¹ tn Heb “set up, establish.” In the ancient Near East it was the responsibility especially of the king to establish justice. Here the prophet extends that demand to local leaders and to the nation as a whole (cf. 5:24).

² sn Legal disputes were resolved in the city gate (see the note in v. 12). This repetition of this phrase serves to highlight a deliberate contrast to the injustices cited in vv. 11-13.

³ tn Or “will show favor to.”

⁴ tn Or “the remnant of” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “what’s left of your people.”

⁵ sn Joseph (= Ephraim and Manasseh), as the most prominent of the Israelite tribes, represents the entire northern kingdom.

⁶ tn Or “raise up” (KJV, NASB); NIV “stir up.”

⁷ tn Heb “house.”

⁸ sn Once again there is irony in the divine judgment. The oppressive nation itself will suffer oppression. The verb “oppress” (לָחַץ, lakhats) in this verse is not the same as that used in 4:1 (עָשַׁק, ’ashaq).

⁹ tn Or “from the entrance to Hamath.” The Hebrew term לְבוֹא (lÿvo’) can either be translated or considered a part of the place name.

¹⁰ sn Lebo-Hamath refers to the northern border of Israel, the Stream of the Arabah to its southern border. See 2 Kgs 14:25. Through this invader the Lord would reverse the victories and territorial expansion Israel experienced during the reign of Jeroboam II.

¹¹ tn The words “will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹² tn Or “melts.” The verb probably depicts earthquakes and landslides. See v. 5b.

¹³ tn Heb “all of it.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “the Nile.” The word “River” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁵ tn Or “sinks back down.”

¹⁶ sn See Amos 8:8, which is very similar to this verse.