{"commentary":{"id":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamieson-Fausset-Brown_Bible_Commentary","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"db3d4c8b3c1f32ef9d1430a57392e02bda3a17aac1f9bbe398461de021a3cb13","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":66,"totalNumberOfChapters":1187,"totalNumberOfVerses":17056,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"AMO","commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"Amos","commonName":"Amos","introduction":"AMOS (meaning in Hebrew \"a burden\") was (Amo 1:1) a shepherd of Tekoa, a small town of Judah, six miles southeast from Beth-lehem, and twelve from Jerusalem, on the borders of the great desert (Ch2 20:20; compare Ch2 11:6). The region being sandy was more fit for pastoral than for agricultural purposes. Amos therefore owned and tended flocks, and collected sycamore figs; not that the former was a menial office, kings themselves, as Mesha of Moab (Kg2 3:4), exercising it. Amos, however (from Amo 7:14-15), seems to have been of humble rank.\n\nThough belonging to Judah, he was commissioned by God to exercise his prophetical function in Israel; as the latter kingdom abounded in impostors, and the prophets of God generally fled to Judah through fear of the kings of Israel, a true prophet from Judah was the more needed in it. His name is not to be confounded with that of Isaiah's father, Amoz.\n\nThe time of his prophesying was in the reigns of Uzziah king of Judea, and Jeroboam II, son of Joash, king of Israel (Amo 1:1), that is, in part of the time in which the two kings were contemporary; probably in Jeroboam's latter years, after that monarch had recovered from Syria \"the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath to the sea of the plain\" (Kg2 14:25-27); for Amos foretells that these same coasts, \"from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of the wilderness,\" should be the scene of Israel's being afflicted (Amo 6:14); also his references to the state of luxurious security then existing (Amo 6:1, Amo 6:4, Amo 6:13), and to the speedy termination of it by the Assyrian foe (Amo 1:5; Amo 3:12, Amo 3:15; Amo 5:27; Amo 8:2), point to the latter part of Jeroboam's reign, which terminated in 784 B.C., the twenty-seventh year of Uzziah's reign, which continued down to 759 B.C. He was contemporary with Hosea, only that the latter continued to prophesy in reigns subsequent to Uzziah (Hos 1:1); whereas Amos ceased to prophesy in the reign of that monarch. The scene of his ministry was Beth-el, where the idol calves were set up (Amo 7:10-13). There his prophecies roused Amaziah, the idol priest, to accuse him of conspiracy and to try to drive him back to Judah.\n\nThe first six chapters are without figure; the last three symbolical, but with the explanation subjoined. He first denounces the neighboring peoples, then the Jews, then Israel (from the third chapter to the end), closing with the promise or restoration under Messiah (Amo 9:11-15). His style is thought by JEROME to betray his humble origin; but though not sublime, it is regular, perspicuous, and energetic; his images are taken from the scenes in nature with which he was familiar; his rhythms are flowing, his parallelisms exact, and his descriptions minute and graphic. Some peculiar expressions occur: \"cleanness of teeth,\" that is, want of bread (Amo 4:6); \"the excellency of Jacob\" (Amo 6:8; Amo 8:7); \"the high places of Isaac\" (Amo 7:9); \"the house of Isaac\" (Amo 7:16); \"he that createth the wind\" (Amo 4:13).\n\nHENGSTENBERG draws an able argument for the genuineness of the Mosaic records from the evidence in Amos, that the existing institutions in Israel as well as Judah (excepting the calves of Jeroboam), were framed according to the Pentateuch rules.\n\nTwo quotations from Amos occur in the New Testament (compare Act 7:42-43, with Amo 5:25-26; and Act 15:16-17, with Amo 9:11).\n\nPHILO, JOSEPHUS, MELITO'S catalogue, JEROME, JUSTIN MARTYR (Dialogue with Trypho, 22, quoting the fifth and six chapters of Amos as \"one of the twelve minor prophets\"), and the sixtieth canon of the Laodicean council support the canonicity of the book of Amos. \n\n\n\nNext: Amos Chapter 1\n\n","order":30,"numberOfChapters":9,"sha256":"2747ae6a0927cdcd6de6d9736a1e183554e6f56c835022bc1dceb22c58813f10","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/AMO/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"AMO","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":9,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/AMO/9.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"AMO","chapter":9},"totalNumberOfVerses":132},"chapter":{"number":3,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":2,"content":["You only have I known--that is, acknowledged as My people, and treated with peculiar favor (Exo 19:5; Deu 4:20). Compare the use of \"know,\" Psa 1:6; Psa 144:3; Joh 10:14; Ti2 2:19. \n\ntherefore I will punish--the greater the privileges, the heavier the punishment for the abuse of them; for to the other offenses there is added, in this case, ingratitude. When God's people do not glorify Him, He glorifies Himself by punishing them.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["Here follow several questions of a parable-like kind, to awaken conviction in the people. \n\nCan two walk together, except they be agreed?