to my people Israel.	3e	4C	13 17
וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע דְּבַר יְהוָ֑ה אַתָּ֣ה אֹמֵ֗ר לֹ֤א תִנָּבֵא֙ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תַטִּ֖יף עַל בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂחָֽק	16		So now hear the word of Yahweh: You say, do not prophesy over Israel and do not drop over the house of Isaac.	3e	4C	9 20
לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֞ בָּעִ֤יר תִּזְנֶה֙ וּבָנֶ֤יךָ וּבְנֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֔לוּ וְאַדְמָתְךָ֖ בַּחֶ֣בֶל תְּחֻלָּ֑ק וְאַתָּ֗ה עַל אֲדָמָ֤ה טְמֵאָה֙ תָּמ֔וּת וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔ל גָּלֹ֥ה יִגְלֶ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֽוֹ	17		Therefore thus says Yahweh, Your wife in the city will prostitute herself and your sons and your daughters by the sword will fall and your ground in pledge will be divided, and you on unclean ground will die, and Israel will go into exile away from their own ground.	3e	4C	38 25