4 But I will send H7971 a fire H784 into the house H1004 of Hazael, H2371 which shall devour H398 the palaces H759 of Benhadad. H1130
And Elisha H477 came H935 to Damascus; H1834 and Benhadad H1130 the king H4428 of Syria H758 was sick; H2470 and it was told H5046 him, saying, H559 The man H376 of God H430 is come H935 hither. H2008 And the king H4428 said H559 unto Hazael, H2371 Take H3947 a present H4503 in thine hand, H3027 and go, H3212 meet H7125 the man H376 of God, H430 and enquire H1875 of the LORD H3068 by him, saying, H559 Shall I recover H2421 of this disease? H2483 So Hazael H2371 went H3212 to meet H7125 him, and took H3947 a present H4503 with him, H3027 even of every good thing H2898 of Damascus, H1834 forty H705 camels' H1581 burden, H4853 and came H935 and stood H5975 before H6440 him, and said, H559 Thy son H1121 Benhadad H1130 king H4428 of Syria H758 hath sent H7971 me to thee, saying, H559 Shall I recover H2421 of this disease? H2483 And Elisha H477 said H559 unto him, Go, H3212 say H559 unto him, Thou mayest certainly H2421 recover: H2421 howbeit the LORD H3068 hath shewed H7200 me that he shall surely H4191 die. H4191 And he settled H5975 his countenance H6440 stedfastly, H7760 until he was ashamed: H954 and the man H376 of God H430 wept. H1058 And Hazael H2371 said, H559 Why weepeth H1058 my lord? H113 And he answered, H559 Because I know H3045 the evil H7451 that thou wilt do H6213 unto the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 their strong holds H4013 wilt thou set H7971 on fire, H784 and their young men H970 wilt thou slay H2026 with the sword, H2719 and wilt dash H7376 their children, H5768 and rip up H1234 their women with child. H2030 And Hazael H2371 said, H559 But what, is thy servant H5650 a dog, H3611 that he should do H6213 this great H1419 thing? H1697 And Elisha H477 answered, H559 The LORD H3068 hath shewed H7200 me that thou shalt be king H4428 over Syria. H758 So he departed H3212 from Elisha, H477 and came H935 to his master; H113 who said H559 to him, What said H559 Elisha H477 to thee? And he answered, H559 He told H559 me that thou shouldest surely H2421 recover. H2421 And it came to pass on the morrow, H4283 that he took H3947 a thick cloth, H4346 and dipped H2881 it in water, H4325 and spread H6566 it on his face, H6440 so that he died: H4191 and Hazael H2371 reigned H4427 in his stead.
If ye then have dealt H6213 truly H571 and sincerely H8549 with Jerubbaal H3378 and with his house H1004 this day, H3117 then rejoice H8055 ye in Abimelech, H40 and let him also rejoice H8055 in you: But if not, let fire H784 come out H3318 from Abimelech, H40 and devour H398 the men H1167 of Shechem, H7927 and the house H1004 of Millo; H4407 H1037 and let fire H784 come out H3318 from the men H1167 of Shechem, H7927 and from the house H1004 of Millo, H4407 H1037 and devour H398 Abimelech. H40
And Benhadad H1130 the king H4428 of Syria H758 gathered H6908 all his host H2428 together: H6908 and there were thirty H7970 and two H8147 kings H4428 with him, and horses, H5483 and chariots: H7393 and he went up H5927 and besieged H6696 Samaria, H8111 and warred H3898 against it. And he sent H7971 messengers H4397 to Ahab H256 king H4428 of Israel H3478 into the city, H5892 and said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 Benhadad, H1130 Thy silver H3701 and thy gold H2091 is mine; thy wives H802 also and thy children, H1121 even the goodliest, H2896 are mine. And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 answered H6030 and said, H559 My lord, H113 O king, H4428 according to thy saying, H1697 I am thine, and all that I have. And the messengers H4397 came again, H7725 and said, H559 Thus speaketh H559 Benhadad, H1130 saying, H559 Although I have sent H7971 unto thee, saying, H559 Thou shalt deliver H5414 me thy silver, H3701 and thy gold, H2091 and thy wives, H802 and thy children; H1121 Yet I will send H7971 my servants H5650 unto thee to morrow H4279 about this time, H6256 and they shall search H2664 thine house, H1004 and the houses H1004 of thy servants; H5650 and it shall be, H1961 that whatsoever is pleasant H4261 in thine eyes, H5869 they shall put H7760 it in their hand, H3027 and take it away. H3947 Then the king H4428 of Israel H3478 called H7121 all the elders H2205 of the land, H776 and said, H559 Mark, H3045 I pray you, and see H7200 how this man seeketh H1245 mischief: H7451 for he sent H7971 unto me for my wives, H802 and for my children, H1121 and for my silver, H3701 and for my gold; H2091 and I denied H4513 him not. And all the elders H2205 and all the people H5971 said H559 unto him, Hearken H8085 not unto him, nor consent. H14 Wherefore he said H559 unto the messengers H4397 of Benhadad, H1130 Tell H559 my lord H113 the king, H4428 All that thou didst send H7971 for to thy servant