Amos 4

The prophet reproveth the ten tribes for luxury and oppression, for idolatry and impenitency, notwithstanding the severe judgments already inflicted upon them. createth the wind. The former the most solid, the other the most subtile and active part of the material world. And declareth unto man tvhat is his thought.’] Whose knowledge is infinite, as well as his power; who searches the thoughts and intents of the heart; and, upon some occasions, discovers them for men’s conviction. (See Dan. ii. 28.) Tliat maketh the morning darkness-] Who turns day into night, overcasting the heaven with clouds; (see v. 8.) or else, darkens the mxrth in the clear days, by an extraordinary eclipse of the sun: (see viii. 9.) and can in like manner turn the most flourishing condition into a state of misery. (Compare v. 18, 19.) Affliction is often expressed by darkness. (See v. 18. Job xxii. 11. Isa. v. 30. viii. 22.) And treadeth upon the high places of the earth.] Who can subdue cities or fortresses of the greatest strength, whose walls reach up to heaven, as it is expressed Deut. i. 28. ^ (compare xxxiii. 29.) and takes delight to humble the great and mighty, denoted elsewhere by the mountains and hills. (See Isa. ii. 14. Psal. lxxii. 3.)

Amos 4:1

HEAR ye this word, ye kine of Bashan. The luxury and insolence of oppressors is often compared -to the wantonness of full-fed cattle. (See Psal. xxii. 12. lxviii. 30.) Bashan was remarkable for richness of its pastures, and its breed of cattle. (Numb, xxxii. 4. Deut. xxxii. 14. Ezek. xxxix. 18.) Grotius and some other commentators suppose this to be meant of the women of quality. (See ver. 3.) That are in the mountain of Samaria.] See iii. 9. Which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.] If wc explain the former part of the verse of women, by their masters, or lords, as the word is sometimes translated, may be understood their husbands; (see Gen. xviii. 12.) or else by masters we may understand those to whom they sold the poor for slaves, (compare ii. 6.) and demanded the money due for their purchase, that they might spend it in a luxurious manner. So the text will be equivalent to that in Joel, iii. 3. They have sold a girl for ivine, that they may drink.

Amos 4:2

The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness. As sure as he is holy and true, so certainly will he bring.the threatened judgment upon this people. (Compare Psal. Ixxxix. 35.) Tlxat he will take you away’ with hooks, and your posterity with fish-hooks.] Invaders and spoilers are elsewhere compared to fishers. (See Jer. xvi. 16. Habak. i. 15.) The words besiroth diegah, translated with fish-hooks, the Targum translates, in fisher-boats; boats made in the fashion of a pot, for the word siroth properly signifies a pot. The several invaders of Israel, first, Tiglath-pileser, (2 Kings xv. 2.0.) then Shalmaneser, (ibid. xvii. 5.) The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind, (Isa. ix. 12.) these coming after one another, will make an entire riddance of the whole nation: so that their posterity, or remainder, as the word may be translated, which hath escaped the first Microsoft® [chap IV, invaders, shall certainly fall into the hands of those, that come after.

Amos 4:3

And ye shall go out of the breaches, every cow at that which is before her. The prophet pursues the metaphor taken from the kino of Bashan, ver. 1. and tells the people, that as cattle strive to get out at every breach they can find in a mound or fence, so shall they with all possible haste make their escape at the several breaches which shall be made in the walls of Samaria. (Compare 2 Kings xxv. 4. Ezek. xii. 12.) And ye shall cast them into the palace.] The sentence maybe thus translated, Yeshallcast out yourselves; i. e. Ye shall with haste betake yourselves to Harmon; so the Vulgar Latin: or, to the mountains ofMona; by which the Chaldee understands Armenia, others the mountains of the Maonites, or Mehunims, as they are called, Judg. x. 12. 2 Chron. xxvi. 7. They are called Mhuei by Strabo, and reckoned inhabitants of Arabia Felix: (lib. xviu p. 7G8. edit. Casaub.)

