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Amos Chapter
Six
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 6
This
chapter seems to be directed both to the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin
and
the ten tribes of Israel
under the names of Zion and Samaria
and to the
principal men in both; who are reproved and threatened for their carnal
security and self-confidence
being in no fear of the evil day
though they had
no reason for it no more than other people
Amos 6:1; are
charged with wantonness
luxury
intemperance
and want of sympathy with those
in distress
Amos 6:4; therefore
are threatened to be carried captive first
and their city to be delivered up;
which
for the certainty of it
is not only said
but swore to
Amos 6:7; and a
great mortality in every house
and the destruction of all houses
both great
and small
Amos 6:9; and since
a reformation of them seemed impracticable
and not to be expected
but they
gloried in their wealth
and boasted of their strength
therefore they should
be afflicted by a foreign nation raised against them
which affliction should
be general
from one end of the country to the other
Amos 6:12.
Amos 6:1 Woe to you who
are at ease in Zion
And trust in Mount Samaria
Notable persons in the
chief nation
To whom the house of Israel comes!
YLT
1Wo [to] those secure in
Zion
And those confident in the mount of Samaria
The marked of the chief of
the nations
And come to them have the house of Israel.
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion
.... Or
"secure"F3השאננים "secure
sedentibus"
Munster; "securos"
Mercerus
Castalio
Burkius.
there; which was a strong hold
the city of David
the seat of the kings of
Judah; where their court was kept
and the princes and chief men resided and
thought themselves safe
the place being well fortified with walls
towers
and
bulwarks: or "at ease"; that is
in easy
prosperous
comfortable
circumstances of life; as Job was before his troubles
and others he mentions
Job 16:12; though
to be in such a state is not criminal
but a blessing of Providential goodness
for which men should be thankful
and make use of it aright: but "woe to
the rich in Zion"F4"Opulentis"
Tigurine version.
as the Vulgate Latin Version renders it
when they have nothing else but
temporal riches; this is all their portion
and the whole of their consolation
Luke 6:24; when
they trust in these uncertain riches
and consume them on their lusts
as
described in the following verses; are unconcerned at the troubles of others
and give them no relief
but despise them
Job 12:5; and even
are thoughtless about their own future state
and put away the evil day far
from them
Luke 12:19; and
such are they who like Moab are at ease from their youth as to their spiritual
state
Jeremiah 48:11;
never had any true sight of sin
or sense of danger; never complain of a body
of sin
or are concerned about sins of omission or commission; nor troubled
with the temptations of Satan
and have no fears and doubts about their happiness;
and such there be who yet are in Zion
or in a church state
which Zion often
signifies; and being there
trust in it
and in the privileges of it
and so
are secure
and at ease; such are the foolish virgins and hypocrites
who place
their confidence in a profession of religion
in being church members
and in
their submission to external ordinances
and so cry Peace
peace
to
themselves
when
destruction is at hand: and are moreover at ease
and wholly
unconcerned about the affairs of Zion
both temporal and spiritual
and
especially the latter; they do not trouble themselves about the doctrines they
hear
whether truth or error; and about the success of them
whether they are
made useful for conversion and edification; and about the continuance of a
Gospel ministry
and a succession in it; and about the discipline of the church
of God
and the walk of professors; or about what trials and afflictions are
like to come upon the churches; or about the judgments of God in the earth; and
therefore such carnal secure persons are either called upon to awake out of
their sleep
and come off of their beds of ease
and shake off their vain
confidence and carnal security; for the word may be rendered "ho"F5הוי "heus"
Piscator
Tarnovius
Burkius.
