INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 1 This chapter begins with the general title of the book, in which the author is described by name, and by his condition of life, and by his country, and the time of his prophecy fixed, Amos 1:1. He first foretells a drought in the land of Israel, in the most fruitful places, w... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORDS OF AMOS,.... Not which he spoke of or for himself, but from the Lord; all the prophecies, visions, and revelations made unto him, are intended: WHO WAS AMONG THE HERDSMEN OF TEKOA; which was not in the tribe of Asher, as Kimchi; nor of Zebulun, as Pseudo-Epiphanius i; but in the tribe of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID,.... That is, the Prophet Amos, before described; he, being under divine inspiration, said as follows: THE LORD WILL ROAR FROM ZION, AND UTTER HIS VOICE FROM JERUSALEM; not from Samaria, nor from Dan and Bethel, but from Zion and Jerusalem, where the temple of the Lord stood; and out of... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD,.... Lest it should be thought that the words that Amos spoke were his own, and he spake them of himself, this and the following prophecies are prefaced in this manner; and he begins with the nations near to the people of Israel and Judah, who had greatly afflicted them, and for... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL SEND A FIRE INTO THE HOUSE OF HAZAEL,.... For so doing; into his family, his sons' sons, one of whom perhaps was Rezin, that Tiglathpileser king of Assyria slew, as Aben Ezra observes. This denotes the judgments of God upon his posterity for his cruel usage of the Israelites; and designs... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BREAK ALSO THE BAR OF DAMASCUS,.... Or bars, the singular for the plural, by which the gates of the city were barred; and, being broken, the gates would be easily opened, and way made for the enemy to pass into the city and spoil it; or it may signify the whole strength and all the fortificat... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS OF GAZA,.... The chief city of the Philistines, and put for the whole country, and designs the inhabitants of it: AND FOR FOUR, I WILL NOT TURN AWAY [THE PUNISHMENT] THEREOF; Amos 1:3; BECAUSE THEY CARRIED AWAY CAPTIVE THE WHOLE CAPTIVITY; which canno... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL SEND A FIRE ON THE WALL OF GAZA,.... An enemy that shall pull down and destroy the walls of it: this was fulfilled in the times of Uzziah, under whom Amos prophesied; and very likely in a very short time after this prophecy, who went out and warred against the Philistines, and broke down... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL CUT OFF THE INHABITANTS FROM ASHDOD,.... The same with Azotus, Acts 8:40; another principal city of the Philistines: this perhaps was fulfilled when Tartan was sent against it by Sargon king of Assyria, and took it, Isaiah 20:1; or however in the times of the Maccabees, when Jonathan took it,... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS OF TYRUS,.... Or Tyre, a very ancient city in Palestine; of which Isaiah 23:1; AND FOR FOUR, I WILL NOT TURN AWAY [THE PUNISHMENT] THEREOF; Amos 1:3; BECAUSE THEY DELIVERED UP THE WHOLE CAPTIVITY TO EDOM: such of the Israelites that fell into their h... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL SEND A FIRE ON THE WALL OF TYRUS,.... An enemy to destroy the walls of it: this was done either by Shalmaneser king of the Assyrians, in the times of Eulaeus king of the Tyrians, of whose expedition against it Josephus s makes mention: or by Nebuchadnezzar, who took it after thirteen year... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS OF EDOM,.... Or the Edomites, the posterity of Esau, whose name was Edom, so called from the red pottage he sold his birthright for to his brother Jacob: AND FOR FOUR, I WILL NOT TURN AWAY [THE PUNISHMENT] THEREOF; Amos 1:3. Among these three or four tr... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL SEND A FIRE UPON TEMAN,.... A principal city of Edom or Idumea, so called from Teman a grandson of Esau, Genesis 36:11. Jerom x says there was in his time a village called Theman, five miles distant from the city Petra, and had a Roman garrison; and so says Eusebius y; who places it in Ar... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS OF THE CHILDREN OF AMMON,.... These are the descendants of Benammi, a son of Lots, by one of his daughters, Genesis 19:38; are distinguished from the Ammonites, 2 Chronicles 20:1; were near neighbours of the Jews, but great enemies to them, though akin:... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL KINDLE A FIRE IN THE WALL OF RABBAH,.... Which was the metropolis of the children of Ammon, and their royal city, 2 Samuel 12:26. This is to be understood of an enemy that should destroy it, perhaps Nebuchadnezzar; or of war being kindled and raised in their country; this place being put... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEIR KING SHALL GO INTO CAPTIVITY,.... Not only the common people that are left of the sword shall be carried captive, but their king also. This was, Baalis their last king, who was accessary to the murder of Gedaliah, Jeremiah 40:14; whom the king of Babylon had set over the remnant of the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]