H5650 at the first H7223 I will do: H6213 but this thing H1697 I may H3201 not do. H6213 And the messengers H4397 departed, H3212 and brought H7725 him word H1697 again. H7725 And Benhadad H1130 sent H7971 unto him, and said, H559 The gods H430 do so H6213 unto me, and more also, H3254 if the dust H6083 of Samaria H8111 shall suffice H5606 for handfuls H8168 for all the people H5971 that follow H7272 me. And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 answered H6030 and said, H559 Tell H1696 him, Let not him that girdeth H2296 on his harness boast H1984 himself as he that putteth it off. H6605 And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard H8085 this message, H1697 as he was drinking, H8354 he and the kings H4428 in the pavilions, H5521 that he said H559 unto his servants, H5650 Set H7760 yourselves in array. And they set H7760 themselves in array against the city. H5892 And, behold, there came H5066 a H259 prophet H5030 unto Ahab H256 king H4428 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Hast thou seen H7200 all this great H1419 multitude? H1995 behold, I will deliver H5414 it into thine hand H3027 this day; H3117 and thou shalt know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068 And Ahab H256 said, H559 By whom? And he said, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Even by the young men H5288 of the princes H8269 of the provinces. H4082 Then he said, H559 Who shall order H631 the battle? H4421 And he answered, H559 Thou. Then he numbered H6485 the young men H5288 of the princes H8269 of the provinces, H4082 and they were two H8147 hundred H3967 and thirty H7970 two: H8147 and after H310 them he numbered H6485 all the people, H5971 even all the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 being seven H7651 thousand. H505 And they went out H3318 at noon. H6672 But Benhadad H1130 was drinking H8354 himself drunk H7910 in the pavilions, H5521 he and the kings, H4428 the thirty H7970 and two H8147 kings H4428 that helped H5826 him. And the young men H5288 of the princes H8269 of the provinces H4082 went out H3318 first; H7223 and Benhadad H1130 sent out, H7971 and they told H5046 him, saying, H559 There are men H582 come out H3318 of Samaria. H8111 And he said, H559 Whether they be come out H3318 for peace, H7965 take H8610 them alive; H2416 or whether they be come out H3318 for war, H4421 take H8610 them alive. H2416 So these young men H5288 of the princes H8269 of the provinces H4082 came out H3318 of the city, H5892 and the army H2428 which followed H310 them. And they slew H5221 every one H376 his man: H376 and the Syrians H758 fled; H5127 and Israel H3478 pursued H7291 them: and Benhadad H1130 the king H4428 of Syria H758 escaped H4422 on an horse H5483 with the horsemen. H6571 And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 went out, H3318 and smote H5221 the horses H5483 and chariots, H7393 and slew H5221 the Syrians H758 with a great H1419 slaughter. H4347 And the prophet H5030 came H5066 to the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 and said H559 unto him, Go, H3212 strengthen H2388 thyself, and mark, H3045 and see H7200 what thou doest: H6213 for at the return H8666 of the year H8141 the king H4428 of Syria H758 will come up H5927 against thee.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Amos 1
Commentary on Amos 1 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 1
Am 1:1-15. God's Judgments on Syria, Philistia, Tyre, Edom, and Ammon.
1. The words of Amos—that is, Amos' oracular communications. A heading found only in Jer 1:1.
among the herdmen—rather, "shepherds"; both owning and tending sheep; from an Arabic root, "to mark with pricks," namely, to select the best among a species of sheep and goats ill-shapen and short-footed (as others explain the name from an Arabic root), but distinguished by their wool [Maurer]. God chooses "the weak things of the world to confound the mighty," and makes a humble shepherd reprove the arrogance of Israel and her king arising from prosperity (compare 1Sa 17:40).
which he saw—in supernatural vision (Isa 1:1).
two years before the earthquake—mentioned in Zec 14:5. The earthquake occurred in Uzziah's reign, at the time of his being stricken with leprosy for usurping the priest's functions [Josephus, Antiquities, 9:10.4]. This clause must have been inserted by Ezra and the compilers of the Jewish canon.
2. will roar—as a lion (Joe 3:16). Whereas Jehovah is there represented roaring in Israel's behalf, here He roars against her (compare Ps 18:13; Jer 25:30).
from Zion … Jerusalem—the seat of the theocracy, from which ye have revolted; not from Dan and Beth-el, the seat of your idolatrous worship of the calves.
habitations … mourn—poetical personification. Their inhabitants shall mourn, imparting a sadness to the very habitations.
