Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions of Gaza,.... The chief city of the Philistines, and put for the whole country, and designs the inhabitants of it:and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof;See Gill on "Am 1:3";because they carried away captive the whole captivity; which cannot be understood of the captivity of the whole nation, either of Israel or Judah, who were never carried captive by the Philistines; but of their carrying away all the substance of the house of Jehoram king of Judah, and of all his sons and his wives, and left him not one son but the youngest, 2Ch 21:17;to deliver [them] up to Edom: or, "to shut them up in Edom" ; which country also revolted from Jehoram, when he and the captains of his chariots going out against them, were corn passed in by them, Am 1:8.
Some think this refers to the time when Sennacherib invaded Judea, and many of the Jews fled to Palestine for help, but instead of being sheltered were delivered up to the Edomites; but this was in the times of Hezekiah, after Amos had prophesied, and therefore cannot be referred to; and for the same reason this cannot be applied to the Edomites and Philistines invading and smiting Judah, and carrying them captive, 2Ch 28:17.
Mwdal rygohl tou sugkleisai eiv thn idoumaian, Sept. "ut concluderent eam in Idumea", V. L.