Amos 6

Wo and captivity denounced upon the great ones of Zion and Samaria by reason of their carnall security wicked vanity and profusion verse 1&c.God swears that he will deliver up the city into the enemy’s hand with all that which is therein and cause the rest to perish by his plagues without sparing great or small 7.because of Israel senseless perversness or obstinacy or foolish haughtiness God will send an oppressing enemy upon them 12.

1. Wo unto the easy ones [or commodious that is such as live at their easein pleasure compare Jeremiah 48:11 where it is said to Moab that from this youth he was or lived at rest quietly and unmolested feeling and fearing no trouble]at Zion [this concerned Juda whose metropolis or chief city was Jerusalem and Zion the royal residence [and unto secure ones upon the mountains of Samaria [that is the careless ones there compare Judges 18:27 where it is said of Lais that it was a still or quiet and secure people and Ezekiel 30 verse 9 Chus of security or confidence that is that secure or careless Chus land or people meaning the moors or Ethiopians others that trust in the mountain of Samaria or relie upon it and thereupon do grow secure and careless the sense being all one but I the text regard is had to both the clauses] which are the chiefest[ or most famous renowned see of the Hebrew word Genesis 30 on verse 28 this by some is referred to both the mountains that of Zion and that of Samaria but the antecedent and consequent text aims plainly at the heads of Juda and Israel which had their residence on both these mountains in the two capital cities as the principal among the heads of the people of the foremost [or the principal or heads]of the nation [that is of the twelve tribes or understand it so that the twelve tribes were severed from all other nations by God himself and receive for his people see Exodus 19:5 Jeremiah 2.3c.] and unto whom those of the house of Israel do come[viz having their recourse unto them upon all the occasions for advice and redress unto their heds Juda and Benjamin at Jerusalem and the ten tribes at Samaria Hebrew the house of Israel come or shall come Gods denounceth the wo upon those head because that as followeth they did shew themselves so unthankful in these glorious places which by Gods special favour they inhabitat and eminent employment]

2. Go over calne [a very ancient and famous city in the land of Sinear or Chaldea see Genesis 10:10 and Isaih 10.9] and look on go from thence to Hemath the great city [or mighty powerful glorious see of Hamath likewise a famous royal city Numbers 13 on verse 21 2 Samuel 8.9c.]and go down Gath of the Philistines another royal city see 1 Samuel 21:10 and 2 Samuel 8 on verse1 ]whether they be better these kingdoms or their border greater then your borders [by these words greater and better God set before their eyes the excellency of the lands which he had given them to possess for which they ought to have been thankful other were they not better in this sence as if God meant to represent unto them that greater and more excellent places then theirs were brought to ruin so that they had no reason to be so secure and careless but by rather to take warning by such example and repent]

3. Ye that put far away the evil days [viz the approaching time of Gods visitation whereof above chapter 5.18,19,20 understand ith all wo unto ye from verse 1 to do so as if you had no cause to be afraid of these judgments at least in your days compatre Ezekiel 12 .22 and below 9.10 nay ye hold the very mentioning and speaking of the Lords days as an unclean and vile and abominable thing which the Hebrew phrase seems to imply]and bring nigh the seat of violence [as if God said is nt this great folly that ye practice your wickedness on the judgment seat so that all manner of all wrong and vallany is so neer among and in and cleaving to yourselves and yet ye go about to persuade yourselves that the punishment are far enough yet or shall never light upon ye]

4. That yvorie bedstead [Heb bedstead of the tooth see 1 Kings 10 on verse 16 compare the description of the royal pomp Ester 1.6]and are luxurious upon their couches [or prodigal profuse others that stretch or spread themselves luxuriously like a luxuriant vine Ezekiel 17:6 and so below verse 7]and eat the lambs [viz the very best by what followeth]of the stalk and the calves out of the most fattening stall [choosing the fattest out of the places where they were kept to be fattened]

5. That quaver it to the sound of the lute [Heb on or to the mouth of c. that is according to the tune or harmony of the lute-play or psaltery skillfully breaking and quavering their voices which they use to call the drillo and some according to the Hebrew minuting or mincing]and device themselves instruments of music like David [abusing according to the custom of vain wordly person the spiritual holy music of David the royal prophet to their carnal and pastime]

6. That drink wine out of bowl [others in or with hasons of wine that is that do not themselves with ordinary drinking cups bowls beakers &c. but must have large and capacious vessels or swill bowls like basins to carry it [and anoint themselves with the excellent oil [Heb primiria firstling first foremost of the oils that is the very best and the costliest oil see Ruth 3:3 Psalms 23:5 Proverbs 21:17 with the annotate]but do not trouble themselves [or have no pain fellow feelings bears-grief are not grieved the Hebrew word are not used both of bodily sickness and of grief and trouble of the spirit and both may take place here the one commonly attending on other] for the breach of Joseph [as above chapter 5.6 that is for their particular oppression of their brethren and the common both past and instant affliction of Gods people see Jeremiah 4:6]

