Matthew Poole and continuators on Amos 2

1 THus saith the LORD, For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof : because he burnt the bones of the king of Edom into lime .

In this form the Prophet began, chap. 1. verse 4. which see. Here he doth threaten a Nation of some Kin to Israel, &c. as was Ammon, and almost as much an enemy; they appeared early enemies to Israel, and took most wicked wayes to ruin Israel, first hired Balaam to curse them, Numb. 22.23. when this did not succeed, he next acts a vile part, and by lewd harlots draws Israel to sin, Numb. 25.1, 2. &c. that so he might do against sinful Israel, what could not be done against innocent Israel. Moab also was the second oppressour of Israel, who for their sins were delivered into the hands of Eglon King of Moab, who opprest them eighteen years, Iudg. 3.14. for which, and other hostile carriages they are here threatned, yet their inhumane cruelty to Edom's King is only ezprest, the other hostilities to Israel are implyed.

The King of Moab who particularly this was, is not here, nor elsewhere mentioned, though some say 'twas Mesha, and refer this to 2 Kings 3.4. yet 'tis not very likely that this was the King, who acted such cruelty.

It had been barbarous to have burnt the Flesh and Nerves of an enemy, but to make the fire so hot, and continue it so long as to burn bones into ashes, is much more barbarous.

This somewhat aggravates the cruelty, he was no common man, but a King, who was so used, his name, the time when 'twas done, whether 'twere some King alive or dead, and his bones dig'd up, is not mentioned, but every way 'twas barbarous, though 'twere done to bones dig'd out of the Grave, as some conjecture.

Or ashes, calcin'd the bones, reduced them by fire into fine dust, and (as others conjecture) used these ashes instead of lime to plaister the walls and roofs of his Palace, and this was done in hatred and contempt of the King of Edom.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 15.1. [illegible: 1 word] 48.1. [illegible: 1 word]. 25.8. [illegible: 1 word] 2.8.

2 But I will send a fire f upon Moab , and it shall devour the palaces of Kirioth , and Moab shall dye with tumult , with shouting , and with the sound of the trumpet .

Some think, but I know not on what ground, that there was a City of this name, and meant here, but on better reason we conclude it to be the whole Country, or by a Metonymie the people, who were the posterity of Lot by his elder Daughter.

Vid. verse 4. let. l. m.

A strong and principal City of this Country, or the Cities, so the word will bear, and then the threat is against all their Cities.

The Moabites, all sorts and ranks of them.

Be destroyed, and perish utterly.

Such as Souldiers in fight or assaults make, when they carry all by force, bearing down all opposition, and sla[illegible: 1 letter]ing all opposers, with that rigour which in such cases is very usual.

As Conquerours shout to the end they may dishearten the enemy, and animate their fellow Souldiers.

This added partly to explain, and partly to confirm what the Prophet had foretold.

Vid. chap. 1. verse 4. let. h. i.

3 And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof , and will slay all the princes thereof with him , saith the LORD .

By the sword of the enemy.

The Governour, i. e. every one of them; the singular being put for the plural, to intimate the destruction of all of them.

Either of Kirioth the Metropolis, or of every City in which were Judges appointed to govern, and minister Justice to the people; and these should be cut off in these Cities, and in the midst of their Government.

Either by Birth, or by Office, or by excellent endowments, the chief among the Moabitish people.

With the supream Governour before threatned, let. p.

Noting to us the certainty of the thing, the irrevocable sentence past upon Moab, its King, Princes and Judges, who being cut off, the people must needs perish, and come to nothing.

Marginal references: Num. 24.17.

4 ¶ Thus saith the LORD, For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof , because they have despised the law of the LORD , and have not kept his commandments , and their lies caused them to err , after the which their fathers have walked .

God hath in the former verses threatned the enemies of his people, for their outrages against his people; now he does threaten his people for their obstinacy in reiterated sins, vid. chap. 4. verse 3. let. z. a. c.

