4 T Thus faith the LORD, For thrce Tranſgreſſions ot Judah, and for four 1 will nt turn away the puniſhment thereof y; becauſe they have diſpiſed z the Law of the LORD a, and have nor kept his Commandments b, and their lies c cauſed them to err d, after the which erhcir Fathers f have walked g.
Y God hath in ti» former Verſes threatne the Enemies of his P- o- ple, for their Outrages againft his People : Now he oes threate:1 his People: for their Obftinacy in reiterated Sins: vid. chap. 4. ver..; let. x,4,c. Þ Firſt lighted it as it no Excellency were in it, an next rejected it as if *'twere not worthy of their Obſervance ; i hus they refuſed with an Abhorreace and Deteftation, 4 the whole Law, partly by their Immoralities and Tranſgreſſions againſt the juſt Com- mands of it, and partly by their falle Worſhip and Idolatry: That Law which was given with ſo much Majeſty and Terror on Mount. S141 ; from which they ſhould not have departed either to the Right-hand, or to the Left ; that Law which was perfe&;, holy and uſetul, with which no Fault could be juſtly found s So much the greater were their Sins, becauſe committed againſt ſo clear, full, and pure a Law. 6 4. e. They have. greatly violated , as the #ebr. Phraſe importeth, Neh. 9. 34. Dan. 9,5, 10,11. «c Idols which are a Lie, whether commended to them by their falſe Prophets, or choſen according to their own Humour and Fancy ; all their falſe ſuper- ſtitious and Idolatrous Worſhip, 4 Their Idolatry was firſt their Error, and this blinded them, made them more {ottiſh and brutiſh ; which was partly from the natural Tendency of this Sin, and partiy from the juſt Judgment of God, Rom. 1. 24. and 2 Theſfſ. 2. 15, II, 12. e Tdols or Lies. f Firſt in Uz of the Chaldees, hefors Abraham was called, afterwards in Egypt, the Wilderneſs, and in the Land of Canaan it ſelf. g Succeſſively, one Generation after another, Idolatry and Superſtition, and Will-worſhip have been old hereditary >1ns, and now ſhall be puniſh'd.
$s Burl will ſenda fire þ upon Judah z, and it ſhall de-
vour the Palaces & of Jeruſalem 1.
h Vid, chap.1. ver.q. let.b,i. i In the Kingdom of the Two Tribes, Benjamin is to be included with Fudah, as elſewhere hath been already often obſerved. & Vid. chap. 1. ver. 4. let. 1, m. 1 The chief City of Fudab's Kingdom, the City of God, where was the Temple of God,ancl where were the Seats of Judicature ; the Holy City, but now to be deſtroyed for its Sins, as well as other incorrigible Nations: Now this was fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzat, about 200 Years after this Prophecy of Amos.
6 4] Thus ſaith the LORD, For three Tranfſgreſſi- ons 2 of Iſrael », and for four I will not turn away rhe puniſhment © thereof ; becauſe * they p fold the Righteous q for fſilyerr, and the poor s for a pair of ſhoes f.
m Vid. chap, 1. ver, 3. let. 3,4 # The Kingdom of the Ten Tribes under the Government of Feroboam the Second at this time, againſt which the Prophet was chiefly ſent, though he began with Syria and v- thers, by the Threats againſt which Nations he prepared both 5:42h and {ſrael to hearken and conſider, 0 Vid. chap. 1. ver.3. let. co p Thoſe
who by the Appointment of the Law had Power to hear, and decide
Cauſes between Man and Man z Judges, and Witneſſes like the corrupt Judges. + For Bribes were their Aim, and they would at any time ſell Juſtice to the higheſt Bidder. q The Innocent, or thoſe who had. a = and righteous Cauſe, for the Prophet here ſpeaks of the Juſtneſs of the Cauſe, not of the exatt Juſtice, or abſolute Righteouſnels of th= Ferſon. 7 Money was the moſt current and prevailing Commodity with theſe Judges, but Monies-worth would do the Feat too, if Mo- ney were out of the way. 5s When poor Men went to Law with poor Men before theſe Judges, and the thing they contended for was of ſmall value, the Contenders too had light Purſes, and could not give a conſiderable Bribe. t A very poor Bribe expreſs'd here prover- bially, would ſway with theſe Judges, who gaped ſtill after ſome- what of Gain from all.
7 Thar pant after the duſt of the earth on the head of the poor 4, and turn aſide the way of the meek x : and a man and his father will
profane my holy name z.
u Or, ſwallow up, as the word is moſt frequently turned by our In- terpreters, and ſo perhaps more plainly 1s their Cruelty and Violence {et torth, in that they make a Prey of the Poor, who walk with Duſt on their Heads by reaſon of Diſtreſſes that are upon them ; and with- out any Compaſhon towards them, greedily, and as at once (waJlow up;anq devour the Poor, whom by the Law of God, and the Office they bear (as Judges) they ſhould deliver out of the hand of the Op- preſſor. x Perverſly,and maliciouſly miſinterpret the Ations, Words, and Deſigns of the Humble and Meek ; of the Compaſſionate and Merciful, who pity the Poor in theſe Straits and Dangers. y Theſe corrupt Judges, and violent Oppreflors, are alſo ſhameleſs Adulterers and Fornicators ; they commit that Lewdneſs which the better-tutor'd Heathens abhor and forbear ; a kind of inceſtuous Pollution, the Fa- ther and Son keep the ſame Harlot, and go in unto her. x Thus they profanely diſhonour me by caſting off my Law, and doing that which is ſo ſhametully undecent, and unlawful z and giving Heathen: occafion to blaſpheme my Name, and either think, or ſay, lize Pev- ple, like God. |
8 And. they lay themſelves down a urn Clothes
laid * to Pledg b, by every Altar c, and they drink * Fx. 22.
the Wine of j| the condemned 7 the Houſe of tneir cp God 4d. od
2 1 he Jews of old did not, as we, fit upright at their Feafrs and Meals, but in a Polture of greater Falz, did lean, or liz on one fide, ſo here they lay themſelves down 4. e. put themielves in a teaſting .. Poltrre. 6 Of which the Law had expre!17 aid, none ſhould detain them all night, Deur. 24.12,13. c Impudznt Sinners, who dare thus, before the Altar where they ſuppole thar Go:l is prefear, ring tacir crying inexcuſable Oppreſhons, and feait 1a tacred aces, on tacred Viands with bloody Minds and opprefive PraQtice:, an feels Me oy from God when they ſhew- £9 Mecy to tae Vo0r, 4 To compicrs
Si 44
Cap. II.
=