1
Am 4:1-13.
英文原文
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.
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無標題
2. 主耶和華——與“主子”
（摩4:1）
是同一個希伯來文字。
以色列的首領對他們的主子說：拿酒來。但“主”自己和他們，已經起誓等等。
指著自己的聖潔起誓——聖潔約束祂去刑罰有罪的人
（詩89:35）。
人必用鉤子將你們鉤去——即神借仇敵之手行事。
鉤子——字面作“刺”（參
代下33:11）。
正如魚被鉤子從水中拉出，照樣以色列人也要被仇敵從他們的城中拉走
（結29:4；
參
伯41:1、2； 耶16:16； 哈1:15）。
這比喻尤為貼切，因為古時俘虜被征服者用穿過鼻子的鉤子牽著走
（王下19:28），
這在亞述的遺物中仍可見到。
英文原文
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.
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3. 從破口出去——即從被仇敵打破的城牆破口出去。
各母牛前後直走——是比喻從前奢靡的首領（參“巴珊的母牛”，
摩4:1），
各人要徑直前行；不從城門出去，卻各從自己面前的破口出去，不偏左右，彼此離散。
你們把他們扔入宮殿——“他們”即“你們的後裔”，源自
摩4:2。
你們自己卻從破口逃出，因已把你們的小孩扔入宮殿，免得看見他們被毀滅，自己也可更快逃脫。更恰當地說：“你們自己要被扔入宮殿”，好從那裡逃出城外[加爾文（Calvin）]。宮殿——首領們放縱宴樂之處
（摩3:10、15；4:1）——
將淪為可恥逃亡之地。參耶路撒冷被攻取時相似的事例：王從宮殿借城牆的破口逃走
（結12:5、12）。
革色尼烏（Gesenius）譯作：“你們必被擄到（仇敵的）堅固城”；按此觀點，仇敵的堅固城被稱為“宮殿”，作為對以色列首領之“宮殿”——他們搶奪之物的倉庫
（摩3:10）——
的報應對比。
英文原文
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).
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無標題
4. 神任憑他們憑己意拜偶像，好讓他們看見偶像何等無力拯救他們脫離將臨的災禍。如
結20:39。
伯特利——
（摩3:14）。
吉甲——
（何4:15；9:15；12:11）。
每日早晨獻祭——如律法所吩咐
（民28:3、4）。
他們效法了字句，卻因拜牛犢違背了耶路撒冷聖殿敬拜的精意。
三年一次——每第三年；字面作“三年（的日子的）日子之後”（即日數完整的一年，或一年）；“三個整年之後”。參
利25:20； 士17:10，
以及以“日子”代年，
珥1:2。
照樣，一個月的日子用來表示一整月，一日不缺
（創29:14，
旁註；
民11:20、21）。
以色列人此處也照字面遵守律法，每第三年把土產的十分之一拿來
（申14:28；26:12）。
英文原文
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).
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無標題
5. 獻——字面作“燒香”；即“獻上感恩祭，連同焚燒的香和有酵的餅”。乳香放在素祭之上，由祭司從中取出，燒在壇上
（利2:1、2、8-11）。
雖然無酵餅要陪同牲畜的平安祭同獻，有酵的餅也是律法所吩咐的
（利7:12、13），
卻不可作為“素祭”
（利2:11）。
這是你們所愛的——即這正是你們所喜好的。
英文原文
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.
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無標題
6-11. 耶和華逐一細述祂為挽回他們而降的諸般責罰，但每次都加上同樣悲哀的結果：“你們仍不歸向我”
（賽9:13； 耶5:3； 何7:10）；
這單調重複的同一負擔，正顯出他們可悲的頑梗。
牙齒乾淨——由平行的“缺乏糧食”解釋。所指的饑荒，就是
王下8:1
所記的[格勞修斯（Grotius）]。沒有食物可咀嚼，牙齒就沒有汙穢；但這乃是缺乏之淨。參
箴14:4，
“牛圈裡沒有牛，槽頭是乾淨的。”屬靈上也是如此，凡是外表光鮮潔淨之處，往往是因為沒有實在的信仰。寧可帶著爭戰和恐懼而有真實的敬虔，勝過沒有屬靈生命而有的太平與體面的秩序。
英文原文
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.
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無標題
7. 收割的前三月不降雨——即最需要雨水、通常降“春雨”之時，即在春天，二月下旬以及整個三月和四月
（何6:3； 珥2:23）。
所指的旱災即
王上17:1
所記的[格勞修斯（Grotius）]。
降雨在這城……不降在那城——所降的雨只是區域性的。
英文原文
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.
