The Pulpit Commentary — Amos — Section 63

x. 8; xi. 14, etc.; xiii. 8, eto.) ; and later offorings was that they should be voluntnry, wa.s appropriated to falee worship, though uot of command or compulsion (Lov. we have no information RB to the date of xxii. 18, etc.; Deut. xii. 6). Septungint, tbie deolension. GilgRI 11nd Bethel a.re ,ca.l ln,ca.>..lt1avro dµ.o>..oylas, "and oalled for associated together in idolatrous worship public professions" (RB Deut. xii. 6, 17, 18), (oh. v. 5 and in Hos. iv.15; ix. 15; xii. 11). This liketh you; this ye love; Septuagint, Bring your saoriftoee every morning. They "Proclaim ye that the ohildreu of Israel were c11reful to m11intain the outward loved these things." 'l'heir whole heart semblance of the regule.r Levitioal worship, was set on this will-worship. even beyond the letter of the Law in some Ver. 6.- In this and the five following respeot.s, though their service was all the verses God sets forth instanoes of the time idolntry. As this e.nd the following judgmonts whioh he had sent at various clause are still ironical, Amos is spraking, times to oorrect Israel; viz. fa.mine, drought, not of the daily prescribed sacrifice (olah, blight, pestilence, e1irthquake; but all had Numb. xxviii. 3), but of the offering~ (sebach) beon in vain. Five times recurs tl.1e sad of individual Israelites which were not refrain, "Yet have ye not returned unto me, required to be presented every day. Your so.ith the Lord." God's unwearied love had tithes after three years; literally, on the not conquered their rebellion. Clelllllless of three of days; lis/iwsheth yamim; Vulgate, teeth ; Septuagint, 'Y"!L</>1a.t1µ~v 08011Twv, tribus diebu,; S_eptuagint, ,ls dw rp,71µ,pia.v, " <lulness of teeth ; " Vulgo.te, stuporem "every third day." Revised Version, "every denliuin. It is not " toothache " that is three days." So Gesenius, Ewald, Keil, meant, but famine, as is seen by the parallel Schegg, Hitzig, Banr. The prophet bids term, want of bread; as Corn. ll. Lapide them bl'ing their tithes, not as the Law says, "Cum eniiu in fame et penuria dentea ordered. every year (Lev. xxvii. 30), or, ae non habent quod mordeant et mandant, in the case of the second tithe, every three innocentes Hunt et mundi." This is the first years (Deul xiv. 28; xxvi. 12), bnt, by an chastisement mentioned. It was thxeatened ironical exag!Z'er&tion, "every three days." in the Law as a consequence of backsliding Dr. Pusey defends the English \'ersion on (see Lev. xxvi.; Deut. xxviii. 48, 57). The the ground of the idiomatic use of" days" for famines to which .Amos alludes are not re- one circle of dnys, i.e. a year (Lev. xxv. 29; corded. Plainly they were not fortuitous, Judg. xvii. 10; 1 Sam. xxvii. 7). But this but were providential inflictions, in accord- loses the irony which is so marked in the ance with previous warnings. Yet have ye whole passage. Keil, "If ye would offer not returned unto me. Pusey not€s that the ale.in sacrifices every morning, and tithe words imply, not that they returned not at every three days, ye would only thereby all, but that they did after a fashion return, increase your apostasy from the living God." but not so as to reach God, their repentance Ver. 5.-0:lfer a saorifioe of thanksgiving being a half-repentance and their worship a with leaven; more definitely, offer by burning half-worship, and therefore unacceptable. a thank offering of that which is lea'Dened. Ver. 7.-The second punishment is This is an alteration of the prescribed ritual drought, as predicted (Lev. xxvi. 19, eto.: in two particulars. The Law forbade leaven Dent. xxviii. 23). When the1·e were yet in any meat offering coasnmed by fue three months to the harvest, and when rain (Lev. ii. 11; vii. 12); and if it allowed was most necessary to swell the grain. The cakes of leavened bread to be offered on one season meant is in Febrnary and Maroh. occaBion, these were not to be placed on the when what was called "the latter rain" altor and burned. but one was to be assigned fell. In the south of Palestine the harvest to the officiating priest, and the rest ea.ten at commenced at the end of April, but in the the sacri1icial meal (Lev. vii. 13, 14). The northern parts it was some weeks l&ter, BO ironical charge to the Israelites is that in that it might be said in round numbers that their nnlicensed zeal they should not only it took place thxee months after the latter burn on the altar that which was leavened. rain. I caused it to rain upon one city. but, with the idea of being more bountiful, That they might not attribute this drought they should also offer by fue that which to the blind laws of nature, God caused it was to be set ape.rt for other UBeB, The to be of a partial character, giving rain to Septuagint V crsion can only be explained one city while be withheld it from another. by considering the translatore to have had One piece. Tlie portion of ground belonging a different reading, ,ca.l a.vey11uit1a.11 l!w to an individual is so called (Dent. xxxiii. 21: 116µov, "e.nd they read the Law without." Buth ii. 3; iv. 3). Proclaim . . . publ.i&h. Make public pro- Ver. 8.-This want of rain produced great clamation that free-will offerings are to dearth of water to drink, nnd persons had be made, or else, like the Phariseea (Matt. to go long distances to procure supplies. vi. 2), announce with ostentation that you Wandered; literally trembled, staggered, as are a.Lout to offer. Tbe eesence of such spent a11d exhausted by thirst. The word 011, IV, 1-18.] THE BOOK OF AMOS. 63