Amos4
New King James Version
1Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, Who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, “Bring wine, let us drink!”
2The Lord God has sworn by His holiness: “Behold, the days shall come upon you When He will take you away with fishhooks, And your posterity with fishhooks.
3You will go out through broken walls, Each one straight ahead of her, And you will be cast into Harmon,” Says the Lord.
4“Come to Bethel and transgress, At Gilgal multiply transgression; Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days.
5Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, Proclaim and announce the freewill offerings; For this you love, You children of Israel!” Says the Lord God.
6“Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord.
7“I also withheld rain from you, When there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, And where it did not rain the part withered.
8So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord.
9“I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, Your vineyards, Your fig trees, And your olive trees, The locust devoured them; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord.
10“I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt; Your young men I killed with a sword, Along with your captive horses; I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord.
11“I overthrew some of you, As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord.
12“Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
13For behold, He who forms mountains, And creates the wind, Who declares to man what his thought is, And makes the morning darkness, Who treads the high places of the earth— The Lord 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