as a
note of calling
as in Isaiah 55:1; or a
threatening of calamity is denounced upon them
that the day of the Lord should
come upon them as a thief in the night
or as a snare upon them that dwell on
earth
and they be surprised with the midnight cry
and with the terrors of
devouring flames
as the foolish virgins and hypocrite's in Zion will
Matthew 25:6. The
Septuagint
Syriac
and Arabic versions
render it
"who despise
Zion"
or "neglect" her; and the word is sometimes used of
insolent persons
and to express their insolence; see Isaiah 37:29; and
so may be understood
not of the Jews in Jerusalem
but of the ten tribes
as
the following clause; who despised Zion
the city of solemnities
the temple;
and
the worship of God there
and set up the calves at Dan and Bethel
and
worshipped them; and therefore a woe is denounced upon them;
and trust in the mountain of Samaria; in the city
of Samaria
built on a mountain
a strong fortified city
where they thought
themselves safe; the royal city of the kings of Israel
the head of Ephraim
and the metropolis of the ten tribes
who here are intended: though the words
may be rendered
and the sense given a little different from this
as woe to
the "confident" ones that ate in SamariaF6הבטחים בהר שמרון
"confidentibus qui habitant in monte Samariae"
Liveleus;
"securis qui habitant in monte"
Samariae
Drusius. ; not that put
their trust in Samaria
but dwell there; but
however
are confident in their
own strength
wealth
and might. The Targum is
"that
trust in the fortress of Samaria;'
see
1 Kings 16:24;
which are named the
chief of the nations; the persons at ease in Zion
and trusted in Samaria
were the
principal men of both nations
Judah and Israel; or these cities of Zion and
Samaria were the chief of the said nations: Zion
Which was near Jerusalem
and
includes it
was the metropolis of Judea; as Samaria was the head city of Ephraim
or the ten tribes. The Targum is
that
"put
the name of their children
as the name of the children of the nations;'
as
the Jews did in later times
giving their children the names of Alexander
Antipater
&c.
to whom the house of Israel came; meaning not to the seven
nations
of which the two named cities were chief
into which Israel entered
and took possession of
and dwelt in; for Samaria never belonged to them
but
was built by Omri king of Israel
long after the entrance of the Israelites into
the land of Canaan
1 Kings 16:24; but
the cities of Zion and
Samaria
into which the whole house of Israel came
or
had recourse unto
at certain times: the ten tribes came to Samaria
where
their kings resided
the court was kept
and the seats of judgment were; and
the two tribes came to Zion
to Jerusalem
to the temple there
to worship the
Lord.
Amos 6:2 2 Go
over to Calneh and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to
Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their
territory greater than your territory?
YLT
2Pass ye over [to] Calneh
and see
And go thence [to] Hamath the great
And go down [to] Gath of the
Philistines
Are [they] better than these kingdoms? Greater [is] their border
than your border?
Pass ye unto Calneh
and see
.... What is become of
that city
which was in the land of Shinar
an ancient city
as early as the
days of Nimrod
and built by him
and was with others the beginning of his
kingdom
Genesis 10:10; it
belonged to Babylon
and is by Jarchi here interpreted by it
being put for
Babel
as he supposes. According to JeromF7Quaest. in Gen. fol. 66.
M.
it is the same city
sometimes called Seleucia
in his days Ctesiphon;
very probably it had been lately taken by the king of Assyria
and therefore
made mention of; see Isaiah 10:9; where
it is called Calno;
and from thence go ye to Hamath the great; the same with
Antiochia
as Jarchi and Jerom; called the great
to distinguish it from Hamath
the less
sometimes called Epiphania; or from Hamathzobah
near Tadmor
or
Palmyra
in the wilderness
2 Chronicles 8:3;
though it might be so called with respect to its own grandeur and magnificence;
as Sidon is called "Sidon the great"
though there was no other
Joshua 11:8; for it
was a royal city; we read of Toi
king of Hamath
in the times of David
2 Samuel 8:9. It is
placed by JosephusF8Antiqu. l. 9. c. 10. sect. 1. on the north of
the land of Canaan; and so it appears to be
and to be between Damascus and the
Mediterranean sea
from Ezekiel 47:15.
Abu'lfedaF9See the Universal History
vol. 2. p. 316.
a learned
prince
who reigned in Hamath
and should know its situation
places it on the
Orontes
between Hems and Apamea
that river surrounding it on the east and
north. The learned VitringaF11Comment. in Jessiam
c. 10. 9. thinks
that neither Antiochia nor Epiphania are meant
but the city Emissa; which
Ammianus MarcellinusF12Lib. 23. makes mention of along with
Damascus
as a famous city in Syria
equal to Tyre
Sidon
and Berytus: and of
the same opinion was TheodoretF13Comment. in Jer. ii. 15. and xlix.
