Amos 5
PATA pathetical lamentation for the sins of Israel, which, upon their impenitency, the prophet foresaw would end in their destruction: whereupon he earnestly exhorts them to a sincere repentance and reformation, without which all their outward exercises of religion would avail nothing. Vcr. 1. HEAR you this xvord, ivhich I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel*] The words might be better translated thus," Hear you this word, even a lamentation which I take up over you. The text alludes to thq lamentations made at funerals. (Sec vcr. 16. Jer. ix. 17. Ezck. xix. 2. xxvii.2.) So the prophet bemoans the state of the kingdom of Israel, as dead and irrecoverably lost. [chap. Tltat calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth.’] Who commandeth the seas and the rivers to overflow the earth in great inundations. The Jews call all great bodies of water by the name of seas* The words may likewise be explained of the raising vapours out of the sea, to supply rain for the earth, the clouds retaining none of the saltncss of the sea-water. (Compare Job xxxviii. 34.) tated the temple-worship in other particulars, (see iv. 4.). so it is likely they did in this part of the public worship. (See viii. 3.) The prophet calls their songs a noise, like that of an untuneful voice, because their melody not proceeding from a true principle of religion, it was not grateful to God.
Amos 5:2
The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise. She that never was conquered by any, is fallen from her glory, and shall never be restored to her former state, as a kingdom or nation. Those cities or kingdoms are called virgins who were never conquered. (See Isa. xxiii. 12. xxxvii. 22.) The virgin of Israel may likewise import her that was espoused to God, as a chaste virgin to a husband, (see 2 Cor. xi. 2.) and had the benefit of being under his protection, but is now, for her idolatries and other sins, delivered up to the will of her enemies. (Compare Jer. xviii. 13.) She is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.] Like an infant that is exposed, or fallen upon the ground, and hath none to take it up. Vcr. 3. The city which went out by a thousand shall leave a hundred, &c] A city which was able to furnish out a thousand men fit for war, shall have but a hundred of them left. And so it shall be in proportion for any less number: but one in ten of them shall escape the sword, and other chances of war.
Amos 5:4
For [or rather, therefore. thus saith the Lord, Seek ye me, and ye shall live.] i. e. Yc shall be prosperous. Life is taken for prosperity or happiness: (see 1 Sam. xxv. G.) as death is used for misery, Exod. x. 17. Hos. xiii. 1.
Amos 5:5
But seek ye not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal. See iv. 4. And pass not to Beer-sheba.] A place remarkable for Abraham’s dwelling there, and planting a grove for the worship of God, (Gen. xxi. 33. xxii. 19.) It is likely a grove might still be continued there, and abused to idolatry. (Sec vii. 9. viii. 14.) Beer-sheba did formerly belong to Judah: (seeJL Kings xix. 3.) but it seems in latter times to have been taken from it by some of the kings of Israel. For Gilgal shall go into captivity*] There is an allusion in the Hebrew between the word Gilgal and Galah, which signifies captivity. Such paronomasias arc now and then used by the sacred writers. (See the note upon Isa. xxiv. 17.) And Beth-el shall come to nought.] The original runs thus, Beth-el shall become Aven. Beth-el signifies the house of God: when the place was defiled by idolatry, it was named by way of reproach, Beth-aven, i. e. the house of vanity, or idolatry: (see Hos. iv. 15.) and it is here called so in another sense,’ viz. as vanity is the same with a thing of nought, or of no continuance. Vcr. 6. Lest he break out like fire [see i. 4.] in the house of Joseph.] The ten tribes are called by the name of Joseph, as they are elsewhere by that of Ephraim, the son of Joseph; because that was the chief tribe of the kingdom of Israel. (See Ezek. xxxvii. 19.) And there be none to quench it in Beth-el.] The idol you worship will not be able to deliver you, but will itself be involved in the common calamity. (See the note upon Hos. x. 6.)
Amos 5:7
Ye tvho turn judgment into wormwood. Or, Into hemlock, as the word laannah is translated, vi. 12. Ye that pervert the law which was designed to protect innocence, and under colour of it exercise the greatest oppression.
