Matthew Poole and continuators on Amos 4

1 HEar this word ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria , which oppress the poor , which crush the needy , which say to their masters , bring and let us drink .

Attentively, and consider the consequences of it; weigh both what and whose it is that is spoken.

Prophesie, or sermon of reproof and threatning, Vid. chap. 3. ver. 1. let. a, b, c, d. So Amos bred among Cattel, compares the mighty, proud, wanton, and oppressive Rulers of Israel to those full fed, strong, and wanton Beasts which in the herds did push at, hurt, and disturb the weaker Cattle. Some will by this understand the Court Ladies of Israel in those times; but this perhaps is too nice, though as in Ahab's time Iezabel was at Court, and a promoter of oppression and violence, so there might be in after times some like her, and perhaps these may be intended secondarily, yet surely Amos intends the great Men and Governours whom he calls kine of Bashan, a fruitful Country, of which see Ezek. 39.18. and Nah. 1.4.

In a decorum to his first allusion he calls their places of Power, Authority, and Office in the Kingdom of Israel, Mountains, for as those beasts grazing on Mountains grew fat, so these men by their fees, perquisites and bribes grew insolent and mischievous, Vid. ca[illegible: 1 letter]. 3. ver. 9. let. m.

The meaner sort of the people, the commonalty under their jurisdiction by colour of Law.

By force and open violence break in pieces the afflicted, who have neither power nor friend to relieve them.

Husbands say some, so the Hebr. will bear, or it may refer to some of the greatest Officers in Israel, who had inferiour Officers under them, or the Masters of the poor.

Get us Commission, or bring them into our Court and Office.

We will get by them to feast on, and revel in drink.

This verse is an Introduction to all that follows in this chapter.

2 The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness , that lo the dayes shall come upon you , that he will take you away with hooks , and your posterity with fish-hooks .

I have often told you that God had spoken, now I assure you that the Mighty and Eternal God hath sworn the thing, and you must therefore needs conclude it sure and certain. He hath sworn by his Holiness, by himself, as he is the Holy God, and cannot lye, see Psal. 89.35.

Of darkness, slaughter, famine, desolation and captivity threatned against you.

Oppressours that crush the poor.

God by the Assyrian Army under Salmaneser, nay, before that time you shall be taken, as fish are taken with the hook, during the intestine wars that are coming upon you.

Who now live, and hear the word of Amos and Hosea, but notwithstanding do continue to act the same violence still.

Or Thorns, as the Hebr. with which they did pierce the greater fish, before they had the skill of making Iron darts, as some observe.

The children of these oppressours,

Shall be taken as silly fish, and as easily carried away; The enemy shall with delight ensnare and destroy them.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 letter]er. 16.16. [illegible: 1 span]. 1.15.

3 And ye shall go out at the breaches , every cow at that which is before her , and ye shall cast them into the palace , saith the Lord GOD.

Kine of Bashan, oppressours distressed by the just hand of God, and by the violent hand of your enemy,

endeavour to make your escape by flight.

Which the besieging enemy made in your Walls, when Samaria is besieged.

It shall be an universal flight, and with great consternation, they not able to forecast where the safest, but taking which way is readyest.

Either cast away all the riches and ornaments of your Palaces, or the prey and bribes you had laid up there, or ye shall abandon the Palaces ye dwelt in.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 letter]e shall [illegible: 1 word] away the [illegible: 1 word] of the [illegible: 1 letter]lace.

4 ¶ Come to Beth-el and transgress , at Gilgal multiply transgression ; and bring your sacrifices every morning , and your tithes after three years .

The known place of the Moscholatria, Calf-Worship. See chap. 3. verse 14. let. y.

This clears it to be an Irony, either throwing them up to their obstinate way of sinning, giving them over as hopeless and incorrigible sinners, or deriding their trust and dependence on Idols, to which they sacrificed at Beth-el, see what will be the issue hereof, how you shall succeed herein.

Gilgal was a place also where much Idolatry was acted, vid. Hos. 4.15. and 9.15. and 12.11. Since you will not be warn'd, go on, try whether God likes your Sacrifices there as well as you like them, and whether they will be a means to preserve from judgments, or sins hastening judgments on you.

In the same Irony God doth by Amos express his own displeasure, reprove their sin, and threaten it, though they imitate the Instituted Worship at Ierusalem, Exod. 29.38, 39. Numb. 28.3, 4.

