The prophet now turns to two enemies of Israel: Philistia and Egypt. He names Ashdod, one of the main cities of Philistia. He calls these nations to gather around Samaria, the capital of the kingdom of Israel, and to witness the violence and oppression inside the city.
From the outside, Israel appeared strong. Inside, however, the nation was corrupt and divided by conflict between social groups. Because of this inner weakness, Israel’s enemies would be able to take advantage of it (see Amos 3:11).