THE
PULPIT COMMENTARY, EDITED BY THE
VERY REV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D., DEAN OP aLOUCESTER;
AND BY TBE
REV. JOSEPH S, EXELL, M.A.
INTRODUCTIONS BY THE
VERY REV. F. W. FARRAR, D.D., F.R.S., DEAN OF CANTERBURY. RIGHT REV. H. COTTERILL, D.D., F.R.S.E. VERY REV. PRINCIPAL J. TULLOCH, D.D. REV. CANON G. RAWLINSON, M.A. REV. A. PLUMMER, M.A., D.D.
NEW EDITION.
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY LONDON AND NEW YORK 1907 PRlNTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES .AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES, PULPIT COMMENTARY, !!Drt'ED BT TB'.ll
VERY REV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D., J>Eilf o• GLOUOIIITID;
A.BJ) BY TJlll
REV. JOSEPH S. EXELL, M.A.
AMOS. @xposftfon BY REV. W. J. DE.A.NE, M.A.,
~omfbtfcs BY REV. J. EDGAR HENRY, M.A..
~om(lfu b12 'Vatfous autf)om. REV, PROF. J. R, THOMSON, M.A. REV. A. ROWLAND, B.A., LL.B. BEV. D. THOKA.S, D.D.
NEW EDITION.
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY WNDON AND t-mW YORK 1007 THE BOOK OF AMOS.
INTRODUCTION.
§ I. SUBJECT OF THE Booir.
AT the time when Amos prophesied both Israel and Judah stood high in prosperity and wealth. The warlike Jeroboam II. had overcome the Syrians, and recovered the original territory of bis kingdom from Ha.math in the extreme north to the Dead Sea (2 Kings xiv. 25, 28). Uzziah King of Judah had subdued the restless Edomites and Philistines, reduced the Ammonites to subjection; and, while largely encouraging agriculture and the arts of peace, he raised a powerful army, a.nd strongly fortified Jeru- salem (2 Chron. xxvi.). Israel, secure from outward enemies and strong in inward resources, was very far from expecting ruin and destruction. Prosperity in both kingdoms had produced its too common fruits-pride, luxury, selfishness, oppression. In Zion and Samaria alike such sins were rife; but in the northern kingdom they were accentuated and increased by the calf-worship which was still practised there. To Bethel, the central seat of this idolatry, Amos was sent from Jerusalem. His mission was to rebuke this iniquity, and to annonnce to these careless sinners the approach of Divine judgment. It was probable that, in a kingdom where impostors abounded, a seer, coming from a foreign district and claiming to be commissioned by the Lord, might command respect; though the issue- proved very different. Never since the man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord in the days of the first Jeroboam (1 Kings xiii.) had any southern prophet gone on such an errand. Now a second message was 11ent; and in this book the utterances of the prophet on this great occasion are gathered together and arranged in due order. Though his special mission was directed to Israel, Amos does not confine himself altogether to denunciations of this kingdom. His cry extended to Judah and to the hostile nations which surrounded the covenant people. The book naturally divides itself into four parts--11:n introduction.• addresses; visions; and Messianic prophecy. All9~ 6 fj INTRODUCTION TO
The iutrodnction (eh. i., ii.) consists of denunciations of the heathen kingdoms bordering on Israel, foretelling the destruction that shall befall them, viz. Damascus, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Edom, Ammon, Moab. Judah, too, is placed in the same category, because it also was alienated from God. The judgment on Israel is proclaimed here in general terms; the remainder of the book particularizes the denounced sins and confirms the awfnl sentence. The second part (eh. iii.-vi.) contains three prophetic addressee, divided by the recnrrence of the solemn refrain, "Hear ye." The first address con- victs Israel of ingratitude for God's past mercies; shows that the Lord must needs punish the nation, aud that he has commissioned the prophet to announce the judgment. Israel has sinned by injustice and violence ; its palaces and holy places· shall be destroyed, and its people carried into captinty. The second address depicts the sins of oppression and idolatry; tells how God had visited the people with various chastisements, but they were still incorrigible; therefore he will inflict further punishment, to see if perchance they will repent. In his third address Amos laments the fate of Israel, exhorts earnestly to amendment, and then, with a double "Woe! " he shows how hopeless is their trust in their covenant relation to Jehovah , .and how baseless their fancied security from danger; for ere long their land .should be invaded, their cities should be destroyed, and they themselves should be carried into captivity. This last" woe'' is to affect Judah also, even" them that a.re at ease in Zion" (eh. vi. 1). The visions ( eh. vii.-ix. 10) are closely connected with the preceding addresses, and carry on the warnings there enunciated, giving, a.sit were, the stages or gradations of punishment. The first two visions, of locusts and fire, correspond to the visitations mentioned in eh. iv. ~11. These chastisements stop short of utter destruction, being alleviated at the inter- -cession of the prophet. The third and fourth visions confirm-the irrevocable character of the judgmente threatened in the previous a.ddreeses. The plumb-line intimates that forgiveness is now not to be expected. Here Amoe introdncee an historical episode, detailing Ama.zia.h's opposition to his prophecy and God's sentence upon him. He then proceeds to the fourth vision, which, under the figure of a basket of summer fruit, exhibits Israel as ripe for judgment; and he enforces this lesson by foretelling that their feasts should be turned to mourning, and that those who now despise the Word of God shall some day suffer a famine of the Word. The last vision displays the Lord destroying the temple and its worshippers, yea, the whole sinful nation. Yet it should not be utterly annihilated.· "Sifted" shall the people be among the nations, yet shall not one good grain perish. The prophecy ends with one promise-the only one in the book-that the fallen kingdom should be raised again, shonld be extended· by the incoming of the heathen, should be glorified and enriched with Divine graces, and that its duration should be eternal-a. promise which has its fulfilment, not in any temporary restoration of Israel to its own land, but THE DOOK OF AMOS. in
in the foundation of the Christian Church and its final conquest of the world (see the reference to this prophecy by St. Ja.mes in Acts x:v. 16). Amos nowhere mentions the person of the Messiah, but his reference to the house of De.vid includes and lee.de up to Christ.