1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
3 Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7 Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.
8 The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.
9 And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.
10 And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD.
11 For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.
12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:
13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?
14 But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.
1 Woe H1945 to them that are at ease H7600 in Zion, H6726 and trust H982 in the mountain H2022 of Samaria, H8111 which are named H5344 chief H7225 of the nations, H1471 to whom the house H1004 of Israel H3478 came! H935
2 Pass H5674 ye unto Calneh, H3641 and see; H7200 and from thence go H3212 ye to Hamath H2574 the great: H7227 H2579 then go down H3381 to Gath H1661 of the Philistines: H6430 be they better H2896 than these kingdoms? H4467 or their border H1366 greater H7227 than your border? H1366
3 Ye that put far away H5077 the evil H7451 day, H3117 and cause the seat H7675 of violence H2555 to come near; H5066
4 That lie H7901 upon beds H4296 of ivory, H8127 and stretch H5628 themselves upon their couches, H6210 and eat H398 the lambs H3733 out of the flock, H6629 and the calves H5695 out of the midst H8432 of the stall; H4770
5 That chant H6527 to the sound H6310 of the viol, H5035 and invent H2803 to themselves instruments H3627 of musick, H7892 like David; H1732
6 That drink H8354 wine H3196 in bowls, H4219 and anoint H4886 themselves with the chief H7225 ointments: H8081 but they are not grieved H2470 for the affliction H7667 of Joseph. H3130
7 Therefore now shall they go captive H1540 with the first H7218 that go captive, H1540 and the banquet H4797 of them that stretched H5628 themselves shall be removed. H5493
8 The Lord H136 GOD H3069 hath sworn H7650 by himself, H5315 saith H5002 the LORD H3068 the God H430 of hosts, H6635 I abhor H8374 the excellency H1347 of Jacob, H3290 and hate H8130 his palaces: H759 therefore will I deliver up H5462 the city H5892 with all that is therein. H4393
9 And it shall come to pass, if there remain H3498 ten H6235 men H582 in one H259 house, H1004 that they shall die. H4191
10 And a man's uncle H1730 shall take him up, H5375 and he that burneth H5635 him, to bring out H3318 the bones H6106 out of the house, H1004 and shall say H559 unto him that is by the sides H3411 of the house, H1004 Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, H559 No. H657 Then shall he say, H559 Hold thy tongue: H2013 for we may not make mention H2142 of the name H8034 of the LORD. H3068
11 For, behold, the LORD H3068 commandeth, H6680 and he will smite H5221 the great H1419 house H1004 with breaches, H7447 and the little H6996 house H1004 with clefts. H1233
12 Shall horses H5483 run H7323 upon the rock? H5553 will one plow H2790 there with oxen? H1241 for ye have turned H2015 judgment H4941 into gall, H7219 and the fruit H6529 of righteousness H6666 into hemlock: H3939
13 Ye which rejoice H8056 in a thing H1697 of nought, H3808 which say, H559 Have we not taken H3947 to us horns H7161 by our own strength? H2392
14 But, behold, I will raise up H6965 against you a nation, H1471 O house H1004 of Israel, H3478 saith H5002 the LORD H3068 the God H430 of hosts; H6635 and they shall afflict H3905 you from the entering in H935 of Hemath H2574 unto the river H5158 of the wilderness. H6160
1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and to them that are secure in the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!
2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines: are they better than these kingdoms? or is their border greater than your border?
3 -ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
5 that sing idle songs to the sound of the viol; that invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;
6 that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7 Therefore shall they now go captive with the first that go captive; and the revelry of them that stretched themselves shall pass away.
8 The Lord Jehovah hath sworn by himself, saith Jehovah, the God of hosts: I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces; therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.
9 And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.
10 And when a man's uncle shall take him up, even he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is in the innermost parts of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No; then shall he say, Hold thy peace; for we may not make mention of the name of Jehovah.
11 For, behold, Jehovah commandeth, and the great house shall be smitten with breaches, and the little house with clefts.
12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow `there' with oxen? that ye have turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood;
13 ye that rejoice in a thing of nought, that say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?
14 For, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah, the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entrance of Hamath unto the brook of the Arabah.
1 Wo `to' those secure in Zion, And those confident in the mount of Samaria, The marked of the chief of the nations, And come to them have the house of Israel.
2 Pass ye over `to' Calneh and see, And go thence `to' Hamath the great, And go down `to' Gath of the Philistines, Are `they' better than these kingdoms? Greater `is' their border than your border?
