Amos 1
DortThe condition of Amos and the time of his prophecying verse 1 he denounceth Gods dreadful judgment, 2. upon Syria 3. Upon the Philistines, 6. upon Edom, 11. and upon Ammon, 23.especially because of their persecution and oppression of his people.
1. The words [or things matters] of Amos who was among the herdsmen[see below chapter 7.14 the Heb we have likewise 2 Kings 3:4 where it is of the Moabitish king for a dealer in carrier in cattle ,grazier]of Thekoa [see 2 Samuel 14 on verse 2]which he saw [that is were revealed unto him by God in vision so Mich 1.1 see Ezekiel 13 on verse 3 &c.] over Israel in the days of Uzia king of Juda and in the days of Jarubeam son of Joas king of Israel [hence it is plain that this prophet prophesied at the same time with Hosea see Hosea chapter 1.1]two years before the earth-quake [compare Zach 14.5 the Jews believe that this earth-quake happened then when Uzia was smitten of God with leprosie for having entered upon the priests office 2Chron 26.19 other believe that this earth-quake it was after the death of this king Jerobeam before the fearful conspirancies and the rings which ensued thereupon especially among the great ones and are often and are often insisted upon by the prophet Hosea]
2. And he said the Lord shall roar upon Zion [see Jeremiah 25:30 and Joel 3:16 with the annotate]and lift up his voice out of Jerusalem and the habitations of the herdsman shall mourn [or the pasture goodly fields where the herdsmen had their huts and fed their cattle and this should be reduced to a sad condition as suffering for the people sake compare below chapter 4.6,7 from these words some do gather ,that God foretelleth of great drought here, in Israel which he would cause to be published by a prophet in Juda, and send it forth out of Zion, as from his habitation. Compare below chapter 3.8] and the height or top of Carmel [Heb. the head of c. see Jeremiah 50 on verse 19.] shall wither.
3. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Damascus an four [that is because of the Syrians whose metropolis was Damascus see Genesis 14:15 2 Sam 8.5 thir many grosse and heinous sins especially those committed against my people which from time to time they have heaped up vilely abusing my long suffering a certain number or an uncertain compare Job 5 on verse 19 and 33.29 also verse 6, 7,11,12 and chapter 4.2,6.] will I not turn away that [to wit the judgment set down in the following verse it shall be no longer withheld or delayed some take it thus for three c. nay for four and I will recompense her but for having threshed Gilead as if the Lord hath saith many former sins of theirs I might have winked at yet and not punished them so severely for them but now they have dealt so barbarously with my people I will cause my judgment to proceed against them so in the sequel other I shall not bring them back again viz so far into my favour as to spare them any further]for having threshed Gilead [that is the Israelites inhabiting the land of Gilead beyond Jordan towards Syria see Genesis 31:21]with iron threshing waynes [compare 2 Samuel 12.31and here below verse 13 This may be understood of the cruelties of Hazel and Benhadad see 2 Kings 6,12 and 10.32,33 and 11.18 and 13.3.7 which two Tyrants are named in the sequel]
4. Therefore will I send a fire [that is the plague of war and destruction &c see Jeremiah 49:27 with the annotate and so in the sequel frequently] into Hazaels house which shall devour the places of Benhadad.
5. And I will break the bar of Damascus in pieces [that is the power strength and strongholds of the kingdom of Assyria and especially of Damascus to metropolis thereof itself see 2 Kings 16:7 and Isaiah 17:1]and I will root out the inhabitants out of Bikeat-Aven and him that holds the scepter [that is the king or governor the scepter and being the mark and badge of rule and government see Genesis 49:10 Ezekiel 19:11.14]out of Beth -Eden [this place and the former seemed to have two cities of note or royal houses of pleasure in Syria compare below verse 8] and the people of Syria shall be carried away captive unto Kir [see 2Kings 16 on verse 9 and compare below 9.7] saith the Lord .
6. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Gaza [see Judges 16 on verse 1 by this are understood likewise the rest of the chiefs cities of the Philistines see verse8] and for four I will not turn away that because they carried my people away captive [Heb for their carrying away captive c. see 2 Chrons chapter 21.16,17 and chapter 28.18 Joel 3:4, 6] with a complete carrying away for to deliver them up to Edom [or in a complete delivering them up to Edom .
7. Therefore will I send a fire in the wall of Gaza that shall devour her palaces.
8. And I will root out the inhabitants out of Asdod [Asdod and the other cities named in this verse were all of them principal cities of the Philistines well known in the Scripture] and him that holds the scepter out of Askelon and I will turn my hand [that is extend my power see the phrase 2 Samuel 8:3 Ezekiel 38:11] against Ekron and the remnant of the philistines shall perish [Heb shall plurally that is perish] saith the Lord.
9. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Tyre [see Jos 19 on verse 29 and further Isa 23 Jer 47 .4 Ezek 26.27.28]and for four will I not turn away that because they have delivered up my people to Edom with a complete carrying away [compare Joel 3:4,6 with the annotate]and remembered not the covenant of their brethren [David and Solomon both had made a covenant with the king of Tyre and called one another brethren see 2 Samuel 5:11.1Kings 5.1 and 9.13]
10. Therefore will I send a fire in the wall of Tyre that shall devour her palaces
11. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Edom [see Isaiah 21:11 Jer49,7 Ezekiel 25:12 Obad 1.]And will I turn not that away because he presued his brother with the sword [that is his own kindred viz Israel or the Israelites descending from Jacob the brother of Esau who was the father of the Edomites see Genesis 21 verse 40 Deut 13 verse 7]corrupted his compassion [that is those natural affections and sympathies which kinsmen ought to bear and shew one another] and his anger tears forever and he keeps his indignation always [viz that which Esau took up against his brother Jacob Genesis 17.41 and his basely imitated or continued by his posterity see Psalms 137:7&c.]
12. Therefore will I send a fire in Theman [see Jeremiah 49:7]that shall devour the palaces of Bozra [that is of the Edomites as Isa 34.6and 63.1 and Jer49.11 for it seems undoubtedly that there was another Bozra to another Moabites Jer48.14 otherwise according to some called Bezir Joshua 21:31 where many pastures and store of sheep were see Mich 2.12 and compare 2 Kings 3:4 unless it be that the Edomites be subdued the Moabites Bozra lying not far from their border under their own power .]
13. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of the children of Ammon [see Jer49.1 Ezekiel 25:2] and for four will I not turn away that because they cut up thy with child [understand by this one sort of inhuman Tyrannie all the rest as above verse 3 and Hosiah 14.1]of Gilead [see above verse 3 [for to enlarge their borders [the land of the Ammonites bordering on he Gilead both lying eastward beyond Jordan]
14. Therefore I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabba [see 2 Sam 11on verse 1]that shall devour her palaces [understand those of Rabba the metropolis or chief city of the Ammonites]with a shout [or sound of trumpets or out cry of battle and so below chapter 2.2]in the day of the battle with a tempest in the day of the whirl-wind [that is by a war which through Gods heavy wrath shall light as suddenly and terrible upon them as a tempest ,hail-storm and whirl-wind see Job 9:17 Proverbs 1:27 and 10.25 Hosea 8:7 with the annotate .]
15. And their king shall go into captivity[other Malcam shall c that is the idol of the Ammonites shall be carried away into captivity according to the manner of the nations then when they subdued a country see Isaiah 46:1 Jeremiah 48:7 and 49.1 ,3 Hosea 10:6 with the annotate] he and his princess together saith the Lord .