First slighted it as if no excellency were in it, and next rejected it, as if 'twere not worthy of their observance; thus they refused with an abhorrence and detestation,

the whole Law, partly by their immoralities and transgressions against the just commands of it, and partly by their false Worship and Idolatry: That Law which was given with so much majesty and terrour on Mount Sinai; from which they should not have departed either to the Right-hand, or to the Left; that Law which was perfect, holy and useful, with which no fault could be justly found. So much the greater were their sins, because committed against so clear, full, and pure a Law;

i. e. They have greatly violated, as the Hebr. phrase importeth, Neh. 9.34. Dan. 9.5, 10, 11.

Idols which are a lye, whether commended to them by their false Prophets, or chosen according to their own humour and phansie; all their false Superstitious and Idolatrous Worship.

Their Idolatry was first their errour, and this blinded them, made them more sottish and brutish, which was partly from the natural tendency of this sin, and partly from the just judgment of God, Rom. 1.24. and 2 Thes. 2.10.11, 12.

Idols or lies.

First in Vz of the Chaldees, before Abraham was called, afterwards in Egypt, the Wilderness, and in the land of Canaan it self.

Successively, one Generation after another, Idolatry and Superstition, and will-worship have been old hereditary sins, and now shall be punisht.

5 But I will send a fire upon Judah , and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem .

Vid. chap. 1. verse 4. let. h. i.

In the Kingdom of the two Tribes, Benjamin is to be included with Iudah, as elsewhere hath been already often observed.

Vid. chap. 1. ver. 4. let. l. m.

The chief City of Iudahs Kingdom, the City of God, where was the Temple of God, and where were the seats of Judicature; the Holy City, but now to be destroy'd for its sins, as well as other incorrigible Nations. Now this was fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar, about 200 years after this Prophesie of Amos.

6 ¶ Thus saith the LORD, For three transgressions of Israel , and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof: because they sold the righteous for silver , and the poor for a pair of shoes .

Vid. chap. 1. ver. 3. let. z, a.

The Kingdom of the Ten Tribes under the Government of Ieroboam the second at this time, against which the Prophet was chiefly sent, though he began with Syria and others, by the threats against which Nations he prepared both Iudah and Israel to hearken and consider.

Vid. chap. 1. ver. 3. let. c.

Those who by the appointment of the Law had power to hear, and decide causes between man and man; Judges and Witnesses like the corrupt Judges;

for bribes were their aim, and they would at any time sell Justice to the highest bidder.

The Innocent, or those who had a just and righteous cause, for the Prophet here speaks of the justness of the cause, not of the exact justice, or absolute righteousness of the person.

Money was the most current and prevailing commodity with these Judges, but moneys-worth would do the seat too, if money were out of the way.

When poor men went to law with poor men before these Judges, and the thing they contended for was of small value, the contenders too had light purses, and could not give a considerable bribe;

a very poor bribe exprest here proverbially, would sway with these Judges, who gaped still after somewhat of Gain from all.

Marginal references: chap. 8.6.

7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor , and turn aside the way of the meek : and a man, and his father, will go in unto the same maid to profane my holy name .

Or swallow up, as the word is most frequently turned by our Interpreters, and so perhaps more plainly is their cruelty and violence set forth, in that they make a prey of the poor who walk with dust on their heads by reason of distresses that are upon them, and without any compassion towards them greedily, and as at once swallow up and devour the poor whom by the Law of God, and the Office they bear (as Judges) they should deliver out of the hand of the oppressor.

Perver[illegible: 1 letter]ely, and maliciously misinterpret the Actions, Words, and Designs of the humble and meek; of the compassionate and merciful who pity the poor in these streights and dangers.

These corrupt Judges, and violent oppressours are also shameless Adulterers and Fornicators; they commit that lewdness which the better tutor'd Heathens abhor and forbear; a kind of incestuous pollution; the Father and Son keep the same Harlot, and go in unto her.

Thus they profanely dishonour me by casting off my Law, and doing that which is so shamefully undecent, and unlawful; and giving Heathens occasion to blaspheme my Name, and either think, or say, like people, like God.

