Amos 2

Gods judgments upon Moab verse1 &c upon Juda 4 an upon Israel whose abominable are particularly rehearsed, as the oppression of the godly and the poor in judgments 6, 7 detestable uncleanness .7. Impudence in their prostitution idolatry, and unthankful to God for his mercies, of old, 9. prophaness and spite against Nazarites and prophets , 12.for which God threateneth with a fore and unavoidable destruction, 13.

1. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and four will I not turn away that [see above chap 10 on verse 3]because he [viz Moab especially the king of the Moabites]burnt the bones of the king of Edom [this act is no where else recorded in holy writ ,some would apply it to the history ,2 Kings 3:27 see the annotate there others hold that a certain king of the Moabites caused an Edomitish king to be burnt alive to ashes and to a kind of lime to be made of it wherewith he caused the walls of his palace to be covered however it was a certainly a very extraordinary inhuman barbarous act of the Moabites which God would not suffer to go unpunished.]

2. Therefore will I send a fire into Moab [As above chapter 1. 4. and below verse 5.] that shall devour the Palaces of Kerijot : [A famous City of the Moabites, See Jeremiah 48:24.] and Moab shall die [i.e perish, lose all his state and power. Compare Hosea 13:1. with the annot. Yet it may be properly understood here of the Moabites being to be put to death by the enemies] with great noise, [of war and hostile surprizal] with shout, [as above ch. 1. 14. See there] with sound of the trumpet.

3. And I will cut of the Judge [Or, Governour] out of the midst of her. [i.e out of the land of Moab, or, the Citie of Kerijot,] and all her Princes will I put to death with him, [i.e with Moab and especially with the King of the Moabites] saith the LORD.

4. Thus saith the LORD; for three transgressions of Juda, and for four, will I not turn away that: because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and not kept his institutions, and their lies seduced them [understand their idols, idolatries, superstitions, and all their train of vanities] which their father walked after.

5. Therefore will I send a fire into Juda, that shall devour the Palaces in Jerusalem.

6. Thus saith the LORD; for three transgressions of Israel [i.e the ten tribes] and for four, will I not turn away that; because they fell the righteous for monie, and the needy for a pair of shoes; [i.e the honest, innocent man that hath a righteous cause, they do oppresse in judgement, and condemn the poor, that hath nothing to give, but is in want himself, for a small gift of the rich, and deliver them into the power of the advesarie. See below chapter 8. 6.]

7. Who pant after it, that the dust of the earth may be on the head of the poor, [i.e who are never at rest, until they have put the poor, sufficiently exhausted before, as it were quite in the dust of the earth, and trodden them under their feet, dragging and haling them along, as upon the ground, into all conceivable extremity. Compare the annot. On 1 Kings 16:2. and Job 16:15., etc. as also bel. chapter 5. 11. Or so as that the poor must stand before the Judgement-seat with dust or earth upon their heads, as guilty ones and male factors doing penance, to please the rich which gave presents] and pervet, [or turn about, bend] the way of the meek: [See Psal. 10. on verse 17. i.e who make the worst construction and report of the intent and practice of him that endevours quietly to obey God, and do all they can, to hinder, dis quiet and disturb him. Again, if he have never so good a cause to plead in judgment they bow and wrest it to his damage and defeat him of his right some take it so as if by their power and insolence they kept up such a terrour among people that good people must turn out of the way before and remain at a great distance from them] and the men [that is the son] and his father go to one young daughter to prophane [that is by most impudent uncleanness to dishonor and prostitute]my holy name Heb the name of my holiness that is my holy name by which they are called.]

8. And they lay themselves down by every altar,[Heb they bow down themselves that is they are so shameless that is having practiced so much baseless and malice on the poor and needy they dare presently upon it appear in the temples of their idols to brave it there yet with their unrighteous purchase and feast thereof on their idolatrous festivals aggravating thus their violence by their idolatry and their idolatry by their violence] upon the pawned garments [which they took in pawn and pledge of the poor see Exod 22 on verse 26]and drink the wine of the amerced or fined ones [that is which they bought with a fine or mulct of them whom they wrongfully condemned]in the house of their Gods .

9. I on the contrary destroyed the Amorites before their face [meaning the Canaanites heathen nation called thus sometimes from the principallest among them the Amorites whose top was as the top of the Cedars and he was as strong as the oak [figurative phrases see Numbers 13:29,33,34]but I have destroyed his fruit from above and his root from beneath [expression implying the uttermost destruction see Hosea 9 on verse 16.]

10. Also I carried you forth out of the land of Egypt and I have led you forty years in the wilderness hereditarily to possess the land of the Amorites.

11. And some of your sons I have raised to be prophets and of your youths for Nazarites [see Numbers 6 on verse 2] is it not thus ye children of Israel saith the LORD? [As if he said ye cannot deny this yourselves it is a truth without exception.]

12. But ye have given the Nazarites wine to drink [contrary to Gods express command Numbers 6:3 to provoke him and make a mock of all godliness]and ye have charged the prophets [Heb commanded the or upon or against the prophets that is forbidden them as the word commanding is taken sometimes see Genesis 2 verse 16 Levit 4.2 Deut 2.38 and chapter 4.23 with the annotate]saying ye shall not prophesy [compare Isaih 30.10 Jeremiah 11:21 and below chapter 7.13.]

13. Behold I will press your places as a wagon presseth that is full of sheaves [that is I will so press and distress the land with its inhabitants through my punishing hand by the enemy as full laden wagon with corn doth press and crush that or him the wagon is made to pass over compare below chapter 6.14.]

14. So that the swift shall not escape [Heb and the refugee shall perish or be lost from the swift or light one to wit him that is light and nimble on his feet as in the next verse]and the strong shall not improve his strength [that is he shall be able to make use of his strength or though he endeavor it it shall be in vain]and a valiant man shall not free his soul [that is shall not be able to save his life see Genesis 19 on verse 17 and so in the next verse .]

15. And he that handleth the bow shall not subsist [and keep his standing throughhe where never so active and undanted an archer before] and he that is light on his feet shall not free himself nor shall he that rides on a horse back free his soul.

16. And the stoutest among the valiant man [Heb the strong of his heart or he that is strong with heart compare Psalms 76:6]shall flee naked away at that day [throwing away both armour and clothes to make the quicker escape]saith the Lord .