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無標題
8. 三座城邑往來——即三座城的居民（參
耶14:1-6）。
格勞修斯（Grotius）如此解釋本節和
摩4:7：
“雨水降在鄰邦，卻不降在以色列，可見這旱災並非偶然，而是神特意的審判。”以色列人被迫離城離家，到遠處尋找水喝[加爾文（Calvin）]。
英文原文
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].
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無標題
9. 旱風——東風對莊稼的損害
（創41:6）。
當……菜園……增多——你們無論怎樣增多菜園等等，都屬徒然，因為我已毀滅了它們的出產。波查特（Bochart）支援旁註：“你們菜園的眾多。”
蝗蟲——此處所指的蝗蟲locust之一類，侵害樹上的果子，不害草木或莊稼。帶來旱災、旱風和黴爛的同一東風，也把蝗蟲帶入猶大[波查特（Bochart）]，
（出10:13）。
英文原文
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).
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無標題
10. 像埃及的瘟疫——即我從前降在埃及人身上的瘟疫
（出9:3、8等；出12:29； 申28:27、60）。
參同樣的短語， 賽10:24。
奪去你們的馬匹——字面作“伴隨著你們馬匹的被擄”；我已將你們的少年人交於刀劍，把他們的馬匹交於仇敵之手（參
王下13:7）。
營中的臭氣——即你們被殺之人的臭氣（參
賽34:3； 珥2:20）。
上到你們的鼻孔——希伯來文更為有力：“上而且上到你們的鼻孔。”
英文原文
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."
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無標題
11. 你們中間一部分人——即你們地土的一部分。
如神傾覆所多瑪——
（申29:23； 賽13:19； 耶49:18；50:40； 彼後2:6； 猶7）。
希伯來文常以“神”代替“我”。此處顯然所指的地震，並非烏西雅年間那次，那是“兩年”之後才發生的
（摩1:1）。
巴勒斯坦各地遍佈地震和火山活動的痕跡。此處所指，是這些活動在以往所造成的某些後果。參預言
申28:15-68，
與這裡的
摩4:6-11
對照。
像從火中抽出來的一根柴——（參
賽7:4； 亞3:2）。
這短語是死裡逃生、幾乎滅絕的比喻。以色列雖在耶羅波安二世治下再度復興為國，卻不過是暫時的，而且是在此前幾乎全然毀滅之後
（王下14:26）。
英文原文
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).
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無標題
12. 所以——既一切責罰都不能使你“歸向我”。
我必如此待你——正如我所威嚇的
（摩4:2、3）。
你當預備迎見你的神——神即將降下最後的、最嚴厲的審判——你的國家要被滅絕；那麼你當思想，你既以祂為仇敵，能作何準備來迎見祂
（耶46:14； 路14:31、32）。
但這樣想簡直是瘋狂
（賽27:4； 結22:14； 來10:31），
所以當看看能借著悔改減輕將臨審判之嚴厲的程度
（賽27:5； 林前11:31）。
後一個勸勉在
摩5:4、6、8、14、15
中得以延續。
英文原文
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.
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無標題
13. 以色列所當“預備迎見”的神
（摩4:12），
在此以崇高的語言加以描述。
風——不是如旁註的“靈”。你所需面對的神，是無所不能的造物主，祂造可見之物，如巍峨的群山；也造太微妙而不能看見、卻大有能力執行之物，如“風”。
將心意指示人——
（詩139:2）。
你們以為你們隱秘的心思能逃過我的鑑察，我卻鑑察人心。
使晨光變為幽暗——
（摩5:8；8:9）。
既指字面上使日頭變為黑暗，也指比喻上使不敬虔者的興旺忽然變為災禍
（詩73:12、18、19；
參
耶13:16）。
踹……高處——神踹下地上的驕傲人。無論事物多高，祂都使之服在祂之下
（彌1:3）。
參
申32:13；33:29，
那裡同樣的短語用於神的百姓，指神把他們高舉過於一切屬人的高度。
英文原文
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.
摩4:1-13。
斥責以色列首領的欺壓， 以及全國的拜偶像； 並責備他們雖經神的審判， 仍不悔改歸正： 因此他們必須預備迎接 那最大、最嚴厲的審判。
1. 巴珊的母牛——肥壯而放蕩的母牛，正如巴珊（約旦河以東，黑門山與基列之間）那豐美的牧場所產
（申32:14； 詩22:12； 結39:18）。
是對那些奢華貴族的比喻，見
摩3:9、10、12、15。
用陰性的母牛而非公牛，正表明他們的嬌奢淫佚。這也解釋了希伯來文中陽性形式與陰性形式交替出現的原因；陰性是比喻，陽性才是所指的真實人物。
對他們的主子說——即對他們的王說，因為首領們與王一同縱情飲酒
（何7:5），
此處更向他強索更多的酒。「拿酒來」在希伯來文中是單數，暗示所指的「主子」只有一位。