The Pulpit Commentary — Amos — Section 177

llivid, the Messi11,h. J11d11,h'e t.ompor&ry the rich blessings whioh ehall follow the proaperity under Uzziah Bnd HezekiBh establishment of the kingdom. Under the would have boon 11, tot.ally inadequate fulfil- figure of a euperne.ture.l fertility are ropro• ment of the prophrey. Prophecies of the eented the viotorice of grace (comp. lea. xi. tcmpoml 11,nd epirittrnl are, as usual, blended fl; Ezek. xxvi. 10, eto.; ·xxxiv. 25, eto.). together and run np into ea!'h other. Kil The blessing is founded on the Moeaio pro- ruin1. The destroyed plRcee of David. I mise (Lev. xxvi. 5). The plough.man ahall will build it; H,·brcw, her. The whole overta.ke the reaper. Ploughing e.nd har- Jewi8h Churoh (comp. Jer. xxxi. 4; xxxiii. vest shall b<1 continuous, without sensible 7). As in the days of old. The dRye of interval. The treader of grapes him that Da,.i<I and Solomon, the most flourishing 1oweth aeed. The vintage should be so times of the kingdom (2 Sam. vii. 11, 12, abundant that it ehould laet till eowing- 16). In the expression, "of old," Hebrew, "of time. The moll.Jl.taina shall drop aweet eternity," may lurk Rn idea of the length of wine. This is from Joel iii. 18. And all time tbat must elapse before the fulfilment the hilla shall melt. As Joel says, "shall of tbe promise. Septuagint, 'Avo,1<o'lioµ.f,t1"0, flow with milk," in this promised lnnd aU'Nw ,ca86.ls- a1 T]µipa., -roV a1civos, '' l will "flowing with milk and honey." Septu&- build it up RI! a.re the daye of eternity." This gint, ..-d.,..... oi /3ouvol <1"6µ.tpuTo, fro.,......, seeme to signify that the building is to last "all the hills shall be pl&nled" with vines for ever. e.nd olives. For, as Corn. h Lapide quotes, Ver. 12.-That they (the true children of " Bacchus amat colles" (Virg., • Georg.,' ii. Isrnel) may poaeess the remna.nt of Edom; 113). The hyperbolical expressions in the i.e. those who were nenrest in blood,and yet text are not to be taken literally; they most hostile of all men. David h&d sub- depict in bright colours the blessings of dued the Erlomites (2 Sam. viii. 14; 1 Kings the kingdom of Messiah. Material Bnd xi. 16), and Amaziah had inflicted a great temporal blessings arc generally represented ~laughter upon them (2 Kinge xiv. 7); but as closely connected with spiritual, and Be later they recovered their independence (2 figurative of them. Such prediotions, un- Kings xvi. 6, where" Edomites" should be derstood literally, ore common in the so- read for " Syrians ; " 2 Chron. xxviii. 17), called Sibylline Books; see e.g. lib. iii. 743, and were actively hostile against the Jews. etc., where, among other prodigies, we It was on this &ccount that they were empha- ha.ve- tically denounced by Obn.diah. "The rem- nant " is mentioned because, according to n11-,,ds TE ~f,(n ')IAlllCEpiis AfU/CO,O ")'.V..IIICTOS, the threat in eh. i 11, 12, they would be One is reminded of the golden age depicted punished so that only a few wonld escape. by Virgil in his fourth eclogue. Troohon The, Septua~nt pv~, 0 0r0Js, irc(,"1<1"00<1"111 oi cites Claudio.n, 'In Rufin.,' i. 381, etc.- ,caTciA.o,,ro, -rr,,11 a.118pr.nr,,,v [-ror ,cvpu,v, Alex- andrian]," The.t the remnant of men may ". . . neo vomere enlcus adunco earnestly eeek the Lord," regarding Edom Findetur; subitis meseor ga.udebit aristis. as a representative of aliens from God, e.nd Rorabnnt querceta fa vis; staguantie. pnssim a.Hering the text to make the senee more Vina fluent, oleique lacus." generally intelligible. This version, which reade " Ade.m," men, instead of "Edom," ie Ver. 14.-I will bring again the oap- enrloroeJ by St. James. Whioh are called by tivity; i.e. I will repair the misery which my Ne.me; "over whom my Name hath been they have suffered. The expreesion ie here called" (Septuagint). This is cloeer to the metaphorical, and does not necessarily refer Hebrew; but the meaning is much the to any restoration to an earthly Cano.en. same, "liz. all those who a.re dedicated to Shall build the wute cities (Isa. liv. 3). All God e.nd belong to him being by faith in- these promised blessings ore in marked con- corporated into the true Israel. (For the trast to the pnnishments threatened (Deut. phrase, comp. 2 Sam. xii 28; Isa. iv. 1 ; xxviii. 30, 33, 39; compare eimil&r promises e.nd to illustrate the idea, refer to Dent. in Isa. lxv. 21, etc.). xxviii 10; Isa. xliv. 5; Ps. wxvii. 5, 6.) Ver. 15.-The blessing shall last for ever. The MeBBie.nic kingdom ehall be establiahed They 1he.ll no more be pulled up. This waa in order that BB.lve.tion may be extended to not true of the literal Israel; it must be e.11 nations who embrace it. Beith the Lord; taken of the spiritual seed, pl&nted in God's u tlu Miying of Jeho~ah. Thie is added to land the Church of Christ, against which ■how the immutability of the promise. The the gates of hell shall not prevail. " Lo," eovenant-God himeelf hBth predicted it. so.ye Christ, "lam with you alway,even unto Ver. 13.-The prophet expatie.te1 upon the end of the world" (Matt. uviii. 20) OH, IX, 1-15,] THE BOOK OF AMOS, 179