John Trapp on Amos 8:14

Verſe 14. They that ſwear by the ſin of Samaria] i. e. by the calfe ſet up at Bethel, not farre from Samaria. This calfe is called the ſin or guilt of Samaria, Eſa. 40.6, 7. to ſhew the abomination of it; for which cauſe alſo Paul cals it ſinful ſin, Rom. 7.13. as not finding for it a worſe Epithite: and Antichriſt for like cauſe he calleth That man of ſin, 2 Theſſ. 2, 3. to note him Merum ſcelus, ſaith Beza, meerly made up of ſin. Now to ſwear by this of Samaria, was to deifie it: to ſwear by any thing beſides the true God, is to forſake him, Jer. 5.7. which is an hateful wickedneſſe, Jer. 2.12, 13. as in Papiſts who familiarly ſwear by their Hee-Saints, and She-Saints; and ſo ſacrilegiouſly transferre upon the creature that which pertaineth to God alone.

and ſay, Thy god, O Dan, liveth,] God onely liveth, to ſpeak properly, 1 Tim. 6.17. but to ſay that Dan's Deunculus lived, (being no better then a dumb and dead idol) and to ſweat by the life of it,Spec. Eur[illegible: 1 letter]p. (as the Spaniards do now in the pride of their Monarchy, by the life of their king) this is horrible impiety. As for that of Abigail to David, 1 Sam. 25.26. Now therefore my Lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy ſoul liveth, the former was an oath, the latter was not an oath, but an aſſeveration or obteſtation onely, conjoyned with an oath.

and the manner of Beerſheba liveth] that is, the formes and rites of worſhipping in Beerſheba (another neſt of idolatry, Chap. 5.5. and Hoſ. 10.13.) as the Chaldee paraphraſeth it. Durandus hath written the Romiſh Ritual, the way of worſhip uſed in that Synagogue of Satan: Mercer rendreth it, Vivet peregrinatio Beerſeba, the way or paſſage of Beerſeba liveth. Beerſeba had an idol, and was the way to Dan and Bethel: hence this ſuperſtitious oath drawn out to the full length, By the ſin of Samaria, by the god of Dan, and by the manner of Beerſheba: like as the great Turk Mahomet promiſing his ſouldiers the ſpoyle of Conſtantinople for three dayes together, if they could win it, for confirmation of his oath ſolemnly ſwore by the immortal God, and by the four hundred Prophets, by Mahomet, by his fathers ſoul, by his own children,Turk. hiſt. 345. and by the ſword wherewith he was girt, faithfully to perform whatſoever he had to them in his proclamation promiſed.

even they ſhall fall and never riſe up again] Fall, fatally, ferally, irrecoverably, as old Eli did when his neck was broken, but firſt his heart. The ten tribes for their idolatry and contempt of the word never returned out of captivity. From the famine foretold what could follow but irreparable ruine, though for a time they might flouriſh, See Prov. 29.1. with the note. Of that ſpiritual famine let us be moſt impatient, and ſay as Luther did, I would not live in Paradiſe without the word: but with it I could make a ſhift to live in hell it ſelf.