--Can God's prophets be so unanimous in prophesying against you, if God's Spirit were not joined with them, or if their prophecies were false? The Israelites were \"at ease,\" not believing that God was with the prophets in their denunciations of coming ruin to the nation (Amo 6:1, Amo 6:3; compare Kg1 22:18, Kg1 22:24, Kg1 22:27; Jer 43:2). This accords with Amo 3:7-8. So \"I will be with thy mouth\" (Exo 4:12; Jer 1:8; Mat 10:20). If the prophets and God were not agreed, the former could not predict the future as they do. In Amo 2:12 He had said, the Israelites forbade the prophets prophesying; therefore, in Amo 3:3, Amo 3:8, He asserts the agreement between the prophets and God who spake by them against Israel [ROSENMULLER]. Rather, \"I once walked with you\" (Lev 26:12) as a Father and Husband (Isa 54:5; Jer 3:14); but now your way and Mine are utterly diverse; there can therefore be no fellowship between us such as there was (Amo 3:2); I will walk with you only to \"punish you\"; as a \"lion\" walks with his \"prey\" (Amo 3:4), as a bird-catcher with a bird [TARNOVIUS]. The prophets, and all servants of God, can have no fellowship with the ungodly (Psa 119:63; Co2 6:16-17; Eph 5:11; Jam 4:4).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":4,"content":["The same idea as in Mat 24:28. Where a corrupt nation is, there God's instruments of punishment are sure also to be. The lion roars loudly only when he has prey in sight. \n\nWill a young lion cry out . . . if he--the \"lion,\" not the \"young lion.\" \n\nhave taken nothing?--The young lion just weaned lies silent, until the old lion brings the prey near; then the scent rouses him. So, the prophet would not speak against Israel, if God did not reveal to him Israel's sins as requiring punishment.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["When a bird trying to fly upwards is made to fall upon the earth snare, it is a plain proof that the snare is there; so, Israel, now that thou art falling, infer thence, that it is in the snare of the divine judgment that thou art entangled [LUDOVICUS DE DIEU]. \n\nshall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing--The bird-catcher does not remove his snare off the ground till he has caught some prey; so God will not withdraw the Assyrians, &c., the instruments of punishment, until they have had the success against you which God gives them. The foe corresponds to the \"snare,\" suddenly springing from the ground and enclosing the bird on the latter touching it; the Hebrew is literally, \"Shall the snare spring from the earth?\" Israel entangled in judgments answers to the bird \"taken.\"\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":6,"content":["When the sound of alarm is trumpeted by the watchman in the city, the people are sure to run to and fro in alarm (Hebrew, literally). Yet Israel is not alarmed, though God threatens judgments. \n\nshall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?--This is the explanation of the preceding similes: God is the Author of all the calamities which come upon you, and which are foretold by His prophets. The evil of sin is from ourselves; the evil of trouble is from God, whoever be the instruments.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":7,"content":["his secret--namely, His purpose hidden from all, until it is revealed to His prophets (compare Gen 18:17). In a wider sense, God's will is revealed to all who love God, which it is not to the world (Psa 25:14; Joh 15:15; Joh 17:25-26). \n\nunto his servants--who being servants cannot but obey their Lord in setting forth His purpose (namely, that of judgment against Israel) (Jer 20:9; Eze 9:11). Therefore the fault which the ungodly find with them is groundless (Kg1 18:17). It aggravates Israel's sin, that God is not about to inflict judgment, without having fully warned the people, if haply they might repent.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":8,"content":["As when \"the lion roars\" (compare Amo 1:2; Amo 3:4), none can help but \"fear,\" so when Jehovah communicates His awful message, the prophet cannot but prophesy. Find not fault with me for prophesying; I must obey God. In a wider sense true of all believers (Act 4:20; Act 5:29).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":9,"content":["Publish in . . . palaces--as being places of greatest resort (compare Mat 10:27); and also as it is the sin of princes that he arraigns, he calls on princes (the occupants of the \"palaces\") to be the witnesses. \n\nAshdod--put for all Philistia. Convene the Philistine and the Egyptian magnates, from whom I have on various occasions rescued Israel. (The opposite formula to \"Tell it not in Gath,\" namely, lest the heathen should glory over Israel). Even these idolaters, in looking on your enormities, will condemn you; how much more will the holy God? \n\nupon the mountains of Samaria--on the hills surrounding and commanding the view of Samaria, the metropolis of the ten tribes, which was on a lower hill (Amo 4:1; Kg1 16:24). The mountains are to be the tribunal on which the Philistines and Egyptians are to sit aloft to have a view of your crimes, so as to testify to the justice of your punishment (Amo 3:13). \n\ntumults--caused by the violence of the princes of Israel in \"oppressions\" of the poor (Job 35:9; Ecc 4:1).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":10,"content":["know not to do--Their moral corruption blinds their power of discernment so that they cannot do right (Jer 4:22). Not simple intellectual ignorance; the defect lay in the heart and will. \n\nstore up violence and robbery--that is, treasures obtained by \"violence and robbery\" (Pro 10:2).