View Amos 3 in the note window.
Judgments denounced against Israel, ver. 1 - 8.
Which cannot be prevented, unless they repent, ver. 9 - 15.
2: Know - Chosen, adopted to be my peculiar ones.
Therefore - Because you have all these obligations and abused all
these mercies.
3: Agreed - Can you have God's presence while you walk so contrary
to him?
5: Can a bird fall - So here for your sins, God will cast the net
over you. Shall one take up a snare - The fowler will not take up the
snare, before the prey be taken in it.
6: Afraid - Affected with the danger. Evil - Such as plague or
famine. Done it - Either immediately by his own hand, or by the
hands of those he employs. Whoever are the instruments, God is
the principal agent. Out of his mouth both good and evil proceed.
7: Will do nothing - Usually the Lord doth no great thing for or
against his people, without giving warning of it before it comes.
8: Hath roared - As a lion roareth when near his prey: so God hath
terribly threatened what is near to be done. Prophesy - Amos can not
but speak what he had heard.
9: Publish - Ye prophets invite strangers to come and observe what
cause I have to do what I threaten. Tumults - The seditious counsels,
and rebellious conspiracies among them. The oppressed - Multitudes of
oppressed ones, as the usurpers took it to be their interest to crush
all they feared or suspected. In the midst - Yea, throughout the whole
kingdom of Samaria.
10: Store up - As men lay up wealth in their treasures, perverting
judgment, first condemning the innocent, next seizing all his substance.
11: Therefore - Because of all the violence and rapine with other
crying sins. An adversary - The Assyrian. Round about - Shall
beset the whole land as one besieged city.
12: As the shepherd - As the shepherd doth hardly rescue a small
part of a sheep or lamb from the lion, so a small part of the children
of Israel, shall escape when Samaria is taken.
The corner of a bed - Lying in some dark corner. Damascus - The chief
city of Syria taken by Tiglath - Pilneser about the time when he
wasted Israel. In a couch - Some few of the poor, shall escape,
pitied by the enemy, when he finds them sick upon their couch.
13: Hear ye - Prophets. The God of hosts - Who is Lord of all, and
hath all power in his hand.
14: Of Israel - The many and great transgressions of the ten tribes.
15: The winter - house - Which probably was in the chief city, whither
the great men retired in the winter. The summer - house - The houses of
pleasure, where the nobles and rich men spent the summer time.
Of ivory - Beautified with ivory.
