Hazael

3This is what the LORD says: "The city of Damascus has done wrong again and again. I will not hold back their punishment. They crushed the people of Gilead under heavy iron tools."

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:

NoteDamascus was the biggest city in Syria, north of Israel. Gilead was land where God's people lived. Farmers had a heavy board with sharp iron teeth. They dragged it over grain to break the seeds loose. Amos says the soldiers hurt people the way that board crushed grain. Saying "three wrongs, and four" meant more wrongs than you could count.

4"So I will send fire on the family of King Hazael. It will burn up the palaces of King Benhadad."

But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.

NoteHazael and Benhadad were kings of Syria long ago. "The house of Hazael" means his family and everything he ruled. Palaces are the big strong houses where kings live.

5"I will break the heavy bar that locks the gates of Damascus. I will take away the ruler of the valley called Aven. I will take away the one who holds the king's staff in Beth Eden. The people of Syria will be marched away to a land called Kir," says the LORD.

I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.

NoteCity gates were held shut by a heavy wooden bar. If the bar breaks, the city cannot keep enemies out. The king's staff was a special stick a ruler carried. Holding it meant you were the one in charge. Kir was a land far away. Armies marched beaten people there so they could not fight back.