Amos 1:11 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Three transgressions: see Amos 1:3. Edom: see Amos 1:6. I will not turn away the punishment thereof: see Amos 1:3. He did pursue; watch for and lay hold on every occasion to oppress Israel. His brother; Jacob and his posterity here are meant, as is Esau and his posterity. Esau personally considered was an enemy to the person of Jacob, and vowed his ruin, forced him to flee into Padan-aram, and on his return thence frighted Jacob too by coming out with four hundred men armed; the posterity of Esau behaved themselves no whit more friendly. With the sword; either joining with the enemies, as Psalms 83:6-8 137:7, or setting a war on foot on their own account, as 2 Chronicles 28:17, against them. Cast off all pity; common humanity was by Edom cast off, when Jacob's posterity needed it, as appears by their denial of passage and selling to them necessaries for their relief in travelling by their country, Numbers 20:14-21; nay, they armed against Israel, Numbers 20:20. Common pity would have forborne strangers travelling by our coasts; how much more brethren. The inhumanity of the Edomites appeared yet further in this, that they were chapmen to buy all the captive Israelites, and to sell them to the heathen for slaves, which is certainly the height of inhumanity. His anger, which is expressed by fierceness, and with vehemency, did tear, as a ravenous, hungry, and fierce lion tears the prey; so the word. Perpetually; though sometimes this anger did intermit for want of opportunity, yet on every occasion it revived, and showed itself again. Kept his wrath for ever; lest the fire of his wrath should extinguish, Edom did record, treasure up, and reserved the seeds of his displeasure, as men rake up fire in ashes to blow it up into a flame; such was Edom's wrath, a wrath that exceeded all bounds, as the word imports, and never ceased.