God had Deut. 14.28. commanded every third year that all the tithe of that year should be brought, and laid up in a publick Storehouse to this Law, with the same Irony doth the Prophet allude here.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 letter]eb. three [illegible: 1 word] of days.

5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven , and proclaim and publish the free-offerings ; for this liketh you , O ye children of Israel , saith the Lord GOD .

As all the rest of your will-worship, so this also against the express Law, Lev. 2.11. but yet you will persist in it, and do so at your peril, try whether it end in good to you.

Publickly, frequently and earnestly perswade your people to voluntary Sacrifices, in which you think to please me, but you offer them all to Idols, this your Religion is impiety.

As you invented it, so it pleaseth you, and you will not be reclaimed;

Ye Idolatrous Apostate Israelites,

for these you shall be punisht by the Lord your God.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 letter]eb. offer by [illegible: 1 span].; [illegible: 1 letter]ev. 7.13.; [illegible: 1 letter]eb. so ye [illegible: 1 span]

6 ¶ And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities , and want of bread in all your places : yet have ye not returned unto me , saith the LORD.

The Lord who gave many Blessings to win you to Repentance, hath also tryed what might be done by Judgments.

This is a description of Famine by one effect of it, where meat fails the teeth are not fouled, as where it is eaten.

It was a general famine, and probably 'twas that 2 Kings 8.1. long Famine.

If there were some bread, yet 'twas very scarce every where, this passage explains the former.

Yet this starving people repented not of their Idolatries, nor cast off their Idols; left not their sins of oppression and cruelty, &c. Vid. Ioel 2.12, 13. what you did like returning was partial▪ and hypocritical, and not lasting.

7 And I also have withholden the rain from you , when there were yet three months to the harvest, and I caused it to rain upon one city , and caused it not to rain upon another city : one piece was rained upon , and the piece whereupon it rained not withered .

Your vanities could not, and because ye did so greatly sin against me I would not give you rain, I forbad the Clouds from above, and they thus prohibited did withhold their rain as I threatned, Deut. 28.23, 24,

A[illegible: 1 letter] a season when your Countrey most usually had, and as then it ever did most need, rain, vid. Ioel 2.23. Three months drought then as 'twas unusual in the course of nature, so 'twas an extraordinary curse and punishment on them.

That you might see my hand in it and be instructed, I gave rain to one City.

And withheld rain from the next Neighbor City,

Nay one part of a Field the same field

watered and flourisht.

Another part dry and withered.

All this to con[illegible: 1 letter]ince and turn you.

8 So two or three cities wandred to one city to drink water; but they were not satisfied : yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD .

A certain for an uncertain number.

The places for the inhabitants by an usual Metonymie.

It seems to imply that they travelled at some uncertainty, as they do who wander and rove about.

It is not unlikely but that in the Prophets times the story might be well known and fresh in memory, though here no mention is made of these Cities.

Either that City they went to had not enough for them, or durst not part with it, or though they quencht their thirst, yet because they must return back to their own dry and waterless Cities, or because God withdrew his blessing they were never the better or else not much or long the better.

Vid. ver. 6. let. p.

9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew , when your gardens , and your vineyards , and your fig-trees , and your olive-trees increased the palmer-worm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD .

To other judgments inflicted on you I have added this also, my hand hath been heavy upon you, I have smitten.

The excessive heat and drought have turned your Corn into black and parched smoot or ashes.

A bane to Corn through too much wet, the Seaso[illegible: 2 letters] were extreamly unkind, and all spoiled with it.

About your houses for convenience and pleasure.

Planted for your support and to enrich you, to chear your heart.

Which were excellent, of very great use, and profit in those Countries.

A principal commodity arose from their Olive-yards, all that was for delight, profit and necessary use.

When they were seemingly most fruitful.

Vid. Ioel 1.3.10, 11, 12.

Eat up all as is the manner of that Worm.

Vid. ver. 6. let. p.

Marginal references: Deut. 28.22▪ Hag. 2.17.; Or, the multitude of your gardens, &c. did the palmer-worm, &c.; Joel 2.25.

10 I have sent among you the pestilence , after the manner of Egypt : your young men have I slain with the sword , and have taken away your horses , and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils : yet have you not returned unto me, saith the LORD .

You have died of Plague, but I commissioned the Disease, I [illegible: 1 letter]ent it, and it swept you away in such manner, that any observant eye might have seen the hand of God against you in it, and might have read the Commission.

