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Amos 4:9 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

9 I have smitten H5221 you with blasting H7711 and mildew: H3420 when your gardens H1593 and your vineyards H3754 and your fig trees H8384 and your olive trees H2132 increased, H7235 the palmerworm H1501 devoured H398 them: yet have ye not returned H7725 unto me, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068

Cross Reference

Deuteronomy 28:22 STRONG

The LORD H3068 shall smite H5221 thee with a consumption, H7829 and with a fever, H6920 and with an inflammation, H1816 and with an extreme burning, H2746 and with the sword, H2719 and with blasting, H7711 and with mildew; H3420 and they shall pursue H7291 thee until thou perish. H6

Haggai 2:17 STRONG

I smote H5221 you with blasting H7711 and with mildew H3420 and with hail H1259 in all the labours H4639 of your hands; H3027 yet ye turned not to me, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068

Joel 1:4 STRONG

That which the palmerworm H1501 hath left H3499 hath the locust H697 eaten; H398 and that which the locust H697 hath left H3499 hath the cankerworm H3218 eaten; H398 and that which the cankerworm H3218 hath left H3499 hath the caterpiller H2625 eaten. H398

Amos 4:6 STRONG

And I also have given H5414 you cleanness H5356 of teeth H8127 in all your cities, H5892 and want H2640 of bread H3899 in all your places: H4725 yet have ye not returned H7725 unto me, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068

Amos 7:1-2 STRONG

Thus hath the Lord H136 GOD H3069 shewed H7200 unto me; and, behold, he formed H3335 grasshoppers H1462 in the beginning H8462 of the shooting up H5927 of the latter growth; H3954 and, lo, it was the latter growth H3954 after H310 the king's H4428 mowings. H1488 And it came to pass, that when they had made an end H3615 of eating H398 the grass H6212 of the land, H776 then I said, H559 O Lord H136 GOD, H3069 forgive, H5545 I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob H3290 arise? H6965 for he is small. H6996

Deuteronomy 28:42 STRONG

All thy trees H6086 and fruit H6529 of thy land H127 shall the locust H6767 consume. H3423

1 Kings 8:37 STRONG

If there be in the land H776 famine, H7458 if there be pestilence, H1698 blasting, H7711 mildew, H3420 locust, H697 or if there be caterpiller; H2625 if their enemy H341 besiege H6887 them in the land H776 of their cities; H8179 whatsoever plague, H5061 whatsoever sickness H4245 there be;

2 Chronicles 6:28 STRONG

If there be dearth H7458 in the land, H776 if there be pestilence, H1698 if there be blasting, H7711 or mildew, H3420 locusts, H697 or caterpillers; H2625 if their enemies H341 besiege H6887 them in the cities H8179 of their land; H776 whatsoever sore H5061 or whatsoever sickness H4245 there be:

Job 36:8-13 STRONG

And if they be bound H631 in fetters, H2131 and be holden H3920 in cords H2256 of affliction; H6040 Then he sheweth H5046 them their work, H6467 and their transgressions H6588 that they have exceeded. H1396 He openeth H1540 also their ear H241 to discipline, H4148 and commandeth H559 that they return H7725 from iniquity. H205 If they obey H8085 and serve H5647 him, they shall spend H3615 their days H3117 in prosperity, H2896 and their years H8141 in pleasures. H5273 But if they obey H8085 not, they shall perish H5674 by the sword, H7973 and they shall die H1478 without knowledge. H1847 But the hypocrites H2611 in heart H3820 heap up H7760 wrath: H639 they cry H7768 not when he bindeth H631 them.

Isaiah 1:5 STRONG

Why should ye be stricken H5221 any more? ye will revolt H5627 more and more: H3254 the whole head H7218 is sick, H2483 and the whole heart H3824 faint. H1742

Isaiah 42:24-25 STRONG

Who gave H5414 Jacob H3290 for a spoil, H4933 H4882 and Israel H3478 to the robbers? H962 did not the LORD, H3068 he against whom H2098 we have sinned? H2398 for they would H14 not walk H1980 in his ways, H1870 neither were they obedient H8085 unto his law. H8451 Therefore he hath poured H8210 upon him the fury H2534 of his anger, H639 and the strength H5807 of battle: H4421 and it hath set him on fire H3857 round about, H5439 yet he knew H3045 not; and it burned H1197 him, yet he laid H7760 it not to heart. H3820

Jeremiah 3:10 STRONG

And yet for all this her treacherous H901 sister H269 Judah H3063 hath not turned H7725 unto me with her whole heart, H3820 but feignedly, H8267 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068

Jeremiah 5:3 STRONG

O LORD, H3068 are not thine eyes H5869 upon the truth? H530 thou hast stricken H5221 them, but they have not grieved; H2342 thou hast consumed H3615 them, but they have refused H3985 to receive H3947 correction: H4148 they have made their faces H6440 harder H2388 than a rock; H5553 they have refused H3985 to return. H7725

Joel 1:7 STRONG

He hath laid H7760 my vine H1612 waste, H8047 and barked H7111 my fig tree: H8384 he hath made it clean H2834 bare, H2834 and cast it away; H7993 the branches H8299 thereof are made white. H3835

Joel 2:25 STRONG

And I will restore H7999 to you the years H8141 that the locust H697 hath eaten, H398 the cankerworm, H3218 and the caterpiller, H2625 and the palmerworm, H1501 my great H1419 army H2428 which I sent H7971 among you.