Marginal references: Or, young women.

8 And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge , by every altar , and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their God .

The Iews of old did not, as we, sit upright at the feasts, and meals, but in a posture of greater ease did lean, or ly on one side, so here they lay themselves down, i. e. put themselves in a feasting posture,

of which the Law had expresly said, none should detain them all night, Deut. 24.12, 13.

Impudent sinners, who dare thus before the Altar where they suppose that God is present, bring their crying inexcusable oppressions; and feast in sacred places, on sacred viands with bloody minds and oppressive practices; and seek mercy from God when they shew no mercy to the poor.

To compleat their wickedness, they offer their drink offerings in Wine which they bought with the fines and pecuniary mulcts laid on the innocent and guiltless, and thus rejoyce in their violence whilest God hates robbery for a burnt-offering.

Marginal references: Exod. 22.26.; Or, such as have fi[illegible: 1 letter]ed, or, [illegible: 2 letters]lcted.

9 ¶ Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them , whose height was like the height of the cedars , and he was strong as the oaks , yet I destroy'd his fruit from above , and his roots from beneath .

Whom they have ungratefully forgotten and forsaken, and set up Idols in competition with me; nay cast off my Law and Worship, and embrac'd Idolatry, worshipt Idols that never could do them good, nor destroy their Enemies, this they did after I had destroyed their Enemies.

The mightiest Nation of all the Canaanites, and therefore expresly mentioned as instance of God's great mercy, and Israels great ingratitude; by this Nation mention'd all the rest of Canaanitish Nations are to be understood. These Amorites dwelt beyond Iordan, between that and Moab and their Land fell by lot unto Reuben, Gad, and half Tribe of Manasseh.

The Children of Israel under the conduct of Moses, Deut. 2.24. &c. and 3.1. to ver. 14. at the very sight of whom these mighty men fled, for God had struck them with-a terrour that they might not stand before Israel.

This is a proverbial speech, and sets out the Amorites, exceeding ordinary men in statute as much as the Cedar exceeds ordinary trees in height.

Another proverbial speech denoting their great strength above the strength of other men,

utterly rooted them out,

trees propagated by Fruit are diminisht, by destroying the Fruit which is the seed of them, so God cut off the children of the Amorites, and thereby prevented all succession.

This refers to the destroying the old standards, that present generation; this last clause refers to the command God gave, Deut. 7.2.

The Amorites were men of largest size, they were of the race of the Giants, Numb. 13.32, 33.

Marginal references: Num. 21.24. Deut. 2.31. Iosh. 24.8.; Num. 13.28, 32, 33.

10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt , and led you fourty years through the wilderness to possess the land of the Amorite .

You did not rescue your selves out of the hands of your Enemies I did in meer mercy with a mighty arm save, and rescue you, and brought you out

where you were oppressed servants, and exposed to ruin

As a shepherd leads his flock, nay, miraculously conducting by the Pillar of a Cloud, and Fire, and feeding with Manna from Heaven.

Reckoning from their coming out of Egypt,

they passed through many Wildernesses named in Scripture according as they were then called, but all these lay so contiguous each to other, that they all made up one great Wilderness, as the many names given to parts of the Sea make us know what particular part is spoken of, but all make one Sea.

As an Heir possesseth that he hath an hereditary right to,

including all the rest of the accursed, and dispossessed Nations.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 paragraph]

11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets , and of your young men for Nazarites . Is it not even thus , O! ye children of Israel ? saith the LORD .

Gave prophetick endowments, stirred up their minds, commissioned them to prophesie, and carried them through by an undaunted courage given to them that they should not fear to set upon, or faint in attending to their office.

Did not employ strangers whose Affections you might with some colour of reason suspect, but your own Sons, whose affections to you and to their own Countrey are unquestionable, were sent Prophets to tell you of your sins, to foretel your dangers, and to importune you to repent of your sins, and to prevent your dangers.

