{"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":4,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":2,"content":["The Lord--the same Hebrew as \"masters\" (Amo 4:1). Israel's nobles say to their master or lord, Bring us drink: but \"the Lord\" of him and them \"hath sworn,\" &c. \n\nby his holiness--which binds Him to punish the guilty (Psa 89:35). \n\nhe will take yon away--that is God by the instrumentality of the enemy. \n\nwith hooks--literally, \"thorns\" (compare Ch2 33:11). As fish are taken out of the water by hooks, so the Israelites are to be taken out of their cities by the enemy (Eze 29:4; compare Job 41:1-2; Jer 16:16; Hab 1:15). The image is the more appropriate, as anciently captives were led by their conquerors by a hook made to pass through the nose (Kg2 19:28), as is to be seen in the Assyrian remains.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["go out at the breaches--namely, of the city walls broken by the enemy. \n\nevery cow at that which is before her--figurative for the once luxurious nobles (compare \"kine of Bashan,\" Amo 4:1) shall go out each one right before her; not through the gates, but each at the breach before him, not turning to the right or left, apart from one another. \n\nye shall cast them into the palace--\"them,\" that is, \"your posterity,\" from Amo 4:2. You yourselves shall escape through the breaches, after having cast your little children into the palace, so as not to see their destruction, and to escape the more quickly. Rather, \"ye shall cast yourselves into the palace,\" so as to escape from it out of the city [CALVIN]. The palace, the scene of the princes riots (Amo 3:10, Amo 3:15; Amo 4:1), is to be the scene of their ignominious flight. Compare in the similar case of Jerusalem's capture, the king's escape by way of the palace, through a breach in the wall (Eze 12:5, Eze 12:12). GESENIUS translates, \"Ye shall be cast (as captives) into the (enemy's) stronghold\"; in this view, the enemy's stronghold is called \"palace,\" in retributive contrast to the \"palaces\" of Israel's nobles, the store houses of their robberies (Amo 3:10).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":4,"content":["God gives them up to their self-willed idolatry, that they may see how unable their idols are to save them from their coming calamities. So Eze 20:39. \n\nBeth-el-- (Amo 3:14). \n\nGilgal-- (Hos 4:15; Hos 9:15; Hos 12:11). \n\nsacrifices every morning--as commanded in the law (Num 28:3-4). They imitated the letter, while violating by calf-worship the spirit, of the Jerusalem temple-worship. \n\nafter three years--every third year; literally, \"after three (years of) days\" (that is, the fullest complement of days, or a year); \"after three full years.\" Compare Lev 25:20; Jdg 17:10, and \"the days\" for the years, Joe 1:2. So a month of days is used for a full month, wanting no day to complete it (Gen 29:14, Margin; Num 11:20-21). The Israelites here also kept to the letter of the law in bringing in the tithes of their increase every third year (Deu 14:28; Deu 26:12).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["offer--literally, \"burn incense\"; that is, \"offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with burnt incense and with leavened bread.\" The frankincense was laid on the meat offering, and taken by the priest from it to burn on the altar (Lev 2:1-2, Lev 2:8-11). Though unleavened cakes were to accompany the peace offering sacrifice of animals, leavened bread was also commanded (Lev 7:12-13), but not as a \"meat offering\" (Lev 2:11). \n\nthis liketh you--that is, this is what ye like.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":6,"content":["Jehovah details His several chastisements inflicted with a view to reclaiming them: but adds to each the same sad result, \"yet have ye not returned unto Me\" (Isa 9:13; Jer 5:3; Hos 7:10); the monotonous repetition of the same burden marking their pitiable obstinacy. \n\ncleanness of teeth--explained by the parallel, \"want of bread.\" The famine alluded to is that mentioned in Kg2 8:1 [GROTIUS]. Where there is no food to masticate, the teeth are free from uncleanness, but it is the cleanness of want. Compare Pro 14:4, \"Where no oxen are, the crib is clean.\" So spiritually, where all is outwardly smooth and clean, it is often because there is no solid religion. Better fighting and fears with real piety, than peace and respectable decorum without spiritual life.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":7,"content":["withholden . . . rain . . . three months to . . . harvest--the time when rain was most needed, and when usually \"the latter rain\" fell, namely, in spring, the latter half of February, and the whole of March and April (Hos 6:3; Joe 2:23). The drought meant is that mentioned in Kg1 17:1 [GROTIUS]. \n\nrain upon one city . . . not . . . upon another--My rain that fell was only partial.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":8,"content":["three cities wandered--that is, the inhabitants of three cities (compare Jer 14:1-6). GROTIUS explains this verse and Amo 4:7, \"The rain fell on neighboring countries, but not on Israel, which marked the drought to be, not accidental, but the special judgment of God.