Amos 1:9-10 · Bible study
Amos 1:9-10 Commentary: Tyre's Broken Covenant
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What was the 'brotherly covenant' Tyre violated, and why did selling exiles to Edom bring divine fire? Explore Amos 1:9-10 with Greek/heavy lexical depth.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Tyre is condemned for breaking the friendship covenant with Israel by selling captives to Edom; God sends fire in judgment.
- Key words: גָּלוּת שְׁלֵמָה (gālût šəlēmâ, 'complete exile'); בְּרִית אַחִים (bərîṯ ʾaḥîm, 'covenant of brothers').
- Main debate: Whether the 'brotherly covenant' refers specifically to Hiram's league with David/Solomon or to a broader standard of human kinship.
- Theological theme: God's universal justice holds even wealthy, powerful nations accountable for betraying their alliances and exploiting the vulnerable.
- Best use: A prophetic reminder that commercial success and political treaties do not exempt a people from divine judgment when they abandon loyalty and ethics.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
9This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Tyre, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they delivered up a whole congregation of exiles to Edom and broke a covenant of brotherhood.
10So I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre to consume its citadels.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
9Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Tyre, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they delivered up the whole community to Edom, and didn’t remember the brotherly covenant;
10but I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it will devour its palaces.”
KJV King James Version 1769
9Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant:
10But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
9Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Tyre, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole people to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant.
10But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
9Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Tyre, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of their delivering up a complete captivity to Edom, And they remembered not the brotherly covenant,
10And I have sent a fire against the wall of Tyre, And it hath consumed her palaces.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
9Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke its sentence; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant.
10And I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
9Thus saith the Lord: For three crimes of Tyre, and for four I will not convert it: because they have shut up an entire captivity in Edom, and have not remembered the covenant of brethren.
10And I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour the houses thereof.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Amos 1:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Tyre's sin mirrors Gaza's (Amos 1:6), handing over captives to Edom, but with an added charge: the Tyrians 'remembered not the brotherly covenant.' Most identify this covenant with the historic league between Hiram of Tyre and David and Solomon (1 Kings 5:1-12; 2 Samuel 5:11). Barnes notes that Tyre's violation was a 'sin against light,' because Hiram had recognized something transcendent in David's rise. Calvin and others suggest that the covenant may refer more broadly to a brotherly relationship between the two peoples, but all agree that Tyre's participation in the slave trade was an act of calculated betrayal. The judgment formula is consistent: fire on the wall, consuming the palaces, a recurring pattern in Amos 1 that underscores God's sovereignty over all nations.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historic league view: Points to 1 Kings 5:1-12 and 2 Samuel 5:11 for the specific 'brotherly covenant' between Hiram and David/Solomon.
- General brotherhood view: Argues that the covenant was a more generic obligation among peoples, possibly including a recent treaty or simply the duty of kindness.
What is clear: Tyre committed a grave sin by engaging in the slave trade and breaking a prior covenant of brotherhood; God's judgment is certain against such betrayal.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The identity of the 'brotherly covenant' | It refers to a prior relationship of friendship and treaty between Tyre and Israel, rooted in the Hiram-David/Solomon alliance. | Some (Clarke, Barnes, JFB, Gill) specify the covenant as the formal league in 1 Kings 5:1-12 and 2 Samuel 5:11. Others (Cambridge Bible, Calvin) suggest a broader meaning: either a more recent political alliance or the natural duty of brotherhood among nations. |
| Nature of Tyre's sin: complicity in slave trade | Tyre delivered captive populations to Edom, profiting from the trafficking of people. | Whether these captives were primarily Israelites (Gill, Keil) or people from other nations being sold (Cambridge Bible). The larger point, that Tyre treated humans as commodities, is not disputed. |
| Timing of the judgment | The prophecy was fulfilled historically through military destruction of Tyre. | Whether the 'fire' was first the siege by Nebuchadnezzar (Clarke, JFB), Shalmaneser (Barnes, Gill), or Alexander the Great (Lange). Most see multiple fulfillments. |
| Relationship with the oracle against Gaza (Amos 1:6-8) | The charge is nearly identical: both cities delivered exiles to Edom. | Whether Tyre's additional guilt of breaking a covenant makes their sin worse than Gaza's, or if the same judgment formula simply recurs. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Tyre, the leading city of Phoenicia, was a maritime power famous for commerce (Ezekiel 27). Its relationship with Israel was shaped by mutual benefit: Hiram supplied David with cedars and craftsmen for his palace, and later supported Solomon's temple project with timber and gold. The language of 'brother' appears in the correspondence (1 Kings 9:13). This treaty of peace and cooperation, renewed for generations, created an obligation of loyalty.