3 Who are putting away the day of evil, And ye bring nigh the seat of violence,
4 Who are lying down on beds of ivory, And are spread out on their couches, And are eating lambs from the flock, And calves from the midst of the stall,
5 Who are taking part according to the psaltery, Like David they invented for themselves instruments of music;
6 Who are drinking with bowls of wine, And `with' chief perfumes anoint `themselves', And have not been pained for the breach of Joseph.
7 Therefore now they remove at the head of the captives, And turned aside is the mourning-feast of stretched-out ones.
8 Sworn hath the Lord Jehovah by Himself, An affirmation of Jehovah, God of Hosts: I am abominating the excellency of Jacob, And his high places I have hated, And I have delivered up the city and its fulness.
9 And if there are left ten persons in one house, It hath come to pass -- that they have died.
10 And lifted him up hath his loved one, even his burner, To bring forth the bones from the house, And he said to him who `is' in the sides of the house, `Is there yet with thee?' And he said, `None,' then he said, `Hush! Save to make mention of the name of Jehovah.'
11 For lo, Jehovah is commanding, And He hath smitten the great house `with' breaches, And the little house `with' clefts.
12 Do horses run on a rock? Doth one plough `it' with oxen? For ye have turned to gall judgment, And the fruit of righteousness to wormwood.
13 O ye who are rejoicing at nothing, Who are saying, `Have we not by our strength taken to ourselves horns?'
14 Surely, lo, I am raising against you a nation, O house of Israel, An affirmation of Jehovah, God of Hosts, And they have oppressed you from the coming in to Hamath, Unto the stream of the desert.
1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion and that are secure in the mountain of Samaria, the renowned of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come.
2 Pass unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go to Hamath the great; and go down to Gath of the Philistines: are they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
3 Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves from the midst of the stall;
5 that chant to the sound of the lute, [and] invent them instruments of music, like David;
6 that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments; but are not grieved for the breach of Joseph.
7 Therefore shall they now go captive, with the first that go captive, and the revelry of them that stretched themselves shall pass away.
8 The Lord Jehovah hath sworn by himself, saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces; and I will deliver up the city with all that is therein.
9 And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.
10 And a man's uncle, and he that should burn him, shall take him up to bring out the bones from the house, and shall say unto him that is in the inner parts of the house, Is there yet [any] with thee? and he shall say, None. And he will say, Silence! for we may not make mention of Jehovah's name.
11 For behold, Jehovah commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.
12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will [men] plough [thereon] with oxen? For ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,
13 -- ye that rejoice in a thing of nought, that say, Have we not taken to us power by our own strength?
14 For behold, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah the God of hosts, I will raise up against you a nation; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hamath unto the torrent of the Arabah.
1 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, And to those who are secure on the mountain of Samaria, The notable men of the chief of the nations, To whom the house of Israel come!
2 Go to Calneh, and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their border greater than your border?
3 Those who put far away the evil day, And cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 Who lie on beds of ivory, And stretch themselves on their couches, And eat the lambs out of the flock, And the calves out of the midst of the stall;
5 Who strum on the strings of a harp; Who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;
6 Who drink wine in bowls, And anoint themselves with the best oils; But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7 Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive; And the feasting and lounging will end.
8 "The Lord Yahweh has sworn by himself," says Yahweh, the God of hosts: "I abhor the pride of Jacob, And detest his fortresses. Therefore I will deliver up the city with all that is in it.
9 It will happen, if there remain ten men in one house, That they shall die.
10 "When a man's relative carries him, even he who burns him, to bring bodies out of the house, and asks him who is in the innermost parts of the house, 'Is there yet any with you?' And he says, 'No;' then he will say, 'Hush! Indeed we must not mention the name of Yahweh.'
11 "For, behold, Yahweh commands, and the great house will be smashed to pieces, And the little house into bits.
12 Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison, And the fruit of righteousness into bitterness;
13 You who rejoice in a thing of nothing, who say, 'Haven't we taken for ourselves horns by our own strength?'
14 For, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, house of Israel," Says Yahweh, the God of hosts; "And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah."
1 Sorrow to those who are resting in comfort in Zion, and to those who have no fear of danger in the mountain of Samaria, the noted men of the chief of the nations, to whom the people of Israel come!
2 Go on to Calneh and see; and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines: are you better than these kingdoms? or is your land wider than theirs?
3 You who put far away the evil day, causing the rule of the violent to come near;
4 Who are resting on beds of ivory, stretched out on soft seats, feasting on lambs from the flock and young oxen from the cattle-house;
5 Making foolish songs to the sound of corded instruments, and designing for themselves instruments of music, like David;
6 Drinking wine in basins, rubbing themselves with the best oils; but they have no grief for the destruction of Joseph.
7 So now they will go away prisoners with the first of those who are made prisoners, and the loud cry of those who were stretched out will come to an end.