23. among the ancients
and so CalmetF14Dictionary
in the word
"Hamath". of late. And so Hamath and Damascus are mentioned together
as recovered by Jeroboam
2 Kings 14:28; very
probably the kingdom of Hamath became subject to the kings of Damascus; see Jeremiah 49:23;
but
be it what place it will
it is very likely it had been lately spoiled by
the king of Assyria; see Isaiah 37:13.
then go down to Gath of the Philistines; one of their
five principalities
and a chief one
so called to distinguish it from other
Gaths
as Gathhepher
Gathrimmon. It stood about five or six miles south of
Jamnia
about fourteen south of Joppa
and thirty two west of Jerusalem. A
village of this name as shown
as JeromF15De locis Hebr. fol. 92. A.
says
five miles from Eleutheropolis
as you go to Diospolis or Lydda
and is
taken to be the same place. It is famous for being the birthplace of Goliath;
and is called in 2 Samuel 8:1;
compared with 1 Chronicles 18:1
Methegammah
or the bridle of Ammah
or Metheg and her mother; that is
Gath
and her daughters. RelandF16Palestina Illustrata
tom. 2. l. 3. p.
669. thinks Gath is the city Cadytis of HerodotusF17Euterpe
sive l.
2. c. 159. & Thalia
sive l. 3. c. 5.
who says it is a city of the
Syrians
called Palestines or Philistines
and speaks of the mountains of it;
and this city was not far from the mountainous country of Judea: now this city
had been taken by Hazael
king of Syria
and its wall was broke down by Uzziah
king of Judah
2 Kings 12:17;
be they better than
these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? that is
do
Calneh
Hamath
and Gath
excel in dignity and grandeur
in wealth and
strength
the kingdoms of Israel and Judah? or are they of a larger circumference
and exceed them in length and breadth? no
they did not; and therefore the more
ungrateful were Israel and Judah to sin against the Lord as they had done
who
had given them such rich and large kingdoms
and therefore might expect to be
taken and spoiled as well as they: though some think there is a change of
number and persons in the text
and that the sense is
are you better than
these kingdoms
or your border greater than theirs? and
if not
you may expect
to fare as they; see a like expression in Nahum 3:8.
Amos 6:3 3 Woe to you who put far off the
day of doom
Who cause the seat of violence to come near;
YLT
3Who are putting away the
day of evil
And ye bring nigh the seat of violence
Ye that put far away the evil day
.... The day of Israel's
captivity
threatened by
the Lord
and prophesied of by the prophets; by this
prophet
and by Hoshea and others: this they endeavoured to put out of their
minds and thoughts
and supposed it to be at a great distance
yea
hoped it
never would be; and like the Jews
with respect to their captivity
and the
destruction of their city
said it was not near
but prolonged
yea
would
never come to pass
Ezekiel 11:3; so
some men put far from them the day of death; which though to a good man is
better than the day of his birth
yet to a wicked man is an evil and terrible
day; he do not care to hear or speak
or think of it
lest it should dampen his
carnal joys and pleasures: as also the day of Christ's coming to judgment;
which though a good man hastens to in his affections
desires
and prayers
wicked men set at the greatest distance
yea
scoff at it
as believing it
never will be
and to show that they are in no pain or uneasiness about it; see
Isaiah 56:12. The
Vulgate Latin version renders it
"who are separated to the evil
day"; appointed to it; foreordained to this condemnation; destined to ruin
and destruction for their sins; see Proverbs 16:4;
and cause the seat of violence to come near; boldly
venture upon the commission of acts of injustice
rapine
and violence
on a
presumption the evil day threatened will never come; or place themselves on the
bench in courts of judicature
and there
without any manner of concern
commit
the greatest acts of unrighteousness
as believing they shall never be called
to an account for them by God or man.
Amos 6:4 4 Who
lie on beds of ivory
Stretch out on your couches
Eat lambs from the flock And
calves from the midst of the stall;
YLT
4Who are lying down on beds
of ivory
And are spread out on their couches
And are eating lambs from the
flock
And calves from the midst of the stall
That lie upon beds of ivory
.... That were made of
it
or inlaid with it
or covered with it
as the Targum; nor was it improbable
that these were made wholly of ivory
for such beds we read of: Timaeus saysF18Apud
Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 29.
the Agrigentines had beds entirely made of
ivory; and HoraceF19"----Rubro ubi cocco Tincta super lectos
cauderet vestis eburnos". Horat. Serm. l. 2. Satyr. 6. v. 102. also speaks
of such beds: and if any credit can be given to the Targums of Jonathan and
Jerusalem on Genesis 50:1.
Joseph made his father Jacob to lie on a bed of ivory. Indeed
the Latin
interpreters of these Targums render it a cedar bed; but BuxtorfF20Lexic.
