AMOS CHAPTER 8 By a basket of summer fruit is showed the near approach of Israel's end, AMOS 8:1. Their oppression of the poor shall cause their joy to be turned into mourning, AMOS 8:4. A famine of God's word threatened, AMOS 8:11. THUS HATH THE LORD GOD SHOWED UNTO ME: AND BEHOLD: see AMOS 7:1,4,7... [ Continue Reading ]
AMOS, WHAT SEEST THOU? the like question you have AMOS 7:8, which see. A BASKET OF SUMMER FRUIT: see AMOS 8:1. _Then said the Lord unto me_: the meaning of this hieroglyphic not being very plain in itself, the Lord doth here explain it in the following words. THE END of God's patience towards Israel... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONGS; which were composed by choicest wits, and set to sweetest tunes, and chanted out by most skilful singers to the best musical instruments. OF THE TEMPLE; either to take in Judah, and foretell the desolation of their temple; or else, by an irony, the idol temples; or else of the palace, as... [ Continue Reading ]
Though the prophet had several times told them what were the sins for which God would thus punish Israel, yet on a repeated threat he repeateth the rehearsal of the sins which draw down these judgments on their heads. HEAR THIS, attend, and consider it, O YE THAT SWALLOW UP, greedily and cruelly dev... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN WILL THE NEW MOON BE GONE? ye that could wish there were nothing to interrupt your marketing, your irreligious impatience, and your eagerness after the world, look on solemn times of Divine worship as very burdensome; such was the first day of every month, and the weekly sabbath. THAT WE MAY SE... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WE MAY-BUY THE POOR: either it speaks the aim of these men in oppressing the poor thus, that they might at last buy their persons for servants and drudges, or else it speaks the reason why they would have new moons and sabbaths over, that they might to market to buy the poor. FOR SILVER, i.e. a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD; who changeth not, whose words and purposes are immutably true and stedfast, who hath often told you, that unless you repent he will punish for your sins, now he hath sworn it, and sends you word by me, that he hath in most solemn and irrevocable manner determined, published, and expressly... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL NOT THE LAND TREMBLE? either literally, are not such sins and judgments enough to shake the very foundations of the earth? Or, metonymically, the land for the people of it, as after in the verse, they that dwell therein. FOR THIS; this that you have done, O house of Israel, in sinning, and thi... [ Continue Reading ]
IT SHALL COME TO PASS, most certainly it will be, IN THAT DAY, when God begins to execute these his just and severe judgments on the ten tribes. I WILL CAUSE; the great, just, holy, and terrible God, who is provoked by these sins, and hath denounced these judgments, my hand shall be evident in it. T... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL TURN YOUR FEASTS, religious, though idolatrous in your temples, see AMOS 8:3, and your ordinary civil feasts in your palaces, into mourning: see AMOS 8:3. AND ALL YOUR SONGS INTO LAMENTATION: this ingemination doth assure the thing, and forebode the sadness of their state. I WILL BRING UP SAC... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD; note well what now I shall declare to you, and consider it. THE DAYS COME, SAITH THE LORD GOD; surely, speedily, and according to the threats of God. I WILL SEND A FAMINE IN THE LAND; by a signal hand of Divine displeasure it shall appear to be from God, that such a famine cometh upon them o... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL WANDER FROM SEA TO SEA; search all places for a prophet or a preacher from the Syrian or Midland Sea to that of Tiberias, to the Dead Sea, and to the Red Sea. FROM THE NORTH EVEN TO THE EAST; that mountainous tract whither persecuted Elijah fled, and perhaps other prophets in like circums... [ Continue Reading ]
It is probable these in their strength and rigour would seek earnestly to know what end they might expect, whether they should outlive this famine of the word, and the famine of bread and water, but both should faint with thirst and hunger; neither finding the word of the Lord for their comfort, the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THAT SWEAR BY; who now do, as formerly they have done, trust in, sacrifice to, and swear by; who are obstinate idolaters, and trust to those lies. THE SIN, that which was the sin, the occasion of the sin, OF SAMARIA, the calves at Dan and Beth-el. AND SAY, think, profess, and swear too, THY GOD... [ Continue Reading ]