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":11,"content":["Translate, \"An adversary (the abruptness produces a startling effect)! and that too, from every side of the land.\" So in the fulfilment, Kg2 17:5 : \"The king of Assyria (Shalmaneser) came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.\" \n\nbring down thy strength from thee--that is, bring thee down from thy strength (the strength on which thou didst boast thyself): all thy resources (Pro 10:15). \n\npalaces shall be spoiled--a just retribution in kind (Amo 3:10). The palaces in which spoils of robbery were stored up, \"shall be spoiled.\"\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":12,"content":["shepherd--a pastoral image, appropriately used by Amos, a shepherd himself. \n\npiece of . . . ear--brought by the shepherd to the owner of the sheep, so as not to have to pay for the loss (Gen 31:39; Exo 22:13). So if aught of Israel escapes, it shall be a miracle of God's goodness. It shall be but a scanty remnant. There is a kind of goat in the East the ears of which are a foot long, and proportionally broad. Perhaps the reference is to this. Compare on the image Sa1 17:34-35; Ti2 4:17. \n\nthat dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed--that is, that live luxuriously in Samaria (compare Amo 6:1, Amo 6:4). \"A bed\" means here the Oriental divan, a raised part of the room covered with cushions. \n\nin Damascus in a couch--Jeroboam II had lately restored Damascus to Israel (Kg2 14:25, Kg2 14:28). So the Israelites are represented as not merely in \"the corner of a bed,\" as in Samaria, but \"in a (whole) couch,\" at Damascus, living in luxurious ease. Of these, now so luxurious, soon but a remnant shall be left by the foe. The destruction of Damascus and that of Samaria shall be conjoined; as here their luxurious lives, and subsequently under Pekah and Rezin their inroads on Judah, were combined (Isa 7:1-8; Isa 8:4, Isa 8:9; Isa 17:3). The parallelism of \"Samaria\" to \"Damascus,\" and the Septuagint favor English Version rather than GESENIUS: \"on a damask couch.\" The Hebrew pointing, though generally expressing damask, may express the city \"Damascus\"; and many manuscripts point it so. Compare for Israel's overthrow, Kg2 17:5-6; Kg2 18:9-12.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":13,"content":["testify in the house, &c.--that is, against the house of Jacob. God calls on the same persons as in Amo 3:9, namely, the heathen Philistines and the Egyptians to witness with their own eyes Samaria's corruptions above described, so that none may be able to deny the justice of Samaria's punishment [MAURER]. \n\nGod of hosts--having all the powers of heaven and earth at His command, and therefore One calculated to strike terror into the hearts of the guilty whom He threatens.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":14,"content":["That--rather, \"since,\" or \"for.\" This verse is not, as English Version translates, the thing which the witnesses cited are to \"testify\" (Amo 3:13), but the reason why God calls on the heathen to witness Samaria's guilt; namely, in order to justify the punishment which He declares He will inflict. \n\nI will also visit . . . Beth-el--the golden calves which were the source of all \"the transgressions of Israel\" (Kg1 12:32; Kg1 13:2; Kg2 23:15-16), though Israel thought that by them their transgressions were atoned for and God's favor secured. \n\nhorns of the altar--which used to be sprinkled with the blood of victims. They were horn-like projecting points at the corners of ancient altars. The singular, \"altar,\" refers to the great altar erected by Jeroboam to the calves. The \"altars,\" plural, refer to the lesser ones made in imitation of the great one (Ch2 34:5, compare with Kg1 13:2; Hos 8:11; Hos 10:1).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":15,"content":["winter . . . summer house-- (Jdg 3:20; Jer 36:22). Winter houses of the great were in sheltered positions facing the south to get all possible sunshine, summer houses in forests and on hills, facing the east and north. \n\nhouses of ivory--having their walls, doors, and ceilings inlaid with ivory. So Ahab's house (Kg1 22:39; Psa 45:8).\n\n\n\n\nNext: Amos Chapter 4\n\n"]}],"introduction":"GOD'S EXTRAORDINARY LOVE, BEING REPAID BY ISRAEL WITH INGRATITUDE, OF NECESSITY CALLS FOR JUDGMENTS, WHICH THE PROPHETS ANNOUNCE, NOT AT RANDOM, BUT BY GOD'S COMMISSION, WHICH THEY CANNOT BUT FULFIL. THE OPPRESSION PREVALENT IN ISRAEL WILL BRING DOWN RUIN ON ALL SAVE A SMALL REMNANT. (Amo 3:1-15)\n\nchildren of Israel--not merely the ten tribes, but \"the whole family brought up from Egypt\"; all the descendants of Jacob, including Judah and Benjamin. Compare Jer 8:3, and Mic 2:3, on \"family\" for the nation However, as the prophecy following refers to the ten tribes, they must be chiefly, if not solely, meant: they were the majority of the nation; and so Amos concedes what they so often boasted, that they were the elect people of God [CALVIN], but implies that this only heightens their sins.\n\n"},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/AMO/3.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"AMO","chapter":3},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/AMO/4.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"AMO","chapter":4},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/AMO/2.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"AMO","chapter":2},"numberOfVerses":14}