Carmel—the mountain promontory north of Israel, in Asher, abounding in rich pastures, olives, and vines. The name is the symbol of fertility. When Carmel itself "withers," how utter the desolation! (So 7:5; Isa 33:9; 35:2; Jer 50:19; Na 1:4).
3. Here begins a series of threatenings of vengeance against six other states, followed by one against Judah, and ending with one against Israel, with whom the rest of the prophecy is occupied. The eight predictions are in symmetrical stanzas, each prefaced by "Thus saith the Lord." Beginning with the sin of others, which Israel would be ready enough to recognize, he proceeds to bring home to Israel her own guilt. Israel must not think hereafter, because she sees others visited similarly to herself, that such judgments are matters of chance; nay, they are divinely foreseen and foreordered, and are confirmations of the truth that God will not clear the guilty. If God spares not the nations that know not the truth, how much less Israel that sins wilfully (Lu 12:47, 48; Jas 4:17)!
for three transgressions … and for four—If Damascus had only sinned once or twice, I would have spared them, but since, after having been so often pardoned, they still persevere so continually, I will no longer "turn away" their punishment. The Hebrew is simply, "I will not reverse it," namely, the sentence of punishment which follows; the negative expression implies more than it expresses; that is, "I will most surely execute it"; God's fulfilment of His threats being more awful than human language can express. "Three and four" imply sin multiplied on sin (compare Ex 20:5; Pr 30:15, 18, 21; "six and seven," Job 5:19; "once and twice," Job 33:14; "twice and thrice," Margin; "oftentimes," English Version, Job 33:29; "seven and also eight," Ec 11:2). There may be also a reference to seven, the product of three and four added; seven expressing the full completion of the measure of their guilt (Le 26:18, 21, 24; compare Mt 23:32).
threshed—the very term used of the Syrian king Hazael's oppression of Israel under Jehu and Jehoahaz (2Ki 10:32, 33; 13:7). The victims were thrown before the threshing sledges, the teeth of which tore their bodies. So David to Ammon (2Sa 12:31; compare Isa 28:27).
4. Hazael … Ben-hadad—A black marble obelisk found in the central palace of Nimroud, and now in the British Museum, is inscribed with the names of Hazael and Ben-hadad of Syria, as well as Jehu of Israel, mentioned as tributaries of "Shalmanubar," king of Assyria. The kind of tribute from Jehu is mentioned: gold, pearls, precious oil, &c. [G. V. Smith]. The Ben-hadad here is the son of Hazael (2Ki 13:3), not the Ben-hadad supplanted and slain by Hazael (2Ki 8:7, 15). The phrase, "I will send a fire," that is, the flame of war (Ps 78:63), occurs also in Am 1:7, 10, 12, 14, and Am 2:2, 5; Jer 49:27; Ho 8:14.
5. bar of Damascus—that is, the bar of its gates (compare Jer 51:30).
the inhabitant—singular for plural, "inhabitants." Henderson, because of the parallel, "him that holdeth the scepter," translates, "the ruler." But the parallelism is that of one clause complementing the other, "the inhabitant" or subject here answering to "him that holdeth the scepter" or ruler there, both ruler and subject alike being cut off.
Aven—the same as Oon or Un, a delightful valley, four hours' journey from Damascus, towards the desert. Proverbial in the East as a place of delight [Josephus Abassus]. It is here parallel to "Eden," which also means "pleasantness"; situated at Lebanon. As Josephus Abassus is a doubtful authority, perhaps the reference may be rather to the valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, called El-Bekaa, where are the ruins of the Baal-bek temple of the sun; so the Septuagint renders it On, the same name as the city in Egypt bears, dedicated to the sun-worship (Ge 41:45; Heliopolis, "the city of the sun," Eze 30:17, Margin). It is termed by Amos "the valley of Aven," or "vanity," from the worship of idols in it.
Kir—a region subject to Assyria (Isa 22:6) in Iberia, the same as that called now in Armenian Kur, lying by the river Cyrus which empties itself into the Caspian Sea. Tiglath-pileser fulfilled this prophecy when Ahaz applied for help to him against Rezin king of Syria, and the Assyrian king took Damascus, slew Rezin, and carried away its people captive to Kir.