Talmud. col. 2475. conjectures that ivory is meant by the word used; and so
BochartF21Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 24. col. 252. translates it;
on these they lay either for sleep and rest
or to eat their meals;
and stretch themselves upon their couches; for the same
purposes
living in great splendour
and indulging themselves in ease and
sloth; as it was the custom of the eastern countries
and is of the Arabs now;
that they make little or no use of chairs
but either sitting cross legged
or
lying at length
have couches to lie on at their meals; and when they indulge
to ease
they cover or spread their floors with carpets
which for the most
part are of the richest materials. Along the sides of the wall or floor
a
range of narrow beds or mattresses is often placed upon these carpets; and
for
their further ease and convenience
several velvet or damask bolsters are
placed upon these
or mattressesF23See Shaw's Travels
p. 209. Ed.
2.
to lean upon
and take their ease; see Ezekiel 13:18; and
thus
and in some such like manner
did the principal men of the people of
Israel indulge themselves. Some render it
"abound with
superfluities"; the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions
"are
lascivious"; and the Arabic version
"burn in lust"; and so some
of the Jewish writers interpret it of their committing adulteries
and all
uncleanness
on their beds and couches;
and eat the lambs out of the flock; pick the best and
fattest of them for their use: so the Targum
"eat
the fat of the sheep:'
and the calves out of the midst of the stall; where they
are put
and kept to be fattened; from thence they took what they liked best
and perhaps not out of theft own flocks and stalls
but out of others
and with
which they pampered themselves to excess.
Amos 6:5 5 Who
sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments
And invent for
yourselves musical instruments like David;
YLT
5Who are taking part
according to the psaltery
Like David they invented for themselves instruments
of music;
That chant to the sound of the viol
.... Or psaltery; an
instrument of twelve cords
and that gave twelve sounds
as JosephusF24Antiqu.
l. 7. c. 19. sect. 3. says
being stricken with the fingers; and to these
sounds these men chanted or quivered
made like sounds with their voice
which
they raised higher or lower
according to the sound of the instrument: they
"particularized"
as the word signifiesF25הפורטים "particularizantes"
Montanus; "qui
particularia habent cantica"
Pagninus; "qui particulatim
canunt"
Vatablus
Mercerus; "variis modulationibus concinunt"
Tigurine version. ; or observed the divisions and distinctions of notes and
sounds
by the modulation of their voice:
and invent to themselves
instruments of music
like David: not content with old
ones
such as were used in former times
they invented new instruments and new
tunes
and new songs to sing to them; as David made songs and invented several
instruments of music to sing them upon and to
in religious worship
and for
the praise and glory of God; so these men invented new ones to indulge their
carnal mirth and jollity
in which they thought themselves to be justified by
the example of David.
Amos 6:6 6 Who
drink wine from bowls
And anoint yourselves with the best ointments
But are
not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
YLT
6Who are drinking with bowls
of wine
And [with] chief perfumes anoint [themselves]
And have not been
pained for the breach of Joseph.
That drink wine in bowls
.... Not in small cups or
glasses
but in large bowls
that they might drink freely
even to drunkenness;
hence we read of the drunkards of Ephraim
or the ten tribes
Isaiah 28:1; or
"drink in bowls of wine"; which is much to the: same sense. The
Targum is
"that
drink wine in silver phials;'
and anoint themselves with the
chief ointments; which Jarchi
says was balsam
and the best is that which grew about Jericho; this they did
not for moderate refreshment
but for pleasure
and to indulge themselves in
luxury:
but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph; or the
"breach" of himF26על שבר "super contritione"
Pagninus
Montanus;
"propter confractienem Josephi"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator;
"ob fractionem Josephi"
Cocceius. ; that was made upon him by some
enemy or another: either what had been already made; Kimchi thinks it respects
the carrying captive of some before the reign of Jeroboam; or it may regard the
distress Pul king of Assyria gave to Israel
in the times of Menahem; or the
carrying captive the inhabitants of several places by Tiglathpileser
king of
Assyria
in the times of Pekah
2 Kings 15:19; or
else
as Jarchi thinks
this refers to some breach and affliction to come
which these men were unconcerned about; even what they heard from the mouth of
the prophets should come to them; that the kingdom of the house of Israel
should case
and be utterly took away
Hosea 1:4; which
was fulfilled by Shalmaneser
who carried Israel captive into the cities of the
Medes
2 Kings 17:6; but
the prophecy of this did not trouble them
or make them sick at heart
as the
wordF1לא נחלו
"neque afficiuntur argritudine"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius. signifies
nor any present affliction that might attend them; they
did not weep with them that weep
were men of hard hearts
that had no sympathy
with their brethren and fellow creatures. It is thought that here is some
allusion to the attitude of Joseph's brethren to him
when in the pit
and sold
by them into Egypt; or to the chief butler's forgetfulness of him
when
advanced
and amidst his cups.
