4:1 Hear this word, ye a kine of Bashan, that [are] in the
mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the
needy, which say to their masters, b Bring, and let us
drink.
(a) Thus he calls the princes and governors, who being
overwhelmed with the great abundance of God's benefits,
forgot God, and therefore he calls them by the name of
beasts and not of men.
(b) They encourage those who have authority over the people
to oppress them, so that they may have profit by it.
4:2 The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days
shall come upon you, that he will take you away with c
hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
(c) He alludes to fishers, who catch fish by hooks or
thorns.
4:4 Come to d Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply
transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning,
[and] your tithes after three e years:
(d) He speaks this in contempt of those who resorted to
those places, thinking that their great devotion and
good intention was sufficient to have bound God to them.
(e) Read (De 14:28).
4:5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving f with leaven, and
proclaim [and] publish the free offerings: for this g
liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
(f) As (Le 7:13).
(g) You only delight in these outward ceremonies and care
for nothing else.
4:6 And I also have given you h cleanness of teeth in all your
cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye
not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
(h) That is, lack of bread and meat.
4:7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when [there
were] yet three i months to the harvest: and I caused it
to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon
another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece
whereupon it rained not withered.
(i) I stopped the rain until the fruits of the earth were
destroyed with drought, and yet you would not consider
to return to me by repentance.
4:8 So two [or] three cities wandered unto one city, to drink
water; but they were k not satisfied: yet have ye not
returned unto me, saith the LORD.
(k) They could not find enough water where they had heard
that it had rained.
4:10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of
l Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and
have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of
your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not
returned unto me, saith the LORD.
4:11 I have overthrown [some] of you, as God overthrew Sodom and
Gomorrah, and ye were as a m firebrand plucked out of the
burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
(m) You were almost all consumed, and a few of you were
wonderfully preserved; (2Ki 14:26).
4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: [and] because
I will do this unto thee, prepare to n meet thy God, O
Israel.