6. Gaza—the southernmost of the five capitals of the five divisions of Philistia, and the key to Palestine on the south: hence put for the whole Philistine nation. Uzziah commenced the fulfilment of this prophecy (see 2Ch 26:6).
because they carried away … the whole captivity—that is, they left none. Compare with the phrase here, Jer 13:19, "Judah … carried captive all of it … wholly carried away." Under Jehoram already the Philistines had carried away all the substance of the king of Judah, and his wives and his sons, "so that there was never a son left to him, save Jehoahaz"; and after Amos' time (if the reference includes the future, which to the prophet's eye is as if already done), under Ahaz (2Ch 28:18), they seized on all the cities and villages of the low country and south of Judah.
to deliver them up to Edom—Judah's bitterest foe; as slaves (Am 1:9; compare Joe 3:1, 3, 6). Grotius refers it to the fact (Isa 16:4) that on Sennacherib's invasion of Judah, many fled for refuge to neighboring countries; the Philistines, instead of hospitably sheltering the refugees, sold them, as if captives in war, to their enemies, the Idumeans.
7. fire—that is, the flame of war (Nu 21:28; Isa 26:11). Hezekiah fulfilled the prophecy, smiting the Philistines unto Gaza (2Ki 18:8). Foretold also by Isa 14:29, 31.
8. Ashdod, &c.—Gath alone is not mentioned of the five chief Philistine cities. It had already been subdued by David; and it, as well as Ashdod, was taken by Uzziah (2Ch 26:6). Gath perhaps had lost its position as one of the five primary cities before Amos uttered this prophecy, whence arose his omission of it. So Zep 2:4, 5. Compare Jer 47:4; Eze 25:16. Subsequently to the subjugation of the Philistines by Uzziah, and then by Hezekiah, they were reduced by Psammetichus of Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar, the Persians, Alexander, and lastly the Asmoneans.
9. Tyrus … delivered up the … captivity to Edom—the same charge as against the Philistines (Am 1:6).
remembered not the brotherly covenant—the league of Hiram of Tyre with David and Solomon, the former supplying cedars for the building of the temple and king's house in return for oil and corn (2Sa 5:11; 1Ki 5:2-6; 9:11-14, 27; 10-22; 1Ch 14:1; 2Ch 8:18; 9:10).
10. fire—(Compare Am 1:4, 7; Isa 23:1-18; Eze 26:1-28:26). Many parts of Tyre were burnt by fiery missiles of the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar. Alexander of Macedon subsequently overthrew it.
11. Edom … did pursue his brother—(Isa 34:5). The chief aggravation to Edom's violence against Israel was that they both came from the same parents, Isaac and Rebekah (compare Ge 25:24-26; De 23:7, 8; Ob 10, 12; Mal 1:2).
cast off all pity—literally, "destroy compassions," that is, did suppress all the natural feeling of pity for a brother in distress.
his wrath for ever—As Esau kept up his grudge against Jacob, for having twice supplanted him, namely, as to the birthright and the blessing (Ge 27:41), so Esau's posterity against Israel (Nu 20:14, 21). Edom first showed his spite in not letting Israel pass through his borders when coming from the wilderness, but threatening to "come out against him with the sword"; next, when the Syrians attacked Jerusalem under Ahaz (compare 2Ch 28:17, with 2Ki 16:5); next, when Nebuchadnezzar assailed Jerusalem (Ps 137:7, 8). In each case Edom chose the day of Israel's calamity for venting his grudge. This is the point of Edom's guilt dwelt on in Ob 10-13. God punishes the children, not for the sin of their fathers, but for their own filling up the measure of their fathers' guilt, as children generally follow in the steps of, and even exceed, their fathers' guilt (compare Ex 20:5).
12. Teman—a city of Edom, called from a grandson of Esau (Ge 36:11, 15; Ob 8, 9); situated five miles from Petra; south of the present Wady Musa. Its people were famed for wisdom (Jer 49:7).
Bozrah—a city of Edom (Isa 63:1). Selah or Petra is not mentioned, as it had been overthrown by Amaziah (2Ki 14:7).
13. Ammon—The Ammonites under Nahash attacked Jabesh-gilead and refused to accept the offer of the latter to save them, unless the Jabesh-gileadites would put out all their right eyes (1Sa 11:1, &c.). Saul rescued Jabesh-gilead. The Ammonites joined the Chaldeans in their invasion of Judea for the sake of plunder.
ripped up … women with-child—as Hazael of Syria also did (2Ki 8:12; compare Ho 13:16). Ammon's object in this cruel act was to leave Israel without "heir," so as to seize on Israel's inheritance (Jer 49:1).
14. Rabbah—the capital of Ammon: meaning "the Great." Distinct from Rabbah of Moab. Called Philadelphia, afterwards, from Ptolemy Philadelphus.
tempest—that is, with an onset swift, sudden, and resistless as a hurricane.
day of the whirlwind—parallel to "the day of battle"; therefore meaning "the day of the foe's tumultuous assault."
15. their king … princes—or else, "their Molech (the idol of Ammon) and his priests" [Grotius and Septuagint]. Isa 43:28 so uses "princes" for "priests." So Am 5:26, "your Molech"; and Jer 49:3, Margin. English Version, however, is perhaps preferable both here and in Jer 49:3; see on Jer 49:3.