8 The Lord God has taken an oath by himself, says the Lord, the God of armies: the pride of Jacob is disgusting to me, and I have hate for his great houses: so I will give up the town with everything in it.
9 Then it will come about that if there are still ten men in a house, death will overtake them.
10 And when a man's relation, even the one who is responsible for burning his body, lifting him up to take his bones out of the house, says to him who is in the inmost part of the house, Is there still anyone with you? and he says, No; then he will say, Keep quiet, for the name of the Lord may not be named.
11 For see, at the order of the Lord the great house will be full of cracks and the little house will be broken.
12 Is it possible for horses to go running on the rock? may the sea be ploughed with oxen? for the right to be turned by you into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into a bitter plant?
13 You whose joy is in a thing of no value, who say, Have we not taken for ourselves horns by the strength which is ours?
14 For see, I will send against you a nation, O Israel, says the Lord, the God of armies, ruling you cruelly from the way into Hamath as far as the stream of the Arabah.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Amos 6
Commentary on Amos 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
Am 6:1-14. Denunciation of Both the Sister Nations (Especially Their Nobles) For Wanton Security—Zion, as Well as Samaria: Threat of the Exile: Ruin of Their Palaces and Slaughter of the People: Their Perverse Injustice.
1. named chief of the nations—that is, you nobles, so eminent in influence, that your names are celebrated among the chief nations [Ludovicus De Dieu]. Hebrew, "Men designated by name among the first-fruits of the nations," that is, men of note in Israel, the people chosen by God as first of the nations (Ex 19:5; compare Nu 24:20) [Piscator].
to whom … Israel came—that is, the princes to whom the Israelites used to repair for the decision of controversies, recognizing their authority [Maurer]. I prefer to refer "which" to the antecedent "Zion" and "Samaria"; these were esteemed "chief" strongholds among the heathen nations "to whom … Israel came" when it entered Canaan; Am 6:2 accords with this.
2. Calneh—on the east bank of the Tigris. Once powerful, but recently subjugated by Assyria (Isa 10:9; about 794 B.C.).
Hameth—subjugated by Jeroboam II (2Ki 14:25). Also by Assyria subsequently (2Ki 18:34). Compare Am 6:14.
Gath—subjugated by Uzziah (2Ch 26:6).
be they better—no. Their so recent subjugation renders it needless for Me to tell you they are not. And yet they once were; still they could not defend themselves against the enemy. How vain, then, your secure confidence in the strength of Mounts Zion and Samaria! He takes cities respectively east, north, south, and west of Israel (compare Na 3:8).
3. Ye persuade yourselves that "the evil day" foretold by the prophets is "far off," though they declare it near (Eze 12:22, 27). Ye in your imagination put it far off, and therefore bring near violent oppression, suffering it to sit enthroned, as it were, among you (Ps 94:20). The notion of judgment being far off has always been an incentive to the sinner's recklessness of living (Ec 8:12, 13; Mt 24:48). Yet that very recklessness brings near the evil day which he puts far off. "Ye bring on fever by your intemperance, and yet would put it far off" [Calvin].
4. (See Am 2:8).
beds of ivory—that is, adorned, or inlaid, with ivory (Am 3:15).
stretch themselves—in luxurious self-indulgence.
lambs out of the flock—picked out as the choicest, for their owners' selfish gratification.
5. chant—literally, "mark distinct sounds and tones."
viol—the lyre, or lute.
invent … instruments … like David—They fancy they equal David in musical skill (1Ch 23:5; Ne 12:36). They defend their luxurious passion for music by his example: forgetting that he pursued this study when at peace and free from danger, and that for the praise of God; but they pursue for their own self-gratification, and that when God is angry and ruin is imminent.
6. drink … in bowls—in the large vessels or basins in which wine was mixed; not satisfied with the smaller cups from which it was ordinarily drunk, after having been poured from the large mixer.
chief ointments—that is, the most costly: not for health or cleanliness, but wanton luxury.
not grieved for the affliction of Joseph—literally, "the breach," that is, the national wound or calamity (Ps 60:2; Eze 34:4) of the house of Joseph (Am 5:6); resembling in this the heartlessness of their forefathers, the sons of Jacob, towards Joseph, "eating bread" while their brother lay in the pit, and then selling him to Ishmaelites.
7. Therefore … shall they go captive with the first—As they were first among the people in rank (Am 6:1), and anointed themselves "with the chief ointments" (Am 6:6), so shall they be among the foremost in going into captivity.
banquet—literally, the "merry-making shout of revellers"; from an Arabic root, "to cry out." In the Hebrew, marzeach; here, there is an allusion to mizraqu, "bowls" (Am 6:6).
them that stretched themselves—on luxurious couches (Am 6:4).
