Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, [it was] the latter growth after the king's mowings. Ver. 1. _Thus hath the Lord God showed unto me_] _sc._ In a prophetic vision: this being the first of th... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, [that] when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he [is] small. Ver. 2. _When they had made an end of eating_] Not the grain only, but the grass, to the very roots; besides a pesti... [ Continue Reading ]
The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD. Ver. 3. The Lord repented for this: It shall not be, saith the Lord] Here was _mutatio rei, non Dei; facti, non consilii:_ a change, not of God's will, but of his work; therefore (by way of explication) it followeth, "It shall not be, sai... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part. Ver. 4. _And, behold, the Lord God_] Whose asterisk, or starry note, this "behold" is, saith Tarnovius, stirring up to attention. Another compareth it t... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he [is] small. Ver. 5. _Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee_] See Amos 7:2; and persevering in prayer for the public remember to plead, not merit, but misery, Psalms 79:8,9, and with all humility to acknowledg... [ Continue Reading ]
The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD. Ver. 6. _The Lord repented for this_] As he is gracious, Exodus 22:27, and quickly repenteth him of the evil, Joel 2:13. _Redire nos, non perire desiderat_ (Chrysologus). "I said, I would scatter them into corners," &c., Deuter... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall [made] by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. Ver. 7. _This he showed me, and behold_] See Amos 7:4 . _ The Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, &c._] Here he was set, or stood firm (as the word signifieth), as not to be remov... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: Ver. 8. _Behold, I will set a plumbline_] I will call them to a strict account, and show them no fa... [ Continue Reading ]
And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. Ver. 9. _And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate_] The Edomites also came of Isaac; but by a synecdoche _a_ the Israelites only are... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. Ver. 10. _Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel_] Observing that the prophet had foretold a desolation, and not pr... [ Continue Reading ]
For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land. Ver. 11. _For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, &c._] When did Amos say so? He said indeed that the house of Jeroboam should be smitten with the sword, Amos 7:9,... [ Continue Reading ]
Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: Ver. 12. _Also Amaziah said unto Amos_] After he had maliciously misinformed the king, but prevailed not; so God would have it, in whose heart is the king's hand, and who re... [ Continue Reading ]
But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it [is] the king's chapel, and it [is] the king's court. Ver. 13. _But prophesy not any more at Bethel_] Take heed of that; lest, by diffusing too much light among us, thou mar our markets, and hinder the sale of our false wares. This was the naked tru... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I [was] no prophet, neither [was] I a prophet's son; but I [was] an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:_ Ver. 14. _Then answered Amos and said to Amaziah_] With no less courage, I suppose, than Paul and Barnabas used to the stubborn Jews, Acts 13:46;... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. Ver. 15. _And the Lord took me, as I followed the flock_] As he took Elisha from the plough tail, the apostles from casting and mending their nets, &c. _Asinos elegit Christus et idiotas, se... [ Continue Reading ]
Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not [thy word] against the house of Isaac. Ver. 16. _Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord_] Hear, thou despiser, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in thy days, a work which thou wilt in... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land. Ver. 17. Therefore thus saith th... [ Continue Reading ]