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John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 7:17

Therefore thus saith the Lord ,.... For withstanding the prophet of the Lord, and forbidding him to speak in his name against the idolatry of Israel, as well as for his own idolatry: thy wife shall be an harlot in the city : either of Bethel or Samaria; either through force, being ravished by the soldiers upon taking and plundering the city; so Theodoret and others: or rather of choice; either, through poverty, to get bread, or through a vicious inclination, and that in a public manner:... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7

In this chapter God represents to Amos, by three several visions, the judgments he is about to bring on Israel. The first is a plague of locusts, threatening to cut of the hopes of the harvest by attacking it in the time of the second growth; the first luxuriances of the crop being probably mowed for the king's horses, Amos 7:1-3 . The next vision threatens a judgment by fire, which would consume a great part, Amos 7:4-6 ; and the third a total overthrow of Israel, levelling it as it were... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:1

Behold, he formed grasshoppers - גבי gobai is generally understood here to signify locusts. See the notes on Joel 1 (note) and Joel 2 (note). The shooting up of the latter growth - The early crop of grass had been already mowed and housed. The second crop or rowing, as it is called in some places, was not yet begun. By the king's mowings we may understand the first crop, a portion of which the king probably claimed as being the better hay; but the words may signify simply the prime... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:2

By whom shall Jacob arise? - The locusts, the symbols of the many enemies that had impoverished Jerusalem, having devoured much of the produce of the land, were proceeding, till, at the intercession of the prophet, they were removed. Then, seeing in the light of prophecy the nation in every sense brought low, he cries, "By whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small." Calmet justly remarks: "After the death of Jeroboam the second, the kingdom, so flourishing and powerful before, was reduced to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:3

The Lord repented - Changed his purpose of destroying them by the locusts. See Amos 7:6 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:4

The Lord God called to contend by fire - Permitted war, both civil and foreign, to harass the land, after the death of Jeroboam the second. These wars would have totally destroyed it, had not the prophet interceded. It devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part - We are here to understand the partially destructive wars which afterwards took place; for the Lord causes all these things to pass before the eyes of Amos in the vision of prophecy; and intimates that, at the intercession of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:7

With a plumbline in his hand - This appears to be intended as an emblem of strict justice, and intimated that God would now visit them according to their iniquities. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:8

I will set a plumbline - I will visit them by justice without any mixture of mercy. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:9

And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate - Their total destruction is at hand. The high place of Isaac was Beer-sheba, where Isaac had built an altar to the Lord, Genesis 26:25 . This high place, which had been abused to idolatrous uses, was demolished by Josiah, king of Judah, as we read in 2 Kings 23:8 , for he defiled all the high places from Geba to Beersheba. I will rise against the house of Jeroboam - The Lord had promised to Jehu, the ancestor of Jeroboam, that his... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 7:10

Amaziah the priest of Beth-el - The idolatrous priest who had been established by the king to maintain the worship of the golden calves which Jeroboam the elder had set up at this place. Amos hath conspired against thee - This was truly a lying prophet; there is not one word of truth in this message which he sent to Jeroboam. Amos had not conspired against the king - had not said that Jeroboam should die by the sword - and had not said that Israel should be carried away captive, though... read more

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