Amos 5:8
Seek him that makes the seven stars and Orion. The Hebrew names of these constellations are Kima and Kesil, which are translated to the same sense, Job ix. 9. xxxviii. 31. These, and other constellations, were commonly thought to have a great influence upon the seasons. (See the forementioned place of Job.) Whereupon their rising and setting used to be particularly taken notice of by husbandmen and shepherds; whose employments lying abroad, made them more observant of the heavenly appearances. So this is an instance of Providence very suitable for one of Amos’s profession to mention. That turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night.] The vicissitudes of day and night, and the light’s breaking out of darkness, are just matter of admiration, did not the constant recourse of them lessen the wonder. Clemens Alexandrinus cites these verses out of Pindar to the same sense: Oe(£ Se Svvarbv ec fieXatvag Nvktoc afiiavrov wpaat
Amos 5:9
TJiat strengthened the spoiled against the strong, &c. That giveth strength to him that hath been conquered, and enableth him to subdue his conquerors, and become master of their fortifications. And such deliverance God is able to work for Israel. (See 2 Kings xiii. 17, &c.)
Amos 5:10
Tliey hate him that reproveth in the gate. The oppressors of the poor, (see ver. 11, 12.) hate those magistrates that would punish the injurious, and do right to the oppressed. It was the custom for judges to execute their office sitting in the gates of the city. (See the note upon Isa. xxix. 21. and ver. 15. of this chapter.).
Amos 5:11
Forasmuch as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat. Or, Choice gifts, as the LXX. render it, agreeably to the sense of the Hebrew, where the word viussah often signifies a gift or reward; (see Jcr. xl. 5. Ezek. xx. 40.) and bar, the clioice or best of any thing. Ye have built houses of heum stone, but ye shall not dwell in them, &c.] God often threatens to deprive men of the enjoyment of their ill-gotten substance. (See Deut. xxviii. 38, 39. Micah vi. 15. Zcph. i. 13.)
Amos 5:12
For I know your manifold transgressions, and your mighty sins. Your daring impieties, your sins of the first magnitude, such as idolatry and oppression, reproved in the foregoing part of the chapter: or your numerous sins, as the word may be translated; in which sense it is taken, Isa. xlvii. 9.
Amos 5:13
Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time, &c. In such tirbes as these, the wisest way for private persons is not to be too free in reproving public vices; which will bring trouble upon themselves, and do no good upon those who are hardened in their sins. (Compare Hos. iv. 4. Matt. vii. 6.)
Amos 5:14
Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live. See ver. 4. And so the Lord, the God of hosts, may be with you, as ye Jtave spoken.] Ye use to boast of your interest in him, and of the promises he hath made to your fathers: and obedience is the condition required on your part to qualify yon for his favour.
Amos 5:15
Establish judgment in the gate. See ver. 10., It may be the Lord will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.] Your case is not so desperate, but repentance may avert God’s judgments: (compare Jer. xxxvi. 3.) and he may be gracious to the small remains of the ten tribes, (see ver. 6.) after those grievous invasions wherewith the kings of Syria first, and afterward Tiglath-pileser, have wasted them. (See 2 Kings xiii. 7. 23. xiv. 26, 27. xv.* 29.)
Amos 5:16
Wailing shall be in all — and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, &c. There shall be a general lamentation of all orders and degrees of men; of the citizens, for the loss of their wealth and substance, plundered by the conquerors; of the husbandman and vinc-drcssers, for the loss of the fruits of the earth, destroyed or devoured by a foreign army. And such as are skilful in lamentatio?i to wailing.] Let such whose profession it is to make lamentation at funerals join in this public mourning, to make it more solemn. (Sec ver. 1.)
Amos 5:17
And in all vineyards shall be wailing. Where there used to be shouting and rejoicing, when the summerfruits were gathered in. (See Isa. xvi. 10. Jer. xxv. 30. xlviii. 33.) For I will pass through thee, saith the Lord.] He will come like an enemy, that invadeth and destroyeth a country as he marches through it. (Compare Exod. xii. 12. Nahum i. 15.)
Amos 5:18
Woe unto yon that desire the day of the Lord. Infidels made a mock of the words of the prophets, when they told them, the day of the Lord was at hand: (see Joel, ii. 2. 11. Zeph. i. 14.) and out of a principle of unbelief they expressed their desire of seeing this day, that they, might be convinced of the truth of such predictions by ocular demonstration. (Compare Isa. v. 19. Jer. xvii.15. Ezek. xii. 22. 27. 2 Pet. iii. 4.) To what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.] To what purpose should you desire to see the day of the Lord? It will certainly be a very uncomfortable time, when evils shall succeed one another so fast, that he who seeks to escape one shall fall into a worse. (Compare Joel ii. 2. and see the note upon iv. 13.)
Amos 5:19
As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him. You may think ( that day will put an end to the evils which you now complain of; but it will indeed make your condition worse than it was before: as if a man fled from a lion, a creature that has something of generosity in his nature, and a bear should meet him, which never spares any thing that comes in its way. Or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the watt, _ and a serpent bit him.] Or as if a man should go into the house to avoid the severity of the weather abroad; and a viper, whose sting is incurable, should creep out of the wall and bite him.