Amos 6:7 7 Therefore
they shall now go captive as the first of the captives
And those who recline
at banquets shall be removed.
YLT
7Therefore now they remove
at the head of the captives
And turned aside is the mourning-feast of
stretched-out ones.
Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive
.... That is
these men
who were the first and chief in the nation
who would not believe
the day of Israel's captivity would ever come; or
however
had very distant
apprehensions of it; but indulged and gratified their several senses of
tasting
hearing
smelling
in a carnal way
and had no sympathy with and
compassion upon their afflicted brethren; these should be the first the enemy
should lay hold upon
and carry captive; as we find the royal family
the
princes and nobles
the courtiers and chief tradesmen
were the first that were
carried captive of the Jews
in Jeconiah's captivity
2 Kings 24:12;
and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed; that
stretched themselves upon couches
Amos 6:4; they
shall have no more banquets or feasting bouts to attend to
by stretching
themselves out
and lying upon couches at their ease; these shall be taken from
them; and be glad of bread and water in an enemy's country
without a couch to
recline upon. Some understand this of a funeral banquet
as in Jeremiah 16:5; and
so the sense is
that when they die
they shall not have that honour done to
their memory
as to have a funeral feast provided for those that attend their
burial
as was customary. Kimchi interprets it
"the mourning of such
shall draw nigh"F2סר "ad
veniet"
Munster; "appropinquabit"
Mercerus;
"veniet"
Calvin. So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed
fol. 84. 2. ; and
according to his father
Joseph Kimchi
the word in the Arabic language
signifies to lift up the voice
either in mourning or joy; and so may signify
that as all feasts
and the joy that attends them
should be removed
which is
the sense of the Targum
instead of that
mourning should take place; or they
should be deprived of the common ceremony at death of mourning men and women.
Amos 6:8 8 The
Lord God
has sworn by Himself
The Lord God of hosts says: “I
abhor the pride of Jacob
And hate his palaces; Therefore I will deliver up the
city And all that is in it.”
YLT
8Sworn hath the Lord Jehovah
by Himself
An affirmation of Jehovah
God of Hosts: I am abominating the
excellency of Jacob
And his high places I have hated
And I have delivered up
the city and its fulness.
The Lord God hath sworn by himself
.... Because he could
swear by no greater
Hebrews 6:13; which
shows the importance and certainty of the thing sworn to
and is as follows:
saith the Lord
the God of hosts
I abhor the excellency of Jacob; or
"the
pride of Jacob"F3את גאון "superbiam"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus;
"fastium"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius. ; of Israel
of the ten tribes
remarkable for their pride; hence called the crown of pride
Isaiah 28:3; it may
include all that was glorious
valuable
and excellent among them
of which
they were proud; their kingdom
riches
wealth
and strength
their fortified
cities and towns: if Judah is comprehended in this
it may regard the temple
which was their excellency
and in which they gloried. So the Targum
paraphrases it
"the
house of the sanctuary of the house of Jacob;'
and
in like manner Jarchi
Kimchi
and Ben Melech
interpret it;
and hate his palaces; the palaces of the king
and nobles
and great men
which should fall into the enemy's hand
and be
plundered and destroyed; which is meant by the Lord's abhorrence and hatred of
them
this being an evidence of it;
therefore will I deliver up the city
with all that is therein; or
"with its fulness"F4ומלאה
"et plenitudinem ejus"
Mercerus
Piscator
Cocceius. ; with all its
inhabitants and riches; according to Jarchi
the city of Jerusalem is meant;
though rather the city of Samaria
unless both are intended
city for cities;
since the chief men both of Israel and Judah seem to be addressed
Amos 6:1.
Amos 6:9 9 Then
it shall come to pass
that if ten men remain in one house
they shall die.
YLT
9And if there are left ten
persons in one house
It hath come to pass -- that they have died.
And it shall come to pass
.... When the city is
delivered up and taken:
if there remain; who are not carried captive
or destroyed
by the sword:
ten men in one house; that is
many
a certain
number for an uncertain:
that they shall die; either with famine
or
by the pestilence
though they have escaped the other calamities; so general
shall the destruction be
by one means or another.
Amos 6:10 10 And
when a relative of the dead
with one who will burn the bodies
picks up the bodies[a] to take
them out of the house
he will say to one inside the house
“Are there
any more with you?” Then someone will say
“None.” And he will say
“Hold your
tongue! For we dare not mention the name of the Lord.”