\" The Israelites were obliged to leave their cities and homes to seek water at a distance [CALVIN].\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":9,"content":["blasting--the blighting influence of the east wind on the corn (Gen 41:6). \n\nwhen . . . gardens . . . increased--In vain ye multiplied your gardens, &c., for I destroyed their produce. BOCHART supports Margin, \"the multitude of your gardens.\" \n\npalmer worm--A species of locust is here meant, hurtful to fruits of trees, not to herbage or corn. The same east wind which brought the drought, blasting, and mildew, brought also the locusts into Judea [BOCHART], (Exo 10:13).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":10,"content":["pestilence after the manner of Egypt--such as I formerly sent on the Egyptians (Exo 9:3, Exo 9:8, &c.; Exo 12:29; Deu 28:27, Deu 28:60). Compare the same phrase, Isa 10:24. \n\nhave taken away your horses--literally, \"accompanied with the captivity of your horses\"; I have given up your young men to be slain, and their horses to be taken by the foe (compare Kg2 13:7). \n\nstink of your camps--that is, of your slain men (compare Isa 34:3; Joe 2:20). \n\nto come up unto your nostrils--The Hebrew is more emphatic, \"to come up, and that unto your nostrils.\"\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":11,"content":["some of you--some parts of your territory. \n\nas God overthrew Sodom-- (Deu 29:23; Isa 13:19; Jer 49:18; Jer 50:40; Pe2 2:6; Jde 1:7). \"God\" is often repeated in Hebrew instead of \"I.\" The earthquake here apparently alluded to is not that in the reign of Uzziah, which occurred \"two years\" later (Amo 1:1). Traces of earthquakes and volcanic agency abound in Palestine. The allusion here is to some of the effects of these in previous times. Compare the prophecy, Deu. 28:15-68, with Amo 4:6-11 here. \n\nas a firebrand plucked out of . . . burning--(Compare Isa 7:4; Zac 3:2). The phrase is proverbial for a narrow escape from utter extinction. Though Israel revived as a nation under Jeroboam II, it was but for a time, and that after an almost utter destruction previously (Kg2 14:26).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":12,"content":["Therefore--as all chastisements have failed to make thee \"return unto Me.\" \n\nthus will I do unto thee--as I have threatened (Amo 4:2-3). \n\nprepare to meet thy God--God is about to inflict the last and worst judgment on thee, the extinction of thy nationality; consider then what preparation thou canst make for encountering Him as thy foe (Jer 46:14; Luk 14:31-32). But as that would be madness to think of (Isa 27:4; Eze 22:14; Heb 10:31), see what can be done towards mitigating the severity of the coming judgment, by penitence (Isa 27:5; Co1 11:31). This latter exhortation is followed up in Amo 5:4, Amo 5:6, Amo 5:8, Amo 5:14-15.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":13,"content":["The God whom Israel is to \"prepare to meet\" (Amo 4:12) is here described in sublime terms. \n\nwind--not as the Margin, \"spirit.\" The God with whom thou hast to do is the Omnipotent Maker of things seen, such as the stupendous mountains, and of things too subtle to be seen, though of powerful agency, as the \"wind.\" \n\ndeclareth unto man . . . his thought-- (Psa 139:2). Ye think that your secret thoughts escape My cognizance, but I am the searcher of hearts. \n\nmaketh . . . morning darkness-- (Amo 5:8; Amo 8:9). Both literally turning the sunshine into darkness, and figuratively turning the prosperity of the ungodly into sudden adversity (Psa 73:12, Psa 73:18-19; compare Jer 13:16). \n\ntreadeth upon . . . high places--God treadeth down the proud of the earth. He subjects to Him all things however high they be (Mic 1:3). Compare Deu 32:13; Deu 33:29, where the same phrase is used of God's people, elevated by God above every other human height.\n\n\n\n\nNext: Amos Chapter 5\n\n"]}],"introduction":"DENUNCIATION OF ISRAEL'S NOBLES FOR OPPRESSION; AND OF THE WHOLE NATION FOR IDOLATRY; AND FOR THEIR BEING UNREFORMED EVEN BY GOD'S JUDGMENTS: THEREFORE THEY MUST PREPARE FOR THE LAST AND WORST JUDGMENT OF ALL. (Amo 4:1-13)\n\nkine of Bashan--fat and wanton cattle such as the rich pasture of Bashan (east of Jordan, between Hermon and Gilead) was famed for (Deu 32:14; Psa 22:12; Eze 39:18). Figurative for those luxurious nobles mentioned, Amo 3:9-10, Amo 3:12, Amo 3:15. The feminine, kine, or cows, not bulls, expresses their effeminacy. This accounts for masculine forms in the Hebrew being intermixed with feminine; the latter being figurative, the former the real persons meant. \n\nsay to their masters--that is to their king, with whom the princes indulged in potations (Hos 7:5), and whom here they importune for more wine. \"Bring\" is singular, in the Hebrew implying that one \"master\" alone is meant.\n\n"},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/AMO/4.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"AMO","chapter":4},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/AMO/5.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"AMO","chapter":5},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/AMO/3.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"AMO","chapter":3},"numberOfVerses":12}