Though that Age be generally inclin'd to please their own fancies, to walk after the sight of their Eyes, Eccles. 11.9. yet did God change the mind of some of them in their youth, and inclin'd them to eminency in Religion, to be examples to others;

which were religious persons under vow bound to a very sober, abstemious, and holy life; either for some certain limited time, or for their whole Life; see Numb. 6.1, 2, &c. These were hot to drink any strong or intoxicating Liquors.

God appeals to them in this matter whether he had not done this for them, given Prophets to teach them, and Nazarites to be examples to them, in both which God shewed his love and care of them.

Apostatised Israel, you of the ten Tribes.

This added to excite them to serious pondering what is said to them.

12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets , saying, Prophesie not .

For whose benefit both Nazarites and Prophets were raised, you who should have heard their word, and imitated their Example.

Importun'd, urged, or it may be (as is custom of excessive drinkers) forced them to drink Wine, to violate their vow, and contemn Gods Law too, Numb. 6.3, 4.

By this passage it appears that they were men in Authority who did this; it is not probable that mean persons who had no Authority would enjoin silence on the Prophets, Isa. 30.10. cap. 7.13. Mic. 2.6. it is evident Amaziab was chief Priest in Bethel, and by vertue of his jurisdiction there silenceth the Prophet.

The true, faithful, and plain-dealing Prophets, who rebuked their sins, required them to repent, and threatned judgments if they did not repent.

Vid. Isa. 30.10. Mit. 2.6, 11. and cap. 7.13.

13 Behold , I am pressed under you as a card is pressed that is full of sheaves .

Hitherto the Lord by the Prophet had declared the sins of the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, now he is about to pronounce judgment against them; he calls for their attention, and diligent weighing what he is about to speak.

The Lord who have so multiplyed mercies to this people;

some read this passage actively, and make this the sense, I will load you with these judgments as a Cart is loaded, and you shall cry and groan under these judgments, as a Cart heavy-loaded makes a noise in its motion under such pressures.

Perhaps sheaves, the loading of a Harvest season, are mentioned to intimate the ripeness of their sins, and Gods reaping them, or cutting them down by his judgments, and carrying them together to be threshed by further judgments.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 span]

14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift o, and the strong shall not strengthen his force , neither shall the mighty deliver himself.

Because they first loaded God with their sins, and now he loads them with punishments, no way of escape shall be left:

Natural strength of body shall not deliver.

Such, though they might do more than weaker men, yet shall not save themselves, for they shall not know how to use their strength, they shall want courage to do it;

the valiant, and man of greatest courage shall not be able to deliver himself, his courage shall fail.

Not by swiftness of Foot flying from the Judgments, for their Enemies shall be swifter than they, Isa. 30.16.

Marginal references: Heb. his soul, [illegible: 1 letter]ife.

15 Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow , and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself , neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.

Though at distance from the Enemies, yet shall not dare to keep his place.

Much used in the Wars of those times, and used by strong and valiant men, but now both strength and valour should fail, Israels bow-men.

This is the same, and explains that in the 14th verse let. o.

Here the Prophet foretels that the swiftness of the Horse which some will make use of shall as little avail, nor his strength joyn'd with his speed shall deliver the Rider; Neither the strength of the Horse shall carry him through, nor his swiftness carry him away from the hand of the pursuer.

16 And he that is couragious among the mighty , shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD .

A description of the most famous Warriours amongst Israel, such as were known for valour among the mighty and valiant ones, like David's Worthies, such as had the heart of a Lion.

Either without his clothes and furniture, or without his Weapons and Arms which were cast away to expedite his flight.

When God will by the Assyrians under the conduct of Tiglath-Pilneser first, and finally under the conduct of Salmaneser, straiten these sinners, and besiege them in their Cities.

All confirm'd under the seal of Heaven.

This verse is not a bare repetition of what he had said before, to confirm it, but he doth foretel an inevitable ruin to those who were the most likely to escape, and a most shameful manner of flight.

Marginal references: Heb. strong of [illegible: 1 letter]eart.