Arrow of God, that walketh in the dark, that wasteth at noon day.

In which there was somewhat extraordinary, it swept away both Men and Beasts, say some, probably 'twas this Disease which by the stroke of the Angel seised the First-born in Egypt. Others interpret this with particular respect to the Death of them in going down to seek aid of Egypt, or in their return from Egypt, as if the Prophet minded them of many that died on the way to or from Egypt, but the phrase in the way is better rendred by our Translators after the manner.

God was their Enemy and slew their young men the choice of their strength and hope.

In War and by their neighbouring Enemies in Iehoa[illegible: 1 letter]az his time, and Syrians since that too, 2 Kings 13.3. and 15.16. and 19. compared.

Not by Murrain but by what was worse to you by the hand of those who did ride them, and these being slain the Horses were taken by the Enemy, and added to their strength, and your danger.

So great slaughter hath been made in your Camp that there were not sufficient to bury the slain before they stunk and offended you.

Vid. verse 6. let. p.

Marginal references: Or, in the way.; Heb. with the captivity of your horses.

11 I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrha , and ye were as a fire brand pluckt out of the burning , yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

Utterly consumed and destroyed your Houses and Goods.

Though it was a total consumption to those it fell on, yet 'twas but on some who might be warnings to others, and by which others might see how easie 'twas for God to destroy them all.

We no where else read such Fire from Heaven, yet 'tis possible some such judgement might fall on some of their Cities, and not be recorded; but I do rather understand it proverbially spoken, denoting most grievous and desolating Fires, or judgments.

Such of you as escaped were yet in very great danger and as Fire-brands in midst of the Fire, where you were with others burning till infinite mercy saved a remnant, and pluckt you out.

Vid. chap. 4. ver. 6. let. p.

Marginal references: Gen. 19.24, 25. Isa. 13.19. Jer. 49.18.; Zech. 3.2.

12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee , O Israel h: and because I will do this unto thee l, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

Because none of my former methods have succeeded as in reason might have been expected

in some more terrible manner will I now proceed against thee.

If you humble your selves and so return 'twill be mercy to you, but if you proudly and sinfully refuse to return, know ye that you must perish, for you can never make good your cause against God, and yet you must meet him, for he will ere he hath done with you end the controversie.

Who once was thy God, and whom thou still ownest for thy God, and who would yet be thine if thou repent.

You of the ten Tribes. And therefore my last advice to you is to consider it well, if you think well of it possibly you may see and prevent the threatned evil.

13 For lo, he that formeth the mountains , and createth the wind , and declareth unto man, what is his thought , that maketh the morning darkness , and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, the LORD, the God of hosts is his name .

To move them to act for their safety, the Prophet tells them how great and dreadful God is, the most dreadfull and terrible Enemy, but the most desireable Friend.

When there was not a Mountain or Hill, or the least dust of either, thy God O Israel formed them, and it is wisdom to return to him for he can remove difficulties and pressures were they as heavy as Mountains, and so he can mend all with you quickly, and if your confidences in sinful wayes were as strong as Mountains he can overthrow them, return therefore and repent.

Giveth being by an Almighty will.

Which for its instability seems of contrary nature to Mountains, which doth shake them and overturn foundations, that wind which we feel, and hear though we see it not, that makes hideous noises, and works dreadful effects. The Storms you are threatned with O Israel, are like the Wind, dreadful irre[illegible: 3 letters]table, but as the Wind raised and ruled by God, who can soon with one word lay them all asleep, return therefore to him.

Think not by any counsels to prevent what God determines against an impenitent and sinful nation, as his power is infinite in creating, his wisdom is infinite too and unsearchable and he can and will take sinners in their incorrigible wickednesses and punish them, be wise therefore and return to him by Repentance.

Can as easily turn outward prosperity into extream adversity as he can turn a glorious morning into a dark dismall and overclouded day, so will do against you if you repent not, and can turn a cloudy morning into brightness, and misery into happiness if you Repent.

Can tread under foot the Idols that are worshipt on high places of the Earth, and trample on high and mighty Potentates, exalted above ordinary men as highestHills are above lowest valleys.

In this lower World.

Who alone am the Lord the Eternal and mighty God.

Whose soveraign power and command all Creatures obey, and act for or against us as he willeth.

Marginal references: Or, spirit.; chap. 5.8.; Deut. 32.13. & 33.29.