Amos 5:21
I hate, I despise your feast-days, &c. This and the three following verses are the same in sense with Isa. j. 11. 16. Jer. vi. 20. vii. 21—23. Hos. vi. 6. viii. 13. all which places import, how little the external rites of religion are valuable, unless they are accompanied with a universal obedience. And I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.] Or, I will not smell the sacrifices of your solemn assemblies. The word chag signifies both a solemn feast, and the sacrifice offered at it: (see Exod. xxiii. 18.) and by the same reason the word astereth may be capable of both those significations.
Amos 5:22
Neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. They made choice of the fairest and fattest cattle, when they offered peace-offerings, or offerings of thanksgiving. So we read Psal. lxvi.15. I will offer unto n thee burnt-offerings offatttngs with the incense, or burnt fat, of rams.
Amos 5:23
Take from me the noise of thy songs, Sec. The psalms and hymns were sung in the temple with vocal and instrumental music. As the worshippers at Beth-el irai-
Amos 5:24
But let judgment ran doivn like waters, &c. Rather let justice have its free course, so that the meanest persons may feel the benefit of it.
Amos 5:25
Have ye offered to me sacrifices arid offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?. When your forefathers offered sacrifices of slain beasts, and added their meat and drink-offerings to them, daring their abode in the wilderness; they performed these services with. as little sincerity and devotion to me, as you do at present. To me, is the same as to my honour. (See Isa. xliii. 23. Zech. vii. 5. Rom. xiv. 6.) The prophets often upbraid the Jews with the sins of their forefathers, and threaten them with remarkable judgments upon that account, when their posterity continue in the same or worse impieties. (See Hos. ix. 9, 10. x. 9. compare Matt, xxiii. 35.). Ver. 2C. Yea, ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch, and Chiun your images.’] Your ancestors* want of true devotion towards me appears from hence, that they were so prone to continue in those idolatrous practices which they learnt in Egypt; to which they added the worship of the idols they saw in the countries through which they travelled. (See Lev. xvii. 3. xviii. 3. Numb. xv. 39. xxv. 2. Josh. xxiv. 14. Ezek. xx. 7. 1G. xxiii. 3. 8.) Tlie tabernacle of Moloch was a shrine with the image of the deity placed within it: such were the silver shrines of Diana, Actsxix. 21. and the T1iens<e or Lecticce among the Romans. These their votaries carried in procession, as a solemn pieco of worship, or a pledge of the presence of their gods among them. (See Isa. xlvi. 7.) Moloch is an idol often mentioned in Scripture; to whom they offered their children in sacrifice. It is probable the Israelites were addicted to this kind of worship in the wilderness, because it is so severely prohibited by Moses, Lev. xx. 2. 5. Chiun is generally supposed by learned men to be the same with Saturn. (See particularly Lud. de Dieu, upon Acts vii. 43. and Dr. Spencer, de Legib. Hebr. lib. iii. cap. 3.) The same idol was called Reraphan, or Rephan, by the Egyptians, as you may see proved in the places abovecited: for which reason the Seventy interpreters translate Chiun by Rephan; which is an argument that those interpreters were natives, or, at least, inhabitants, of Egypt, as Dr. Hody observes, de Vers. Groec. Auctoribus, lib. ii. cap. 4. The star of your god.] As the heathens had images that represented the heavenly bodies: (see 2 Kings xxiii. II. 2 Chron. xxxiv. 4.) so the image of Chiun represented the star Saturn, as that of Moloch did the sun. If we suppose with some learned men that Reraphan, or Rephan, was a famous Egyptian king, it was a common opinion among the heathens to suppose the souls of their deified heroes to be placed in the stars. So Virgil speaks of the star that appeared quickly after Caesar’s death, Eclog. ix. " Eccc dionasi processit Caesaris astrum." See Casar’s star is lighted hi the skies.
Amos 5:27
Therefore I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus. Ye shall be removed farther from your own country, than when Hazael king of Syria carried away so many Israelites captives to Damascus: (see i. 4.) and, consequently, shall have less hopes of returning home. The king of Assyria carried the ten tribes captives as far as Media, (2 Kings xvii. 6.) St. Stephen, in his speech recorded by St. Luke, expressing rather the sense than the words, reads, I will carry you away beyond Babylon, Acts vii. 43. Media being at a much greater distance than Babylon. Both readings import, that the captivity of the ten tribes would be far worse than that of the two remaining, and with less hopes of returning to their own country.