Amos4
King James Version · Public Domain
1Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.
2The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
3And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the Lord.
4Come to Beth–el, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:
5And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord God.
6And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.
7And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.
8So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.
9I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.
10I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.
11I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.
12Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
13For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Amos 4.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Israel is reproved. (1–5). Their impenitence shown. (6–13).
vv1-5
What is got by extortion is commonly used to provide for the flesh, and to fulfil the lusts thereof. What is got by oppression cannot be enjoyed with satisfaction. How miserable are those whose confidence in unscriptural observances only prove that they believe a lie! Let us see to it that our faith, hope, and worship, are warranted by the Divine word.
vv6-13
See the folly of carnal hearts; they wander from one creature to another, seeking for something to satisfy, and labour for that which satisfies not; yet, after all, they will not incline their ear to Him in whom they might find all they can want. Preaching the gospel is as rain, and every thing withers where this rain is wanting. It were well if people were as wise for their souls as they are for their bodies; and, when they have not this rain near, would go and seek it where it is to be had. As the Israelites persisted in rebellion and idolatry, the Lord was coming against them as an adversary. Ere long, we must meet our God in judgment; but we shall not be able to stand before him, if he tries us according to our doings. If we would prepare to meet our God with comfort, at the awful period of his coming, we must now meet him in Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of the Father, who came to save lost sinners. We must seek him while he is to be found.
Key Words
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
פָּרָה: a heifer
בָּשָׁן: Bashan (often with the article), a region East of the Jordan
הַר: a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
שֹׁמְרוֹן: Shomeron, a place in Palestine
עָשַׁק: to press upon, i.e. oppress, defraud, violate, overflow
דַּל: properly, dangling, i.e. (by implication) weak or thin
רָצַץ: to crack in pieces, literally or figuratively
אֶבְיוֹן: destitute
Cross References
Amos 4Moses warns of Israel's luxury under the same figure: the fat cattle of Bashan.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Uses the 'bulls of Bashan' to represent proud, violent oppressors in high places.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Refers to the princes and mighty men metaphorically as fatlings of Bashan.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Amos satirizes their hypocritical zeal by referencing the law of the three-year tithe.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel to God swearing by His holiness, binding Him to execute His righteous judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Uses the same vivid image of hooks to catch and drag away a rebellious nation.
Supported by JFB
Depicts God putting a hook in the nose of proud rulers, a literal Assyrian practice.
Supported by JFB
Hosea similarly condemns Gilgal and Beth-aven (Bethel) as centers of syncretistic idolatry.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel ironical command where God tells a rebellious people to serve their idols.
Supported by JFB
Fulfills the covenant curse of bringing 'the diseases of Egypt' upon disobedient Israel.
Supported by JFB
The historical standard of total divine destruction, to which Israel's narrow escape is compared.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Vividly describes a remnant saved from judgment as 'a brand plucked out of the fire.'
Supported by JFB
Depicts rulers fleeing desperately through breaches in the wall during a siege.
Supported by JFB
The law concerning leavened bread in peace offerings, which Israel hypocritically abused.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Contrastive proverb illustrating that 'clean' stalls/teeth signify a complete lack of food.
Supported by JFB