Amos 9:11-12 will be our next passage. I am only giving you the reference here because I want you to read it and answer in your own mind the following questions after you do so. As an Israelite contemporary to the time of Amos, when you read Amos 9:11-12 …
1. What would you assume the “booth” or “tabernacle” of David is, referred to in v. 11?
2. What would it mean to you that this “booth” or “tabernacle” is “fallen” and in need of repair?
3. What would you presume would be meant by the “rebuilding” of this “booth” or “tabernacle”?
4. Who do you suppose would be “the remnant of Edom”?
I’ll give you all a couple days before posting on this again.
As an Israelite contemporary to the time of Amos, I would say:
1. In 2 Samuel 7:16 (“And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.”) there is a promise to David about his house, so “booth” would refer to David´s dynasty
2. In the days of Amos, David´s dynasty was in a really bad condition with Jeroboam II, so “fallen” and “in need of repair” would explain that situation..
3.”rebuilding” would mean establish David´s royal dynasty again.
4. Perhaps the non jews
Interestingly Stuart thinks that the MT misunderstood ??? as hut/booth when it is really talking about the city of Succoth and its role as the staging area from which David subdued Israels enemies. He says it is strongly associated with Davids victories, including those over Edom. 1
I always thought that the booth of David was a figurative way of referring to the line of David and the need for repair was speak of the state of his kingship. In other words, by rebuilding Davids booth, God was indicating that he would restore the Davidic kingdom.
Edom is a reference to the Gentiles (Acts 15:17). Acts seems to be quoting for the LXX which translates the remnant of Edom as the remainder of Men. Also the LXX changes Edom from being possessed (i.e. Edom is the object of the sentence) to the remainder of Men being the subject and doing the seeking. Could the LXX be translating a different Hebrew source here?
1. Stuart, D. (2002). Vol. 31: Word Biblical Commentary : Hosea-Jonah. Word Biblical Commentary (398). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
The booth of David is a reference to 2 Sam 6:17 where David brings the Ark to Jerusalem and sets it in a tent (booth, tabernacle) there. The Ark did not return to the Tabernacle, apparently still at Shiloh, from whence it came. I am assuming this was in preparation for the temple David thought he was going to build. This is what I believe a contemporary of Amos would be thinking of when he hears this verse.
When the Ark was in the Tabernacle, only the high priest saw it on the Day of Atonement. Ditto for the temple later on. But with Davids tent I would suggest that anyone could see it, including Gentiles. For this short period of Davids tent, at least, everyone had access. This would include the remnant of Edom, the descendents of Esau, Jacobs brother, and all the nations, all the Gentiles. The idea is the expansion of Gods kingdom to all nations. This seems validated by the happenings of Acts 15 where the verse in Amos is quoted.
But I seriously doubt the contemporary of Amos would see this. I am not sure how he would take that part. Perhaps as the expansion of the nation of Israel, particularly in light of the following verses.
OK, since there aren’t many responding….I will guess, but probably am wrong.
Booth – temple.
Fallen booth – temple destruction, either by the Babylonians (600BC) or Romans (70 AD).
Rebuilding the booth – either the 2nd rebuilding of the temple – or Jesus himself as the new temple.
Remnant of Edom – Gentiles and Jews who convert to Christ.
thanks – since I have a few now, I’ll hit this on the weekend and wrap it up.