7. Therefore shall they now go away captive [that is very soon see Hosea 10:3] among [Hebrew in or among] the fore most [or head that is before all the rest in the front of all the captives there ye shall have the procidency as in stare and wickedness ye surpassed or out went others before the first in sin the first in punishment]that go into captivity and the banquest [others mourning feasts which they were wont to keep n a great deal of pomp profusion or excess and many strange devices see Jeremiah 16 on verse 5]of those that are luxurious [as above verse 4] shall remove [that is all jollity vanity pride and excess shall cease and forsake them and instead thereof nothing but misery shall cleave unto and follow them]

8. The Lord LORD hath sworn by himself [Heb by his soul that is by himself see Genesis 22on verse 16 spoken of God according to the manner of men in regard of the word soul]saith the Lord the God of hosts I do abhor the pride of Jacob [that is of Israel or the Israelites] and I hate his palace therefore I will deliver up [into the hand of the enemy]the city of her fatness [that is all wherewith I have replenished enriched and adorned the city compare Deuteronomy 33:6 Psalms 25:1&c.]

9. And it shall come to pass and there be ten men left in any house [not being killed or carried away by the enemy]that they shall die [viz by the pestilence or famine or fire or earth quake &c. as God hath threatened that he that escapeththe one plague should fall into the other above chapter 5.19 &c]

10. And the next friend [or of the kin kinsmen nephew according to the use f the Hebrew word shall take up every on of them [Heb him that one of the said dead men one after another]or he that burneth him [viz the body of the deceased which was not usual but in extraordinary cases and for special reasons as many be seen 1Samuel 31.12 yet according to some likewise in times of great mortality which may not unfitly be applied also to this place]for to bring the bones out of the house [either for burial burning or for casting away compare below chapter 8.3]and shall say to him that is within the house [Heb in the sense is in the inmost part of it] are there more yet with thee?[viz dead ones in the house]and he shall say no body [or there is the end that is they are all gone now there is none left or escaped]then shall he say hold thy peace [that is murmur not against the judgments of God for those that are dead were wicked compare above chapter 5.13 with the annotate]for they[the deceased]were not to mention the name of the Lord [others the Lords name was not to be mentioned or must not be c. implying that these people were come to that height of impiety that not withstanding the most heavy plague that was upon them they could not endure the Lords name should be mentioned or remembered among them some understand it so the common use among them of mourning and lamenting over the dead wherein doubtless there was some mention made of the name of the Lord compare below chapter 8.3]

11. For behold the Lord giveth charge [or shall give charge or command that he shall so order it by his providence]and he shall smite the great house with through wavering [that is cause the enemy to come on as in obedience to Gods command and to smite &c. below verse14 and chapter 9.9 Heb with drops and dropping that is through watering so that the punishments shall pass over high and low great and small like a searching and seeking and still dropping rain that cannot be avoided compare above chapter 5.24 some apply it to both the kingdoms of Israel and Juda and the destruction and the desolation that should befall them viz Israel by the Assyrians and Juda by the Babylonians compare Isaih 8.14and the little house with clefts .

12. Shall horses be able to run upon the rock ?ca there be any ploughing there with any oxen ? [this verse may according to some be understood that as it would be absurd and to no end and used to attempt such things on a rock so Israel should fare and speed nothing on the better for running or taking such perverse and toilsome courses or by reason that all warnings and admonition were as vainly and fruitlessly bestowed upon them as running upon rocks for they remained still perverse and obstinate as followeth or as such an attempt or practice could be an overthrow and perverting of all order and reason in nature and nothing but meer and very pernicious folly and madness so all was theirs because they perverted the wholly and wholesome ordinances of God judgment and righteousness into meer oison and bitterness as followeth]for [or because] ye have perverted the judgment into gall [see Psalms 69 on verse 2 and compare above chapter 5.7] and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood .

13. Ye that rejoice over a thing of nought [such as are your wealth and power whereof ye boast and brag so foolishly they being given by me and no ways able through your sins to stand you in any stead against my wrath]yea that say have not we gotten horns[that is glory and power see Deuteronomy 33:17 and Job 16:16] through our on straight ?

14. For behold I will raise a nation upon ye O house of Israel [viz the Assyrians as the Babylonians upon Juda]saith the Lord the go of hosts these shall press you [or throng straighten you compare above verse 2.13] from ones coming to Hamath[situate in north border of Canaan]unto the brook of the wilderness [as the brook or the river of Egypt or Sichor in the south see Numbers 4:5,8 Joshua 13:3 the sense is they shall plague and distress thee from one end f the land to the other other for wilderness read the plains or plain field .]