Matthew Poole and continuators on Amos 8:5

5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone , that we may sell corn? and the sabbath that we may set forth wheat , making the ephah small , and the shekel great , and falsifying the balances by deceit .

Ye that could wish there were nothing to interrupt your Marketting, your irreligious impatience, and your eagerness after the world; look on solemn times of Divine Worship as very burthensom, such was the first day of every Moneth, and the weekly sabbath.

No servile work might be done on new Moons, no Markets kept, or Corn brought forth publickly to be sold.

They were also bound very Religiously to observe the Sabbath, and on that day they might not buy or sell, now they are weary of the Sabbath, as of the new Moon, and on the same account with it over,; here was irreligious gaping after gain.

The Ephah was a measure for dry things, and contain'd about half bushel and one pottle English measure. Now these covetous Corn-Merchants measured the Corn they sold by an Ephah that was too little, the poor Buyer had not his due.

They weighed the Money which they received, and these rich men had no more pity and justice, than to make their shekel weight greater than the Standard; so the poor were twice oppressed in the same way, had less than was their right, and paid more than they ought to pay; and thus they undid the poor, and eat him up.

Deceitfully pervert the ballances that the Money or Shekel weighed, though of full weight, yet appeared too light on the ballance, and they who paid it, were forced to add more silver to it.

Marginal references: Heb. open.; Mich. 6.10.; Heb. perverting the ballances of deceit. Hos. 12.7.