Amos 4:8 STRONG

So two H8147 or three H7969 cities H5892 wandered H5128 unto one H259 city, H5892 to drink H8354 water; H4325 but they were not satisfied: H7646 yet have ye not returned H7725 unto me, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068

Commentary on Amos 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 4

Am 4:1-13. 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.

1. kine of Bashan—fat and wanton cattle such as the rich pasture of Bashan (east of Jordan, between Hermon and Gilead) was famed for (De 32:14; Ps 22:12; Eze 39:18). Figurative for those luxurious nobles mentioned, Am 3:9, 10, 12, 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.

say to their masters—that is, to their king, with whom the princes indulged in potations (Ho 7:5), and whom here they importune for more wine. "Bring" is singular, in the Hebrew implying that one "master" alone is meant.

2. The Lord—the same Hebrew as "masters" (Am 4:1). Israel's nobles say to their master or lord, Bring us drink: but "the Lord" of him and them "hath sworn," &c.

by his holiness—which binds Him to punish the guilty (Ps 89:35).

he will take yon away—that is God by the instrumentality of the enemy.

with hooks—literally, "thorns" (compare 2Ch 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 (2Ki 19:28), as is to be seen in the Assyrian remains.

3. go out at the breaches—namely, of the city walls broken by the enemy.

every cow at that which is before her—figurative for the once luxurious nobles (compare "kine of Bashan," Am 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.

ye shall cast them into the palace—"them," that is, "your posterity," from Am 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 (Am 3:10, 15; 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, 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 (Am 3:10).

4. 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.

Beth-el—(Am 3:14).

Gilgal—(Ho 4:15; 9:15; 12:11).

sacrifices every morning—as commanded in the law (Nu 28:3, 4). They imitated the letter, while violating by calf-worship the spirit, of the Jerusalem temple-worship.

after 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 Le 25:20; Jud 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 (Ge 29:14, Margin; Nu 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 (De 14:28; 26:12).

5. 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 (Le 2:1, 2, 8-11). Though unleavened cakes were to accompany the peace offering sacrifice of animals, leavened bread was also commanded (Le 7:12, 13), but not as a "meat offering" (Le 2:11).

this liketh you—that is, this is what ye like.

6-11. 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; Ho 7:10); the monotonous repetition of the same burden marking their pitiable obstinacy.

cleanness of teeth—explained by the parallel, "want of bread." The famine alluded to is that mentioned in 2Ki 8:1 [Grotius]. Where there is no food to masticate, the teeth are free from uncleanness, but it is the cleanness of want. Compare Pr 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.

7. 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 (Ho 6:3; Joe 2:23). The drought meant is that mentioned in 1Ki 17:1 [Grotius].

rain upon one city … not … upon another—Any rain that fell was only partial.

8. three cities wandered—that is, the inhabitants of three cities (compare Jer 14:1-6). Grotius explains this verse and Am 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].

9. blasting—the blighting influence of the east wind on the corn (Ge 41:6).

when … gardens … increased—In vain ye multiplied your gardens, &c., for I destroyed their produce. Bochart supports Margin, "the multitude of your gardens."

palmer 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], (Ex 10:13).

10. pestilence after the manner of Egypt—such as I formerly sent on the Egyptians (Ex 9:3, 8, &c.; Ex 12:29; De 28:27, 60). Compare the same phrase, Isa 10:24.

have 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 2Ki 13:7).

stink of your camps—that is, of your slain men (compare Isa 34:3; Joe 2:20).

to come up unto your nostrils—The Hebrew is more emphatic, "to come up, and that unto your nostrils."

11. some of you—some parts of your territory.

as God overthrew Sodom—(De 29:23; Isa 13:19; Jer 49:18; 50:40; 2Pe 2:6; Jude 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 (Am 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, De 28:15-68, with Am 4:6-11 here.

as a firebrand plucked out of … burning—(Compare Isa 7:4; Zec 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 (2Ki 14:26).

12. Therefore—as all chastisements have failed to make thee "return unto Me."

thus will I do unto thee—as I have threatened (Am 4:2, 3).

prepare 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; Lu 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; 1Co 11:31). This latter exhortation is followed up in Am 5:4, 6, 8, 14, 15.

13. The God whom Israel is to "prepare to meet" (Am 4:12) is here described in sublime terms.

wind—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."

declareth unto man … his thought—(Ps 139:2). Ye think that your secret thoughts escape My cognizance, but I am the searcher of hearts.

maketh … morning darkness—(Am 5:8; 8:9). Both literally turning the sunshine into darkness, and figuratively turning the prosperity of the ungodly into sudden adversity (Ps 73:12, 18, 19; compare Jer 13:16).

treadeth 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 De 32:13; 33:29, where the same phrase is used of God's people, elevated by God above every other human height.