Amos 4:4

Come to Beth-el, and transgress. A permission spoken by way of sarcasm and irony, sharply upbraiding them as incorrigible, and not to be reformed by all the reproofs and admonitions that have been given them: like that of Ezekiel, xx. 39. Go ye, serve every man his idols. (See the note there.) At Gilgal multiply transgressions.] Gilgal was a place noted for idolatry, as well as Beth-el. (See the note upon Hos. iv. 15.). * Aiid bring your sacrifices every morning.] According to the law of the daily burnt-offering, (Numb, xxviii. 4.) which they observed in the worship of the golden calves, intending by that outward representation to worship the God of Israel. (Compare viii. 5. 10.) And your tithes after three years.] At the end of three years, when the tithe, spent the other two years at Jerusalem, was distributed among the poor. (See Deut. xiv. 22, 23. 28.) Upon which account the third year is called the year of tithing; Deut. xxvi. 12. (See Dr.Wootton upon the Mischna, par. i. p. 115.) The Hebrew reads, After three days, whicli our margin supplies, After three years of days. The word yamim, days, often signifies. years. (See Exod, xiii. 10. Lev. xxv. 29. 1 Sam. i. 3. 2 Sam. xiv. 26. compare Gen. xxiv. 55.) So the. phrase which we translate, The yearly sacrifice, is, in the Hebrew, The sacrifice of days: ISam.i. 21. xx. 6.

Amos 4:5

And offer a saci’ifice of thanksgiving with leaven. Or, With leavened bread; as the law prescribes, Lev. vii. 13. Beside the cakes which were to be unleavened, because it w&s an offering made by fire: ibid. ver. 12, 13. and ii. 4, &c. And proclaim and publish the free~offerings.]Or,free-willofferings; as the word is in other places translated. (See Lev. xxii. 18. 21.) These offerings were such as the sacrificcrs did partake of; whereupon they gave notice of their intention to their friends, and invited them to the feast (See Deut. xii. 6, 7<) For this liketh you, O house of Israel.] ^Tour hearts are so set upon your idolatrous worship, that it is in vain to use any arguments to persuade you to the contrary. (See Psal. lxxxi.12.)

Amos 4:6

Atul I also have givenyou cleanness of teeth in all your cities, &c. Or, For this cause I have given you. (See Noldius, p. 337,338.) The famine I have sent upon the cities and territories of Israel hath not.brought you to a sense of your sins, or any sincere purposes of amendment

Amos 4:7

And also J have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest. This was called the latter rain, and the season for it was in the first month, answering to our March, which was three months before the wheat-harvest. (See the note upon Joel ii. 23.) And I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain npon another city.] This may import, that God punished them with drought, at the same time when he sent rain upon the cities of Judah; making that remarkable difference betweeo Israel and Judah, as he did formerly between Egypt and the land of Goshen. (See Exod. viii. 22. ix. 4.26.x. 23.)

Amos 4:8

So two or three cities wandered to one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied. They had not enough to quench their thirst: the contrary phrase, To eat or drink, and be satisfied, denoteth plenty. (Seo the note upon Joel ii. 20.)

Amos 4:9

I have smitten you with blasting and with mildew. A judgment threatened to their sins by Moses, Deut. xxviii. 22. r When your gardens and your vineyards increased, the palmer-worm devoured them.] The palmer-worm and other devouring insects, occasioned by the drought beforementioned. (Compare Joel i. 4.)

Amos 4:10

I have sent among yon the pestilence after the manner of Egypt. The several infectious diseases wherewith I plagued Egypt. (See Exod. ix. 3. xii. 29. Deut. xxviii. 27. GO.)…. And have taken away your horses.] The enemy hath seized them. (See 2 Kings xiii. 3. 7.) Horses were scarce in.Judea, and the Jews used to furnish’themselves with horses from Egypt: so such a loss was not easily recruited. (See 1 Kings x. 29. Isa. xxxi. 1. xxxvi. 9.) And I have made the stink of your camps to come up into your nostrils.] The kings of Israel had frequent wars with the Syrians. (See 2 Kings xiii. 25. xiv. 28.) This made " it necessary for them to keep up standing forces: and when diseases spread in their camps, the noisome smell of the carcasses produced a pestilence.

Amos 4:11

I have overthrown some of you, as, God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Your cities are burnt with fire, (Isa. i. 7.) and utterly consumed, as Sodom and Go-; morrah were, by fire from heaven, (Gen. xix. 24, 25.) And ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning.] Those that remained very narrowly escaped. A proverbial expression, used both in sacred and profane authors, to signify a narrow escape out of an imminent danger. (Compare Zech. iii. 2. 1 Cor. iii. 15. Jude ver. 23.)

Amos 4:12

Therefore thus tvill I do unto thee. I will send these several judgments upon thee altogether, till- 1 make an entire destruction of thee. And because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.] Expect that he will come to take full vengeance upon thee, and consider whether thou art able to contend with him; so the expression of meeting an adversary is understood, Luke xiv. 31. Or, if that be impossible, try to avert his anger by thy humiliation and repentance, before it actually breaks out upon thee.

Amos 4:13

For, lo, he that formeth the 7nountains, and