8. the excellency of Jacob—(Ps 47:4). The sanctuary which was the great glory of the covenant-people [Vatablus], (Eze 24:21). The priesthood, and kingdom, and dignity, conferred on them by God. These, saith God, are of no account in My eyes towards averting punishment [Calvin].
hate his palaces—as being the storehouses of "robbery" (Am 3:10, 15). How sad a change from God's love of Zion's gates (Ps 87:2) and palaces (Ps 48:3, 13), owing to the people's sin!
the city—collectively: both Zion and Samaria (Am 6:1).
all that is therein—literally, "its fulness"; the multitude of men and of riches in it (compare Ps 24:1).
9. If as many as ten (Le 26:26; Zec 8:23) remain in a house (a rare case, and only in the scattered villages, as there will be scarcely a house in which the enemy will leave any), they shall all, to a man, die of the plague, a frequent concomitant of war in the East (Jer 24:10; 44:13; Eze 6:11).
10. a man's uncle—The nearest relatives had the duty of burying the dead (Ge 25:9; 35:29; Jud 16:31). No nearer relative was left of this man than an uncle.
and he that burneth him—the uncle, who is also at the same time the one that burneth him (one of the "ten," Am 6:9). Burial was the usual Hebrew mode of disposing of their dead. But in cases of necessity, as when the men of Jabesh-gilead took the bodies of Saul and his three sons from the walls of Beth-shan and burned them to save them from being insulted by the Philistines, burning was practised. So in this case, to prevent contagion.
the bones—that is, the dead body (Ge 50:25). Perhaps here there is an allusion in the phrase to the emaciated condition of the body, which was little else but skin and bones.
say unto him that is by the sides of the house—that is, to the only one left of the ten in the interior of the house [Maurer] (compare Note, see on Isa 14:13).
Hold thy tongue … we may not … mention … the Lord—After receiving the reply, that none is left besides the one addressed, when the man outside fancies the man still surviving inside to be on the point, as was customary, of expressing devout gratitude to God who spared him, the man outside interrupts him, "Hold thy tongue! for there is not now cause for mentioning with praise (Jos 23:7) the name of Jehovah"; for thou also must die; as all the ten are to die to the last man (Am 6:9; compare Am 8:3). Formerly ye boasted in the name of Jehovah, as if ye were His peculiar people; now ye shall be silent and shudder at His name, as hostile to you, and as one from whom ye wish to be hidden (Re 6:16), [Calvin].
11. commandeth, and he will smite—His word of command, when once given, cannot but be fulfilled (Isa 55:11). His mere word is enough to smite with destruction.
great house … little house—He will spare none, great or small (Am 3:15). Jerome interprets "the great house" as Israel, and "the small house" as Judah: the former being reduced to branches or ruins, literally, "small drops"; the latter, though injured with "clefts" or rents, which threaten its fall, yet still permitted to stand.
12. In turning "judgment (justice) into gall (poison), and … righteousness into hemlock" (or wormwood, bitter and noxious), ye act as perversely as if one were to make "horses run upon the rock" or to "plough with oxen there" [Maurer]. As horses and oxen are useless on a rock, so ye are incapable of fulfilling justice [Grotius]. Ye impede the course of God's benefits, because ye are as it were a hard rock on which His favor cannot run. "Those that will not be tilled as fields, shall be abandoned as rocks" [Calvin].
13. rejoice in a thing of naught—that is, in your vain and fleeting riches.
Have we not taken to us horns—that is, acquired power, so as to conquer our neighbors (2Ki 14:25). Horns are the Hebrew symbol of power, being the instrument of strength in many animals (Ps 75:10).
14. from the entering in of Hamath—the point of entrance for an invading army (as Assyria) into Israel from the north; specified here, as Hamath had been just before subjugated by Jeroboam II (Am 6:2). Do not glory in your recently acquired city, for it shall be the starting-point for the foe to afflict you. How sad the contrast to the feast of Solomon attended by a congregation from this same Hamath, the most northern boundary of Israel, to the Nile, the river of Egypt, the most southern boundary!
unto the river of the wilderness—that is, to Kedron, which empties itself into the north bay of the Dead Sea below Jericho (2Ch 28:15), the southern boundary of the ten tribes (2Ki 14:25, "from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain") [Maurer]. To the river Nile, which skirts the Arabian wilderness and separates Egypt from Canaan [Grotius]. If this verse includes Judah, as well as Israel (compare Am 6:1, "Zion" and "Samaria"), Grotius' view is correct; and it agrees with 1Ki 8:65.