Amos
Verse 1. Lamentation. Such canticles were usual. Isaiah 14.—Israel. It no longer formed a separate kingdom. Calmet.—When the people fear no evil, God laments for them. Worthington.
EXPLANATIONS
Amos 5
Historical chapter commentary
Amos
Verse 3. City, before ( Calmet.) or after the captivity. It required a long time to fill the cities as they had been. Bible.—When the Assyrians invaded the country, it was greatly reduced. Calmet.
Amos
Verse 5. Bethel, … Galgal, … Bersabee. The places where they worshipped their idols. Challoner.—They had all been honoured by the patriarchs. Bersabee had belonged to Juda under Achab. 3 Kennicott. 19:3. But it was originally in the tribe of Simeon, and Jeroboam II. recovered all that had been lost. 4 Kennicott. 14:25. Calmet.—Unprofitable. Hebrew leaven, “for vanity,” ( Bible.) Bethaven.
Amos
Verse 6. Joseph. His two grandchildren gave name to the principle tribes of the kingdom.—Bethel. Septuagint “Israel,” which seems preferable. Calmet.—Yet Bethel may stand, as it denotes the apostate Israelites.
Amos
Verse 7. You. Septuagint “the Lord, [God] who does judgment on high, and has placed justice on the earth; (8) who maketh and transformeth all things, and turneth,” and so forth Bible.—Hebrew agrees with the Vulg. Calmet.
Amos
Verse 8. Arcturus and Orion. Arcturus is a bright star in the north, Orion a beautiful constellation in the south. Challoner.—Shepherds in Arabia and Spain are well acquainted with the stars. Calmet.—We have examined the meaning of cima and cesil, Job 9:9 and 38:31. S. Jerom’s master asserts that the latter means “efflugence.” Cima is rendered the Pleiades by Aquila and Th.; “the seven stars,” by Prot. Bible.—When such allusions to the heathen mythology occur, they give no sanction to it, but serve to explain what is meant. Saint Jerome—Morning, affording comfort. Calmet. 4:13.—Earth, by floods ( Calmet.) or rain. Saint Jerome
Amos
Verse 9. With a smile. That is, with all ease, and without making any effort. Challoner.—Aquila has “grinning,” to shew displeasure. Saint Jerome—Hebrew “he strengthens the oppressor against the strong,” so that those whom he pleases to chastise cannot escape.
Amos
Verse 10. They, the wicked, could not endure Amos, (Calmet. 7:12) nor those who rebuked them.
Amos
Verse 12. Grievous. Hebrew also, “numerous.”
Amos
Verse 13. Time. It is to no purpose speaking to the deaf, (Sirach 32:9) or throwing pearls before swine. Matthew 7:6. Amos was silent for a while, till God opened his mouth again. Calmet. 3:8 and 7:12.
Amos
Verse 14. Said. Probably Amaias took occasion, from the flourishing state of the kingdom, to assert that the Lord approved of their conduct. Calmet.
Amos
Verse 15. May be. God will not be wanting on his side. But this implies that man may find a difficulty in seeking good, and neglect to do it, though he may if he please, with God’s assistance. Worthington.—Remnant. Posterity. Calmet.
Amos
Verse 16. Lament. Such hired mourners often seemed more grieved than those who were really affected. Hor. art. All were invited to join in the common sorrow. Jeremiah 9:17 and 48:31.
Amos
Verse 18. The day. Some imprudently laughed at the prophets. Isaiah 5:19. Jeremiah 17:15. Others wished for the coming of the Lord, not reflecting that he would punish their guilt. Calmet.—Thus, many through impatience, desire to die. We must rather, repent, and leave our lives at God’s disposal. Saint Jerome
Amos
Verse 19. Serpent. All his attempts would thus proved abortive. The Israelites were not ruined by Phul, or by Theglathphalassar. But the serpent, ( Bible.) Salmanasar, came and took them in their own houses. 4 Kennicott. 17:7. Calmet.
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Verse 21. Festivities. Some were still observed. Calmet. 4:4.
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Verse 22. Vows. Hebrew “peace-offerings of your mercies;” a sort of oxen. 2 Kennicott. 6:13 and 3 Kennicott. 1:9. Septuagint “the salvation of your appearance,” or what you offer for your welfare.
Amos
Verse 23. Harp. Praise ill becomes the sinner. Sirach 15:9. Psalms 49:17.
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Verse 24. Mighty. Hebrew “Ethan.” Let your virtue appear, or the greatest miseries will shortly overwhelm you. Calmet.
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Verse 25. Did you offer, and so forth Except the sacrifices that were offered at the first, in the dedication of the tabernacle, the Israelites offered no sacrifices in the desert. Challoner.—They ceased after the beginning of the second year. Saint Augustine q. 47 in Ex. Leviticus 7. and so forth Worthington.—God did not require sacrifices when the people came out of Egypt. Jeremiah 7:22. Deuteronomy 12:8. They were not performed so regularly in the desert, ( Calmet.) and the people still bore a secret affection for idols, (verse 26) which rendered all their victims useless. Bible.
Amos
Verse 26. A tabernacle, and so forth All this alludes to the idolatry which they committed, when they were drawn away by the daughters of Moab to the worship of their gods. Numbers 25. Challoner.—They imitated the superstitions of Egypt, and bore the image of Osiris, adorned with a star and crescent, on a sort of base, under a canopy. Hebrew “You carried the tents of your king and the base of your statues, the star of your gods, which you have made for yourselves.” Septuagint by changing ( Calmet.) ciun in Rephan, or ραιφαν, ( Bible.) have caused great confusion among commentators. If any change were requisite, ( Calmet.) cima ( Bible.) would be preferable. verse 8. Job 9:9. Yet the Hebrew seems to be correct, and chiun denotes a pedestal rather than an idol. Some read Kevan, the Saturn of the Arabs, and so forth and think that Rephan has been mistaken for it. The only difficulty is the authority of S. Stephen, who follows the Septuagint Acts 7:43. Yet he probably spoke in Syriac, and might pronounce Chevan; though Saint Luke might adopt the Septuagint in a matter of so little consequence. Calmet. Diss.—This decision may not probably give satisfaction to those who reflect that both these authors were under the immediate influence of the Holy Ghost, and that if an error had crept into the copy of the Septuagint he would have corrected it. Truth is always of sufficient consequence. See Kennicott, Diss. ii. p. 344. Bible.—Chiun and Rephan are “expressive of the same” god or idol, representing the machine of the heavens. The people of Peru worshipped Choun. Parkhurst, p. 137.—Remvan may be Remmon, (4 Kennicott. 6:18) or Saturn. Grot.—In a Coptic alphabet of the planets it is thus explained: (De Dieu. Collier. Dict. Septuagint and Acts) “You have taken the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your Rempham, figures,” and so forth Prot. marg. “the Siccuth, your king, and Chiun, your images, the star,” and so forth Bible.
Amos
Verse 27. Damacus, or Babylon, (Acts 7) into Mesopotamia, and so forth The sense is the same. Calmet.—When the apostles quote passages, “they do not consider the words but the sense.” Saint Jerome—One Greek copy, however, has Damascus in the Acts. Bible.