I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah (הָפַכְתִּי בָכֶם כְּמַהְפֵּכַת אֱלֹהִים אֶת־סְדֹם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָה, haphakhti vakhem kemahpekhat Elohim et-Sedom ve'et-Amorah)—the verb haphak (הָפַךְ, "overthrow/destroy utterly") is the specific term for Sodom and Gomorrah's fiery destruction (Genesis 19:25, 29). God warns Israel: you've experienced Sodom-level catastrophe (possibly earthquake, military defeat, or fire). The phrase ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning (vatihyu ke'ud mutzal misserepha, וַתִּהְיוּ כְּאוּד מֻצָּל מִשְּׂרֵפָה) depicts a partially burned stick snatched from flames—Israel barely escaped total destruction. This imagery appears in Zechariah 3:2 describing Joshua the high priest as "brand plucked from the fire," emphasizing narrow escape from judgment.
Yet the tragic refrain returns: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. This is the fifth and final repetition in Amos 4:6-11, emphasizing persistent impenitence despite escalating judgments: famine, drought, crop failure, plague, war, and near-annihilation. Israel's refusal to repent after Sodom-level destruction reveals breathtaking hardness. Jude 7 cites Sodom and Gomorrah as eternal warning of judgment's reality. Peter uses the same event (2 Peter 2:6) to assure believers God knows how to rescue the righteous while judging the wicked. Israel's failure to learn from near-destruction sealed their fate—within 30 years, Assyria completed what earlier judgments foreshadowed.
Historical Context
Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction (Genesis 19) became Israel's paradigmatic example of total divine judgment—fiery annihilation leaving nothing but smoke ascending "as the smoke of a furnace" (Genesis 19:28). By invoking this comparison, Amos declares Israel has already experienced catastrophe of comparable severity—perhaps the earthquake mentioned in Amos 1:1 (two years before his prophecies) or devastating military defeat. Archaeological evidence suggests significant destruction at various northern kingdom sites during this period. Whatever the specific event, it was so severe that survivors resembled half-burned sticks barely rescued from flames. Yet Israel interpreted survival as vindication rather than warning, presuming God's covenant guaranteed protection regardless of behavior. Amos demolishes this presumption: survival isn't approval but opportunity for repentance before final judgment.
Questions for Reflection
How do people misinterpret survival of catastrophe as divine approval rather than merciful warning?
What does it mean to be "a brand plucked from the fire"—and how should that shape gratitude and obedience?
Why does Amos escalate from famine to Sodom-level destruction in describing God's warnings to Israel?
Analysis & Commentary
I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah (הָפַכְתִּי בָכֶם כְּמַהְפֵּכַת אֱלֹהִים אֶת־סְדֹם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָה, haphakhti vakhem kemahpekhat Elohim et-Sedom ve'et-Amorah)—the verb haphak (הָפַךְ, "overthrow/destroy utterly") is the specific term for Sodom and Gomorrah's fiery destruction (Genesis 19:25, 29). God warns Israel: you've experienced Sodom-level catastrophe (possibly earthquake, military defeat, or fire). The phrase ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning (vatihyu ke'ud mutzal misserepha, וַתִּהְיוּ כְּאוּד מֻצָּל מִשְּׂרֵפָה) depicts a partially burned stick snatched from flames—Israel barely escaped total destruction. This imagery appears in Zechariah 3:2 describing Joshua the high priest as "brand plucked from the fire," emphasizing narrow escape from judgment.
Yet the tragic refrain returns: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. This is the fifth and final repetition in Amos 4:6-11, emphasizing persistent impenitence despite escalating judgments: famine, drought, crop failure, plague, war, and near-annihilation. Israel's refusal to repent after Sodom-level destruction reveals breathtaking hardness. Jude 7 cites Sodom and Gomorrah as eternal warning of judgment's reality. Peter uses the same event (2 Peter 2:6) to assure believers God knows how to rescue the righteous while judging the wicked. Israel's failure to learn from near-destruction sealed their fate—within 30 years, Assyria completed what earlier judgments foreshadowed.