YLT
10And lifted him up hath his
loved one
even his burner
To bring forth the bones from the house
And he
said to him who [is] in the sides of the house
`Is there yet with thee?' And
he said
`None
' then he said
`Hush! Save to make mention of the name of
Jehovah.'
And a man's uncle shall take him up
.... That is
his
father's brother
as Kimchi; or his near kinsman
as the Targum; to whom the
right of inheritance belongs
and also the care of his funeral; he shall take
up the dead man himself
in order to inter him
there being none to employ in
such service; the mortality being so universal
either through the pestilence
raging everywhere
or through the earthquake
men being killed by the fall of
houses upon them; which Aben Ezra takes to be the case here; see Amos 6:11;
and he that burneth him; which may be read
disjunctively
"or he that burneth him"F5ומסרפו "aut vespillo"
Tigurine version;
"aut ustor ejus"
Junius & Tremellius. ; his mother's brother
according to Judah ben Karis in Aben Ezra; for which there seems to be no
foundation. The Targum renders it in connection with the preceding clause
"shall
take him up from burning;'
and
so Jarchi interprets of a man's being found
and taken up in a house
burnt by
the enemy at the taking of the city: but it is best to understand it of one
whose business it was to burn the dead; which
though not commonly used among
the Jews
sometimes was
1 Samuel 31:12; and
so should be at this time
partly because of the infection
and to stop the
contagion; and chiefly because a single man could not well carry whole bodies
to the grave
to bury them; and therefore first burnt their flesh
and then
buried their bones
as follows:
to bring out the bones out of the house; in order to
bury them:
and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house; or "in
the corner of it"F6בירכתי "in
penitissimis domus"
Cocceius.
as the Targum; either the uncle shall say
to the burner
that is searching the house for the dead; or the uncle and
burner
being one and the same person
shall say to the only surviving one of
the ten
that is got into some corner of the house through fear or melancholy
under such a sad calamity
is there yet any
with thee? any dead corpse to be brought out and burned and buried?
and he shall say
no; there are no more: or
"there is an end" of them allF7אפס
"finis est"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus
Calvin
Drusius. ;
the last has been brought out: or
as the Targum
"they
are perished;'
they
are all dead
and carried out:
then shall he say
hold thy tongue; lest the neighbours
should hear
and be discouraged at the number of the dead in one house; or say
not one word against the providence of God
nor murmur and repine at his hand
since it is just and righteous:
for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord; being forbid
by their superiors; or it is not right to do it by way of complaint
since our
sins have deserved such judgments to come upon us; or it will be to no purpose
to make mention of the name of the Lord
and pray unto him to turn away his
hand
since destruction is determined
the decree is gone forth. The Targum is
"he
shall say
remove (that is
the dead)
since while they lived they did not pray
in the name of the Lord.'
And
so the Syriac and Arabic versions make this to be the reason of the mortality
"because they remembered not the name of the Lord"; or
"called
not upon" it.
Amos 6:11 11 For
behold
the Lord
gives a command: He will break the great house into bits
And the little house
into pieces.
YLT
11For lo
Jehovah is
commanding
And He hath smitten the great house [with] breaches
And the little
house [with] clefts.
For
behold
the Lord commandeth
.... Hath determined and
ordered the judgment before
and what follows: Kimchi paraphrases it
hath
decreed the earthquake
as in Amos 3:15; of which
he understands the following:
and he will smite the great house with breaches; or
"droppings"F8רסיסים
"guttis
seu stillis"
Piscator; ψεκαδες
"quae
est minuta et rorans pluvia"
Drusius. ; so that the rain shall drop
through:
and the little house with clefts; so that it shall fall to
ruin; that is
he shall smite the houses both of great and small
of the
princes
and of the common people
either with an earthquake
so that they shall
part asunder and fall; or
being left without inhabitants
shall of course
become desolate
there being none to repair their breaches. Some understand
by
the "great house"
the ten tribes of Israel; and
by the "little
house"
the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin; to which sense the Targum
seems to incline
"he
will smite the great kingdom with a mighty stroke
and the little kingdom with
a weak stroke.'
Amos 6:12 12 Do
horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? Yet you have
turned justice into gall
And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood
YLT
12Do horses run on a rock?
Doth one plough [it] with oxen? For ye have turned to gall judgment
And the
fruit of righteousness to wormwood.