The sin described, 'they delivered up whole communities to Edom', likely refers to the slave trade. The Phoenicians were known for buying and selling captives (Joel 3:6; Ezekiel 27:13). The 'complete captivity' (given as gālût šəlēmâ) may mean entire groups of exiles were handed over, possibly Israelites captured in Syrian or Philistine raids. Edom (southeast of Judah) had a long history of hostility toward Israel. For Tyre, which had enjoyed peaceful trade with Israel, to deliver Israelite captives to Edom was a profound betrayal.
The phrase 'fire on the wall of Tyre' echoes the oracle against Gaza and foreshadows the city's actual destruction, first by Nebuchadnezzar (after a thirteen-year siege) and later by Alexander the Great. The repetition of 'fire…devour its palaces' in each judgment oracle (verses 4, 7, 10, 12, 14) announces that God's judgment is measured and certain, regardless of a nation's apparent strength.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources (Clarke, Barnes, Calvin, Cambridge, Gill, JFB, Keil-Delitzsch, Lange) note no significant textual variants for Amos 1:9-10. The wording is stable across major Hebrew manuscripts. The phrase 'brotherly covenant' (בְּרִית אַחִים) is consistent; the main interpretive issue is its referent, not its text.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters, including Jerome, read Tyre's condemnation as a type of worldly power that breaks faith with God's people. The 'brotherly covenant' was sometimes allegorized as the bond between Jews and Gentiles in the Church. In Reformation-era commentaries, Calvin emphasized that Tyre's sin was not merely political but a violation of natural law and fidelity. Later Protestant writers (Matthew Henry, Wesley) focused on the lesson that no friendship with God's people can be forgotten without consequence. The oracle has been cited in sermons on covenant faithfulness, the ethics of commerce, and the justice of God over all nations.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Privilege of Covenant: Tyre had a special relationship with Israel based on Hiram's friendship and treaty with David and Solomon (1 Kings 5:1).
- The Sin of Exploitation: Instead of protecting those with whom they had ties, Tyre profited by selling whole populations into bondage to Edom.
- The Certainty of Judgment: God's fire on the wall (v.10) shows that no fortress can shield a nation from accountability when it breaks covenant.
Five-point outline
- Context of the Oracle: Tyre is the third nation in Amos' series of judgment pronouncements (Amos 1-2).
- The Charge: Tyre handed over exiles to Edom, complicity in the slave trade.
- The Aggravation: They 'remembered not the brotherly covenant', willful neglect of a sacred pledge.
- The Judgment: Fire on the wall and palaces, total destruction of Tyre's defenses and power.
- The Theological Message: God judges not only Israel but all nations by His moral law; covenant-breaking has consequences.
Illustration hooks
- A company that once helped build a neighbor's school later sells land to a group that displaces that same neighbor. The friendly past makes the betrayal sting.
- A elected official who comes to power on a promise of unity later signs a deal that harms their own allies for personal profit. The breach of covenant is what outrages people more than the harm itself.
- Friends who share meals and business deals for years, then a crisis arises and one friend sells the other out for money. The trust lost is the deeper wound.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God judge nations for how they treat their allies, even commercially?
- What counts as a 'brotherly covenant' today, does this apply to any promise between groups?
