Matthew Poole and continuators on Amos 5:11

11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor , and ye take from him burdens of wheat ; ye have built houses of hewen stone , but ye shall not dwell in them : ye have planted pleasant vineyards , but ye shall not drink wine of them .

Their oppression was more then ordinarily proud and tyrannous, exprest here by treading. It was very heavy on the poor, an effect of fraud, and executed with tyrannical insolence, as the word, and its Paraphrase imports.

Who have not power to withstand your violence, nor money to buy your friendship.

Receive when offered, and ye force them to offer, you extort from the poor.

Great quantities of best Wheat, on which the poor should live, either making bread of it to feed them, or else making money of it to serve other oc[illegible: 1 letter]asions. It is not said what burthen, but probably as much as the poor man was able to carry.

Perhaps these corrupt Judges had built for their children; so one greedy and ravenous Judge might build as many houses as he had Sons, or these Judges being many had built many houses.

Intimating the greatness, beauty and strength of them, and they flatter themselves, that they and their posterity shall long dwell at [illegible: 1 letter]ase, and multiply in these goodly houses.

You by oppression build, but God will by his just hand, and by the Assyrians violence, turn you out of those houses, and make you captives in a land where your enemies please to carry you, you shall find that Deut. 28.30. fulfilled on you,

Most desireable for scituation, for fruitfulness, for sweetness and goodness of the Grape; every way delightful.

Either they shall not bear, or the enemy shall devour, or you shall be carried away into captivity. The threat Deut. 28.39. shall be executed:

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 1.13. [illegible: 1 word] 1.6.; [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] of des[illegible: 1 letter]r[illegible: 1 letter].