Shall horses run upon the rocks? or will one plough there
with oxen?.... Will any man be so weak and foolish
to propose or attempt a
race for horses upon rocks
where they and their riders would be in danger of
breaking their necks? or would any man act so unwise a part
as to take a yoke
of oxen to plough with them upon a rock
where no impression can be made? as
vain and fruitless a thing it would be to attempt to bring such persons under a
conviction of their sins
and to repentance for them
and reformation from
them
who are given up to a judicial hardness of heart
like that of a rock
as
are the persons described in the next clause; or as such methods with horses
and oxen would be contrary to all the rules of reason and prudence
so as
contrary a part do such persons act whose characters are next given
and there
is no probability of bringing them to better sense and practice of things;
for ye have turned judgment into gall
and the fruit of
righteousness into hemlock; that which would be beneficial to a nation
than which nothing is more so
as the exercise of justice
and judgment
into
that which is bitter and pernicious to it
as injustice and oppression; see Amos 5:7.
Amos 6:13 13 You
who rejoice over Lo Debar
[b] Who say
“Have we not taken Karnaim[c] for
ourselves By our own strength?”
YLT
13O ye who are rejoicing at
nothing
Who are saying
`Have we not by our strength taken to ourselves
horns?'
Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought
.... In their
wealth and riches
which are things that are not
because of the uncertainty of
them; and
in comparison of true riches
have no solidity and substance in
them
Proverbs 23:5; or in
any of the things of this world
the lusts of it
the honours of it
human
wisdom or strength; all are things of nought
of no worth
give no
satisfaction
and are of no continuance
and not to be gloried in
Jeremiah 9:23; or
in their idols
for an idol is nothing in the world
1 Corinthians 8:4;
and yet they rejoiced in them
Acts 7:41; or in
their own works of righteousness
as men of a pharisaical temper do
as these
people were; these indeed are something
when done in obedience to the will of
God
and according to that
and from right principles
and in the exercise of
faith and love
and with a view to the glory of God
and as they are evidences
of true grace
and profitable to men
and tend to glorify God
and serve the
interest of religion; but they are things of nought
and not to be rejoiced and
gloried in
in the business of justification before God
and in the affair of
salvation: the same may be said of a mere outward profession of religion
depended on
and all external rites and ceremonies
or submission to outward
ordinances
whether legal or evangelical. The phrase may be rendered
"in
that which is no word"F9ללא דבר "in non verbo"
Montanus. ; is not the word
of God
nor according to it; indeed everything short of Christ and his
righteousness
and salvation by him
are things of nought
and not to be
rejoiced in
Philemon 3:3;
which say
have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? by which we
have pushed our enemies
got victory over them
and obtained power
dominion
and authority; all which horns are an emblem of. So SanchoniathoF11Apud
Euseb. Evangel. Prepar. l. 2. p. 38. says
Astarte put upon her own head a
bull's head
as an ensign of royalty
or a mark of sovereignty; by which
as
Bishop CumberlandF12Sanchoniatho's History
p. 35. thinks
is
plainly meant the bull's horns
since it is certain that a horn
in the eastern
languages
is an emblem or expression noting royal power
as in 1 Samuel 2:10; and
in other places; see Daniel 7:24; thus
the kings of Egypt wore horns
as Diodorus relates; and perhaps for the same
reason the Egyptians adorned Isis with hornsF13Vid. Pignorii Mensa
Isiaca
p. 30. . And all this they ascribed not to God
but to themselves. The
Targum interprets "horns" by riches; but it rather signifies victoryF14"Vieimus
et domitum pedibus calcamus amorem
Venerunt capiti cornua sera meo".
Ovid. Amor. l. 3. Eleg. 10.
and power and government
which they took to
themselves
and imputed to their own strength
valour
and courage: very
probably here is an allusion to their ensigns
banners
shields
or helmets
on
which horns might be figured or engraven
being the arms of Ephraim
the son of
Joseph
the chief of the ten tribes
who are here spoken of Ephraim is often
put for the ten tribes
or the kingdom of Israel; and Joseph
whose son he was
"his glory was like the firstling of a bullock
and his horns"
are said to be like "the horns of unicorns: with them"
it is
promised
"he shall push the people together
to the ends of the earth
and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim
and they are the thousands of
Manasseh"
Deuteronomy 33:17;
and it may be
as the lion seems to be the ensign of the tribe of Judah
to
which he is by Jacob compared; so the ox or the unicorn might be the ensign of
the tribe of Ephraim: and so the ancient Jews
as Aben Ezra on Numbers 2:2;
observes
say
that the form of a man was on the standard of Reuben; and the
form of a lion on the standard of Judah; and the form of an ox on the standard
of Ephraim
&c. and othersF15Bemidbar Rabba
sect. 2. fol. 178.
