a Sometime this refers to what went before, here it refers to whit the Prophet ſaw and is about to declare. 6 This is the firſt offi: Viſions or Prophetick Repreſentations of what was coming upon th People tor their Sins. The Lord gave Amos a clear Sight of tit future Calamity by this Viſfien, «c I could not but obſerve, and | is worthy your Obſervance too. d It is not ſaid he called for thi, but he formed -or created them, probably intimating ſomewhat & traordinary in them, either in their Bigneſs or Number, 0: ratie! ſudden appearing of them. So the Plague fignified by them ſhoul ſuddenly come upon them. e In our Country Graſhoppers are hurttul, but theſe in our Text were Locufts, and fo rendred, /# 3} | 4+ and Nah. 3.17. and the word uſed by Amos here i paraphraſe by the Zebr, Criticks, by a Word that properly notes Locuſt, flirt ſhooting up of the firſt Growth being too luxuriant, they did either mow oft the Tops, or eat it down with Cattel, and this was «0 for preſerving the Corn and Increaſe of the Harveft ; but if tie ſecond Growth were cut- off or eat up, it marred the whole Hati® and theſe devouring Locuſts were formed in ſuch time as todo this and ſo to bring a Famine upon the Land. g It is ſuppoſed that firſt mowing, of the luxuriant Corn in the Blade was for the Kit) Uſe, and after this the ſecond Springing grew up to the Hare It may polfibly intimate, that though the Kings of //r4e! did 35 tae mow the luxuriant Riches, yet they grew again ; but when Ajn# Locuſts come, all is.aevour'd. j
'2 And itcame to pals, that when the had made wn
GOD, torgive. I beſeech thet k, {| by whom. ſhall Jacdl ariſe }? for. he 5 ſmall m.
b Either vifionally, the whole Scheme repreſented
both Loch
Grafs, Herbs and Cern,and it repreſeated the Grais asalmoft all af? up,and the Loczſts are ready to rall upon the Corn,and all that remain” Or elle really it was atted, and the Grals was devoured. the former ſeems moſt likely, 1 ave it to every one's [ulgmene
f 'þ And heſie Proceeding" h.:ir C0 $1;105
mos interceded by Prayer for this People in this caie. ' for Mercy, intreats for Pardon, hereby juſtifying Go: s Pr: and to02gh this People for whom he pravs is inentivie 075
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entring in of Hamath q, unto the || River of the Wilder.;! ; is b Notwithſtanding all your Boaſts and carnal Confidences. i 0, |
el, and of FLO Procce fully buil Meaſures "twas vari meaſuring cown, tho lented to t
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o. VII. AM
r:ion, yet the Prophet is deeply affetted with 1t, and deprecates the Miſyleaſure of God, and implores his Mercy ; to God belongs For- a0" to them nothing but Shame. 1 How ſhall any of Facob A rag "or if thou, O God of Facob, doſt caſt him down, who will 9r elcap - him up ? he mult needs periſh if thou be ſtill angry, and ſhew
F | = Is, m Weak in Strength, few in Number, not able to reſiſt his Enemies the Aſſyrians, Te, |
3- 3 * The LORD repented zz fer this : It ſhall not be o,
* rich the LORD.
" This ſpoke after the manner of Man, is to be underſtood as :-come3 the Immutability and Omniſcience of God z what a Man «hcn he repenteth doth, deſiſting from the thing, ſo God defiſting or ſuſpending his own A@, doth te!l us he repenteth. o This explains the former, That ſore Famine like to be cauſed by theſe Locuſts came not, Amos prevailed by Prayer, and the Judgment was
iverted. ww Tkus hath the Lord GOD ſhewed p unto me - and
behold q, the Lord GOD called 7 to contend by fire s,
and it devoured t the great deep #, and did eat up a part x. | In Viſion or Hieroglyphic ;' vid. ver. 1. let. b. q Vid. ver. 1. let. | 6 r Declared he would judge as by Fire. s Literally, ſay ſome, God
would from Heaven by Fire puniſh. Others ſay metaphorically, by
Drought which ſhould ſcorch up all Fruits of the Earth, and dry up
Fouatgins and Rivers. Or elſe by very ſore, waſting, and irrefiſtable
udgrfients, that like Fire ſhould conſume all,, hereby denoting the
Aſyrian Rage. 7 Eat up, 7. e. viſionally, or in the Emblem. « Not
literally, but as the other, ver. 2. in Hieroglyphic. So it appeared to
4nos, x Of the Land too, it ſeemed to ſeize on the Earth ; now
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all, high and low, and a well-ordered Government may not bear ſuch a Prophet, Thus far the general Accuſation.
It For thus Amos laith d, Jeroboam ſhall diz by the
their own land p. - "= TE |
4 S0 Amaziah fallely reports the Prophet. e He no where ſaid ſo; ou «lid he infinuate ſo much, but ſpake of his Houſe diſtinguiſh'd rom his Perſon, as ver. 9. f This indeed he forcto!d, but did no more contribute to it, or contrive it, than the Phytician doth who toretels the Death of an uncounſelable Patient,fick of a mortal Diſeaſe. Z This is added to lignify the Greatne's of the Captivity.
12 Alſo Amaziah faid unto Amos h, O thou Seer #, go, tlee thee away into the land of Judah k, and there ear
bread, and Propheſie there m.. BO
6 It is probable enovgh that this Arch-Prieſt of Zechel did ſend this Advice,or gave it to the Prophet ſo ſoon as he had 2ccuſed the Prophet: to Feroboam, and perhaps he thus intended to intinuate a great good Will towards the Prophet, preſuming the Prophet knew nothing that. Amaytab had accuſed him. # Whether- this be ſpoken in Scorn, or 81ving him the Reſpe& due toa Prophet; I determine not. k Be ad- viſed, ſtay not here, but with all Speed fice out of the Kingdom, get: thee into Fudah whence thou cameſt, there thou mayft be fate. 1 Thou wilt never get thy Bread here by this kind of Preaching, in Fudah *tis likely thou mayſt get thy Livelihood by thy Prophetick Art ; thithec $0- m There thou mayſt freely declaim againſt our Vices, and pre- dict our Fall, which we do as lirtte as thou doſt much believe.
13 But *Propheſie not again any more at Beth-el 7 :
them. c What he faith will come, if ic doth come will certainly ruine
Sword c, and Iſrael ſhall ſurely be led away captive f our of
* Ch.2.1+.