Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Amos 第5章

Amos 5:1. Even a lamentation— This and the following chapter contain a kind of mournful song upon the misfortunes of Israel. See Jer 9:17 and the introduction to the book of Lamentations.

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Amos 5:2. Forsaken, &c.— Cast down, or laid prostrate, &c. The kingdom of Israel, or of the ten tribes, after being carried into captivity, was never more re-established: it never formed a distinct kingdom from that of Judah.

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Amos 5:3. The city that went out by a thousand— "The city which was able to furnish out a thousand men for war, shall have only a hundred of them left. Only one in ten of them shall escape the sword, and other chances of war." This was the exhausted state of Israel, when Salmaneser attacked and took Samaria, and carried them into captivity.

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Amos 5:5. And pass not to Beer-sheba— Beer-sheba was not in the kingdom of Israel; and therefore we may hence collect that it was usual for the Israelites to pass into the kingdom of Judah, to Beer-sheba, and there to use some vain and idolatrous services. This place was remarkable for being the dwelling of Abraham, who planted a grove there for the worship of God; which probably continued, and was abused to the purposes of idolatry. It is immediately after said, that Gilgal and Beth-el shall perish; but not Beer-sheba; because Amos prophesies against the kingdom of Israel, not of Judah, as is plain from the following verse, where he calls them the house of Joseph, or the kingdom of the ten tribes, whereof Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, were the principal.

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Amos 5:7. To wormwood, &c.— Into wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth.

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Amos 5:9. That strengtheneth the spoiled— Who darteth out destruction upon the mighty, and bringeth devastation upon the fortress. Schultens. We need not be surprised to find Amos, who was only a herdsman, speak here of the stars as an astronomer, Amos 5:8. In Arabia, and in the neighbouring countries, to this present day, not only the shepherds, but the men in general, the women and children, know the names of the stars. Sanctius assures us, that the shepherds in Spain know perfectly well the stars of Ursa Major, Orion, the Pleiades, &c. and that they generally measure the time of night by the courses of these stars.

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Amos 5:11. Burdens of wheat— Houbigant's reading is, A pledge, or interest for wheat: "You exact a large and exorbitant interest or price for the necessaries of life."

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Amos 5:12. They afflict the just, &c.— Who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn aside, &c. Houbigant.

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Amos 5:13. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence, &c.— "The prophet who finds that he shall not be heard, and that his remonstrances will not be regarded, shall retire, and keep silence till the Lord commands him to speak." This was the conduct of Amos himself. See chap. Amos 7:12; Amos 7:16. The wise man advises us not to speak before those who will not hear and regard, Sir 32:9 and our Saviour in the Gospel exhorts, not to cast pearl before swine. See Calmet.

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Amos 5:14. As ye have spoken— As ye have desired, Houbigant.

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Amos 5:16. Therefore the Lord, &c.— Certainly the Lord of Hosts hath said, &c. Houbigant. The latter part of the verse may be read, And the husbandman shall call the professed mourners to lamentation and wailing.

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Amos 5:17. For I will pass through thee— "About to avenge mine own injuries; not, as before, sending the pestilence and famine." To the same purpose it is said in the 12th verse of the former chapter, Prepare to meet thy God.

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Amos 5:18. Woe unto you, &c.— Woe unto them that wish for the day of the Lord. And why? To you the day of the Lord will be, &c. Infidels made a mock at the words of the prophets, when they told them the day of the Lord was at hand; and from a principle of unbelief expressed a desire of seeing this day, that they might be convinced of the truth of such predictions by ocular demonstrations. Amos goes on in very strong terms to inform them that this day would be in no respect desirable to them, as it would be attended with extreme terrors and evils.

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Amos 5:21. Feast-days— Sacrifices.

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Amos 5:26. And Chiun your images— And the image of our idols. Houbigant; who understands the word כיון chiun to be an appellative, and not a proper name in this place. The LXX for Chiun read Ραιφαν, Raiphan, and St. Stephen, Acts 7:43. Ρεμφαν, Remphan, or, as some copies read, Ραφαν, or Ρεφαν. Parkhurst is of opinion, that Chiun and Remphan are two words very properly expressive of one and the same god. Learned men have generally supposed that the Arabian or Canaanitish כיון chiun, answers to the Greek Chronos, and the Roman Saturn: an opinion not a little confirmed by the attributes given to Chronos, in the Orphic hymn addressed to that idol. He is there called the ever-blooming father of gods and men. He is said to subdue or consume all things, and again to renew them. The attributes of universal parent of the world,—fructifier [Βλαστημα ] of earth and heaven, and several other remarkable epithets are assigned to him. We meet with an idol of the same kind, and almost of the same nature as Chiun, among the West-Indian philosophers: the Peruvians relate, "That a man of extraordinary shape, whose name was Choun, and whose body had neither bones nor muscles, came from the north into their country: that he levelled mountains, filled up valleys, and opened himself a passage through the most inaccessible places: and that this Choun created the first inhabitants of Peru, giving them herbs and wild fruits of the field for their sustenance." They also relate, that "this first founder of Peru, having been injured by some savages who inhabited the plains, changed part of the ground which before had been very fruitful, into sand; forbad the rain to fall, and dried up the plants: but, being afterwards moved with compassion, he opened the springs, and suffered the rivers to flow. This Choun was worshipped as a god, till such time as Pachacamac came from the South." See Religious Ceremonies, &c. vol. 3: p. 199 and Parkhurst's Lexicon on the word כיון.

See commentary on Amo 5:25

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