3. of them say that the standard of Joseph was dyed very black
and was figured
for the two princes of Ephraim and Manasseh; upon the standard of Ephraim was
figured an ox
because "the firstling of a bullock"; and on the
standard of Manasseh was figured an unicorn
because "his horns are like
the horns of unicorns". Now the Israelites
or those of the ten tribes
at
the head of which Ephraim was
set up their banners
not in the name of the
Lord
but in their own strength; and attributed their conquests and dominions
to their own conduct and courage
the horns of their own strength
and not to
GodF16Vid. Lydium de Re Militari
l. 4. c. 4. p. 164. . And this
also is the language of such persons
who ascribe regeneration and conversion
faith
repentance
the cleansing of a man's heart
and the reformation of his
life
yea
his whole salvation
to the power and strength of his free will
when
man has no strength at all to effect any of these things; these are all vain
boasts
and very disagreeable and offensive to the Lord; and for such like
things persons stand here reproved by him
and threatened with woes; for woe
must be here supplied from Amos 6:1.
Amos 6:14 14 “But
behold
I will raise up a nation against you
O house of Israel
” Says the Lord God of hosts; “And
they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath To the Valley of the Arabah.”
YLT
14Surely
lo
I am raising
against you a nation
O house of Israel
An affirmation of Jehovah
God of
Hosts
And they have oppressed you from the coming in to Hamath
Unto the
stream of the desert.
But
behold
I will raise up against you a nation
O house of
Israel
saith the Lord
the God of hosts
.... The Assyrian nation
under its king
Shalmaneser; who invaded Israel
came up to Samaria
and after
a three years' siege took it
and carried Israel captive into foreign lands
2 Kings 17:5;
and they shall afflict you; by battles
sieges
forages
plunders
and burning of cities and towns
and putting the inhabitants
to the sword:
from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of the wilderness; from Hamath
the less
said by JosephusF17Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 2. and JeromF18Comment
in Isa. x. fol. 20. G. & in Zech. ix. fol. 116. L. De locis Heb. fol. 88.
E. & Quaest. in Gen. fol. 67. B. to be called Epiphania
in their times
from Antiochus Epiphanes; it was at the entrance on the land of Israel
and at
the northern border of it; so that "the river of the wilderness"
whatever is meant by it
lay to the south; by which it appears that this
affliction and distress would be very general
from one end of it to the other.
Some
by this river
understand the river of Egypt
at the entrance of Egypt in
the wilderness of Ethan; Sihor or Nile; which
Jarchi says
lay southwest of
Israel
as Hamath lay northwest of it. And a late travellerF19Dr.
Shaw's Travels
p. 287
288. Ed. 2. observes
that the south and southwest
border of the tribe of Judah
containing within it the whole or the greatest
part of what was called the "way of the spies"
Numbers 21:1; and
afterwards Idumea
extended itself from the Elenitic gulf of the Red sea
along
by that of Hieropolis
quite to the Nile westward; the Nile consequently
in
this view and situation
either with regard to the barrenness of the
Philistines
or to the position of it with respect to the land of promise
or
to the river Euphrates
may
with propriety enough
be called "the river
of the wilderness"
Amos 6:14; as this
district
which lies beyond the eastern or Asiatic banks of the Nile
from the
parallel of Memphis
even to Pelusium
(the land of Goshen only excepted
) is
all of it dry
barren
and inhospitable; or if the situation be more regarded
it may be called
as it is rendered by the Septuagint
the western torrent or
river. Though someF20See the Universal History
vol. 2. p. 427
428.
take this to be the river Bosor or Bezor
that parts the tribes
of Judah and
Simeon
and discharges itself into the Mediterranean between Gaza
or rather
Majuma
and Anthedon. Though Kimchi takes this river to be the sea of the
plain
the same with the Salt or Dead sea
Deuteronomy 3:17;
which may seem likely
since Jeroboam the son of Joash
king of Israel
under
whom Amos prophesied
had restored the coast of Israel
from the entering of
Hamath unto the sea of the plain
2 Kings 14:25; with
which they were elevated
and of which they boasted; but now they should have
affliction and distress in the same places
and which should extend as far.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)