_THE JUDGMENTS OF THE GRASSHOPPERS, AND OF THE FIRE, ARE DIVERTED BY THE PRAYER OF AMOS. BY THE WALL MADE BY A PLUMB-LINE IS SIGNIFIED THE REJECTION OF ISRAEL. AMAZIAH COMPLAINETH OF AMOS. AMOS SHEWETH HIS CALLING, AND AMAZIAH'S JUDGMENT._ _Before Christ 787._... [ Continue Reading ]
HE FORMED GRASSHOPPERS— _Locusts._ Houbigant. See the notes on Joel 1:2 and the introductory note to this prophet.... [ Continue Reading ]
BY WHOM SHALL JACOB ARISE?— After the death of Jeroboam the second, the kingdom of Israel, formerly so flourishing and powerful, fell into a state of weakness, which induced it to have recourse to strangers to support it, being unable of itself. Menahem had recourse to Pul king of Assyria, whence ar... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD REPENTED FOR THIS— _The Lord changed his purpose concerning this matter._ Houbigant. See Amos 7:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD GOD CALLED TO CONTEND BY FIRE— In many places of Scripture war is denoted by _fire._ We observed, that after the death of Jeroboam the kingdom of Israel was laid waste by civil, and perhaps by foreign wars; for we are not well acquainted with the history of that time. The _fire_ here spoken... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON A WALL MADE BY A PLUMB-LINE— Literally, _Upon a wall of a plumb-line;_ or, erected by a plumb-line, in order to be perpendicular and firm. God is exhibited in this vision, as erecting, or as repairing Israel, like a wall, that it might not fall into ruin. For the kingdom of Israel had stood hit... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HIGH-PLACES OF ISAAC— That is, _of Beer-sheba,_ where Isaac dwelt and built an altar to the Lord. See Genesis 26:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
JEROBOAM SHALL DIE BY THE SWORD— We do not read above that Amos said this; and as the sacred histories do not inform us that Jeroboam died by the sword, it is most likely this was a falsehood raised by Amaziah to injure Amos.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT IS THE KING'S CHAPEL, &C.— _Because this is the sanctuary of the king, and this is his palace_] Samaria was the place where the kings of Israel commonly dwelt: but they had a palace at Beth-el, as this was the place where they exercised their false religion.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WAS NO PROPHET, &C.— Houbigant reads this, _I am no prophet, neither am I a prophet's son;_ that is, "I am not accustomed to act as a prophet; this is not my condition of life, and therefore it is in vain that you bid me to go and prophesy in Judah; I have only this once taken upon me the person a... [ Continue Reading ]
IN A POLLUTED LAND— By a _polluted land_ is meant a heathen country far from the land of Israel; for the Hebrews considered every other country as polluted in comparison with theirs. History has not preserved to us enough of the life of Amaziah to give a minute account of the accomplishment of this... [ Continue Reading ]