8:1 Lord Yahweh showed me See note on 7:1.

8:2 The end The Hebrew word for “end” sounds like the word for “summer fruit.” Compare Ezek 7:2 and note.

8:3 corpses are numerous Dead bodies in the temple would defile it. Compare Ezek 9:7 and note.

8:4 those who trample on the poor Reiterates the accusations of injustice. Compare Amos 5:11 and note.

8:5 the new moon The merchants have no respect for the sacred day. They only want it to end so they can return to their unjust business practices. See note on Isa 1:13.

the Sabbath See note on Exod 20:10.

with a set of scales of deceit God reveals how the merchants’ thoughts revolve around greed and fraud. They cheated the people into giving more money for less grain by using weights skewed in the merchants’ favor. See note on Jer 32:10; compare Ezek 45:10; Mic 6:11.

8:6 the poor for the sake of a pair of sandals Repeats the accusation from Amos 2:6.

8:7 the pride of Jacob Compare 6:8 and note.

8:8 all of it will rise like the Nile The Nile River was Egypt’s primary source of water. The river usually followed a predictable cycle of rising to flood the fields before receding again. Here Amos refers to the annual flooding cycle to depict the inevitability of divine judgment. Compare 9:5.

8:9 in that day Refers to the Day of Yahweh, the time of judgment. See 5:18–20.

8:11 hearing the words of Yahweh Since Israel was happy to reject Yahweh’s message when it was available to them, Yahweh will withdraw the revelation.

8:14 the guilt of Samaria Another likely wordplay alluding to the idolatry of Israel. The Hebrew word here—usually translated as “sin” or “guilt”—sounds similar to the name of the Canaanite goddess, Asherah. King Ahab had erected an Asherah image in Samaria (1 Kgs 16:32–33; 2 Kgs 13:6). Some English translations convey this idea directly by referring to the “idol” or “goddess” of Samaria.

O Dan One of the religious locations established by Jeroboam. See note on Hos 8:4.

the way of Beersheba An unusual formula for an oath, but possibly alluding to some otherwise unknown local worship practices connected with Beer-sheba. See Amos 5:5 and note.