- Is there a connection between forgetting past kindness and committing present cruelty?
Leading a Discussion
This week we look at Tyre, a wealthy city that broke an ancient friendship. Amos doesn't let us settle into comfortable distance, God's justice applies to every power on earth, not just to those who openly oppose Him. Read Amos 1:9-10 and discuss the questions below.
Discussion questions
- What do we know about Tyre's history with Israel from 2 Samuel 5:11 and 1 Kings 5:1-12? What kind of relationship did they have?
- The text says Tyre 'delivered up the whole community to Edom.' What does that tell us about their involvement in the slave trade (compare Joel 3:6)?
- The key phrase is 'remembered not the brotherly covenant.' In your own words, what does this mean? Why is remembering a covenant so important in Scripture?
- Some commentators say the covenant refers to the treaty between Hiram and Solomon; others think it means a more general obligation among peoples. Which reading seems more consistent with Amos' context? Why?
- How does the judgment, 'fire on the wall, devouring the palaces', echo the oracles against Damascus and Gaza? What does this repetition tell us about God's character?
- Have you ever experienced or witnessed a friendship that was betrayed for profit? How does that parallel Tyre's sin?
- What keeps people today from 'remembering the brotherly covenant', whether in politics, business, or personal relationships? How can we be people who keep our word even when it costs us?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Samuel 5:11 | Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, with cedar trees, carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house. |
| I Kings 5:1 | Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father, and Hiram had always loved David. |
| I Kings 5:11 | Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat for food to his household, and twenty cors of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. |
| I Kings 9:11 | (now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and cypress trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. |
| I Kings 9:14 | Hiram sent to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold. |
| II Chronicles 2:8 | “Send me also cedar trees, cypress trees, and algum trees out of Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. Behold, my servants will be with your servants, |
| II Chronicles 2:16 | and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you need. We will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa; then you shall carry it up to Jerusalem.” |
| Isaiah 23:1 | The burden of Tyre. Howl, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in. From the land of Kittim it is revealed to them. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the close kinship between Jews and Edomites means Tyre’s violence against them was also an attack on their own people. He says the fire that destroyed Tyre came from Nebuchadnezzar.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the broken covenant between Tyre and Solomon involved more than just trade agreements. It was a special brotherly agreement based on friendship and religious worship that included sacred rites and sacrifices. Christians who hold this view see the destruction of Tyre as God fulfilling judgment on that broken covenant. Both sides of the creation days debate are understood positively by some readers.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that the Syrians who helped capture the Jews were guilty just as badly as the captors because they knew them to be brothers yet still conspired against them. He believes God sent fire to destroy Tyrus as punishment for its sin.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold the view that Amos speaks against all unjust trade point to the fact that Tyre helped others capture people for slavery. Others understand the reference to a forgotten treaty as meaning the city broke a friendship with other Phoenician towns. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes notes that because Tyrus locked away all captives in Edom and ignored its duty to help fellow Israelites, God will send fire that destroys its palaces. This shows God holds people accountable for breaking their promises to one another.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Tyre’s punishment comes because they handed over captives to Edom and broke a brotherly agreement with them. He also says their worship of a sun god was part of the reason for the judgment.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that Tyre broke its agreement with David by not sending supplies after receiving oil and grain. It also ignored its brotherly bond with David as recorded in the Old Testament.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that Tyre bought Israelite captives from an enemy then sold them to Edom. This trade caused them extra guilt because they ignored the old friendship between Israel and Tyre.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights how Amos builds his judgments in a circling storm pattern: the prophet lets Israel hear God's wrath against surrounding nations first, only to turn suddenly and apply the same verdict to them. The "for three transgressions and for four" language means the sins are countless, not limited to a set number. The point is that even God's chosen people cannot escape when they violate basic moral law.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that because these cities delivered captives to Edom, the Lord will send fire to destroy their walls and palaces. He believes this judgment shows God’s punishment for breaking a covenant of brotherly love.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that the bond between Hiram and Israel's kings was specifically a "bro