1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of a Tekoa,
which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of
Judah, and in the days of b Jeroboam the son of Joash king
of Israel, two years before the c earthquake.
The Argument - Among many other Prophets that God raised up to
admonish the Israelites of his plagues for their wickedness
and idolatry, he stirred up Amos, who was a herdman or
shepherd of a poor town, and gave him both knowledge and
constancy to reprove all estates and degrees, and to make
known God's horrible judgments against them, unless they
repented in time. And he showed them, that if God did not
spare the other nations around them, who had lived as it
were in ignorance of God compared to them, but for their
sins punished them, then they could look for nothing, but a
horrible destruction, unless they turned to the Lord in true
repentance. And finally, he comforts the godly with hope of
the coming of the Messiah, by whom they would have perfect
deliverance and salvation.
(a) Which was a town five miles from Jerusalem in Judea, but
he prophesied in Israel.
(b) In his days the kingdom of Israel flourished the most.
(c) Which as Josephus writes, was when Uzziah would have
usurped the priest's office, and therefore was smitten
with leprosy.
1:2 And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his
voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds
shall mourn, and the top d of Carmel shall wither.
(d) Whatever is fruitful and pleasant in Israel, will
shortly perish.
1:3 Thus saith the LORD; For e three transgressions of
Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away [the
punishment] thereof; because they have f threshed Gilead
with threshing instruments of iron:
(e) He shows first that all the people round about would be
destroyed for their manifold sins: which are meant by
three and four, which make seven, so that the Israelites
would the more deeply consider God's judgments toward
them.
(f) If the Syrians will not be spared for committing this
cruelty against one city, it is not possible that Israel
would escape punishment, which has committed so many and
such grievous sins against God and man.
1:4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall
devour the g palaces of Benhadad.
(g) The antiquity of their buildings will not avoid my
judgments. )Read Geneva "Jer 49:27")
1:5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the
inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the
sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria
shall go into captivity unto h Kir, saith the LORD.
(h) Tiglath Pileser led the Assyrians captive, and brought
them to Cyrene, which he here calls Kir.
1:6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and
for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof;
because they i carried away captive the whole captivity,
to deliver [them] up to Edom:
(i) They united themselves with the Edomites their enemies,
who carried them away captive.
1:9 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and
for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof;
because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and
remembered not the k brotherly covenant:
(k) For Esau (from whom came the Edomites) and Jacob were
brothers, therefore they ought to have admonished them
by their brotherly friendship, and not to have provoked
them to hatred.
1:11 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and
for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof;
because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did
cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and
he kept his wrath l for ever:
(l) He was a continual enemy to him.
1:13 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the
children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away [the
punishment] thereof; because they m have ripped up the
women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their
border:
(m) He notes the great cruelty of the Ammonites, that did
not spare the women, but most tyrannously tormented
them, and yet the Ammonites came from Lot, who was of
the household of Abraham.
