Amos 6:6

That drink wine in bowls,.... Not in small cups or glasses, but in large bowls, that they might drink freely, even to drunkenness; hence we read of the drunkards of Ephraim, or the ten tribes, Isaiah

That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

The prophet continues the woe still to these riotous feasters; the jovial, banqueting, dancing, and singing judges. That drink wine in bowls; not in little vessels, not in moderate glasses or cups, as beseemed sober men, but in great vessels, called bowls; and it is likely they drank these filled as full as they could hold too, and in design to drink each other down. Anoint themselves with the chief ointments: in those hot countries this anointing was needful to refresh and strengthen the limbs, and it was much used. But here the effeminate use of it, at such a time, and by such men, at feasts, is condemned as a great excess and provoking sin, which God will punish. But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph; nothing affected with or troubled for the public calamities of their country, though they were sore ones, brought on them by the Syrians, and by their own divisions and civil wars: both kingdoms of Judah and Israel were in a very low, afflicted state, but these rulers and grandees live, feast, sing, and dance, as if no sad occasion called for other carriage.

Amos 6:6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.Ver. 6. That drink wine in bowls] Non in scyphis, cyathis, aut calicibus, not in cups, pots, or chalices, but in vessels of price, and of largest receipt, that they may be counted and called (as young Cicero was) Tricongii, such as can drink whole ones, and no small ones either. (The Seventy and the Chaldee render it, In phials; others, in goblets.) Diotimus, of Athens, for his excessive drinking, was termed χωνη, Tun-dish. Alexander the Great gloried that he could drink down any man; and one time, inviting many to supper, he provided a crown of one hundred and eighty pounds to be given to those that drank most; and forty-one of the company killed themselves with drinking to get that crown. Darius, King of Persia, caused this to be engraven upon his tomb; I was able to drink much wine, and to bear it bravely. Was not this to glory in his shame? had he no way else to show his valour? Did he never take notice of that Persian law, that it should not be lawful for their king to be drunk but only once a year, when they sacrificed to the sun, whom they took to be the greatest of the gods? How much better Bathsheba, in her Lemuel’ s lesson, "It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink: lest they drink and forget the law," Proverbs 31:4-5. And if not for kings, much less is it for others to be "drunk with wine, wherein is excess," Ephesians 5:18, lest with Nabal, and the rich glutton, they drink deep of the wine of God’ s wrath, and have the full vials of his vengeance poured upon them for ever. And anoint themselves with the chief ointments] After the manner of the Jewish nation, whereof see 2 Samuel 12:20 Ecclesiastes 9:8 Luke 7:38; Luke 7:46 Psalms 23:5; Psalms 104:15 Matthew 6:17. They spare for no cost or pains to please all their senses. And such a prodigal pleasure monger was that rich citizen’ s son, mentioned in the second part of the Theatre of God’ s Judgments; who, to please all his five senses at once, allowed to the delight of every sense a several hundred pounds. For which end, 1. He bespake a curious fair room richly hanged, and furnished with the most exquisite pictures, to please the eye. 2. He had all the choicest music that could be heard of, to give content to the ear. 3. He had all the aromatics and odoriferous perfumes, to delight his scent in smelling. 4. All the candies, preserves, junkets, even to the stretching of the apothecary’ s or confectionery’ s art, to please his taste. 5.

(6) Bowls.—The extent of their potations is indicated by the fact that they drink, not from wine-cups, but from large bowls (in which the wine was probably mixed). The same word is used in Exodus 38:3 to describe the sacrificial basons. And anoint themselves . . .—Render, anoint themselves with the choicest of oils, and are not sick at heart for the ruin of Joseph. Self-indulgence is indifferent to the call of duty or danger.

Verse 6. That drink wine in bowls] Perhaps the costliness of the drinking vessels, more than the quantity drank, is that which is here reprehended by the prophet. Drinking vessels of the most costly materials, and of the most exquisite workmanship, are still in use; and as to precious ointments and perfumes among the Jews, we have a proof that the contents of one small box was worth three hundred denarii, at least seven pounds ten shillings sterling. See the case in the Gospel, John 12:5, and the note there.

6. that drink with bowls of wine] Not satisfied with ordinary cups. Bowl is properly a throwing-vessel, the root zâraḳ ? signifying to throw or dash in a volume, Leviticus 1:5; Leviticus 1:11, &c. (not to sprinkle, which is hizzâh, Leviticus 4:6; Leviticus 4:17, &c.); and elsewhere it is always used of the large bowls or basins from which the blood was thrown in a volume against the altar (Exodus 27:3; 1 Kings 7:40; 2 Kings 12:13; Zechariah 9:15; Zechariah 14:20 : see Leviticus 1:5; Leviticus 1:11; Leviticus 3:2; Leviticus 3:8; Leviticus 3:13; 2 Kings 16:13; 2 Kings 16:15; 2 Chronicles 29:22. Sprinkle, in these and similar passages, is incorrect: it should be throw or dash). The luxurious nobles of Samaria at their banquets drank their wine from bowls of similarly large size. and anoint with the first of oils] oils of the choicest kind. The practice of anointing the body, especially after washing (Rth 3:3), was common in the East: it both soothed and refreshed the skin, and was a protection against the heat. As a rule, fresh olive-oil was used for the purpose (Deuteronomy 28:40; Micah 6:15), but aromatic spices and perfumes were often added, especially by the rich (1 Kings 10:10; Ezekiel 27:22; cf. Mark 14:3; Mark 14:5); and such choice and costly compounds are alluded to here. Anointing was in particular practised on festal occasions; and oil was accordingly a mark of joy (Psalms 23:5; Psalms 45:7; Psalms 92:10; Isaiah 61:3; Ecclesiastes 9:8), while not to anoint oneself was a token of mourning (2 Samuel 14:2). but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph] more lit., are not sick for the breach (or wound) of Joseph. The words bring out the irony of their position: immersed themselves in a vortex of pleasure, they are unconcerned by the thought of the breach or wound in the body politic, i.e. the impending material ruin, the signs of which the prophet can only too clearly discern, though they are invisible to the self-satisfied political leaders of the nation. For the term breach (or wound), applied to a nation, cf. Isaiah 30:26; Jeremiah 6:14 (“the breach of the daughter of my people”), Jeremiah 8:21, Jeremiah 10:19, Jeremiah 14:17, Jeremiah 30:12; Jeremiah 30:15; Nahum 3:19; Lamentations 2:13 (A.V., R.V., often “hurt”).

That drink wine in bowls - (Literally, as the English margin, “drink in bowls,” literally, “sprinkling vessels, of wine”). The word is elsewhere used only of the “bowls,” out of which the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled.

Condemnation of the nobles, Amos 6:1-7.1. Woe — See on Amos 5:18. That are at ease — Margin, “secure.” In a bad sense, those who are recklessly at ease, who are insensible to the dangers lurking on every side (Isaiah 32:9).