Attributed commentary excerpt
Barnes' Notes on Amos 1:12
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Notes on the Whole Bible
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
But - (And I, in My turn and as a consequence of these sins) will send a fire upon Teman “Teman,” say Eusebius and Jerome , “was a country of the princes of Edom, which had its name from Teman son of Eliphaz, son of Esau Genesis 36:11, Genesis 36:15. But even to this day there is a village, called Teman, about 5 (Eusebius says 15) miles from Petra, where there is also a Roman garrison, from which place was Eliphaz, king of the Themanites.” It is, however, probably the district which is meant, of which Bozra was then the capital. For Amos when speaking of cities, uses some word to express this, as “the palaces of Benhadad, the wall of Gaza, of Tyrus, of Rabbah;” here he simply uses the name Teman, as he does those of Moab and Judah. Amos does not mention Petra, or Selah, for Amaziah had taken it, and called it Joktheel, “which God subdued,” which name it for some time retained 2 Kings 14:7. Bozrah - (Literally, which cuts off approach) is mentioned, as early as Genesis Genesis 36:33, as the seat of one of the elective kings who, in times before Moses, reigned over Edom. It lay then doubtless in Idumea itself, and is quite distinct from the Bozrah of Hauran or Auranitis, from which Jerome also distinguishes it. : “There is another Bosor also, a city of Esau, in the mountains of Idumea, of which Isaiah speaks.” There is yet a small village of the like name (Busaira “the little Bozrah”) which “appears,” it is said , “to have been in ancient times a considerable city, if we may judge from the ruins which surround the village.” It has now “some 50 houses, and stands on an elevation, on the summit of which a small castle has been built.” The name however, “little Bozrah,” indicates the existence of a “great Bozrah,” with which its name is contrasted, and is not likely to have been the place itself . Probably the name was a common one, “the strong place” of its neighborhood . The Bozrah of Edom is either that little vilage, or is wholly blotted out. return to 'Top of Page'
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