Amos 2:3-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Amos 2:1-8

Here is, I. The judgment of Moab, another of the nations that bordered upon Israel. They are reckoned with and shall be punished for three transgressions and for four, as those before. Now, 1. Moab's fourth transgression, as theirs who were before set to the bar, was cruelty. The instance given refers not to the people of God, but to a heathen like themselves: The king of Moab burnt the bones of the king of Edom into lime. We find there was war between the Edomites and the Moabites, in which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 2:3

And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof ,.... Either from the midst of Moab, the country in general; or from Kerioth in particular, so Kimchi; meaning their principal governor, their king, as Aben Ezra; for kings sometimes have acted as judges, took the bench, and sat and administered justice to their subjects: and I will stay all the princes thereof with him, saith the Lord ; the king, and the princes of the blood, and his nobles; so that there should be none to succeed him,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 2:4

Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions of Judah ,.... With whom Benjamin must be joined; for the two tribes are meant as distinct from the ten tribes, under the name of Israel, following. The prophet proceeds from the Heathens round about to the people of God themselves, for the ill usage of whom chiefly the above nations are threatened with ruin, lest they should promise themselves impunity in sin; though, if they rightly considered things, they could not expect it; since, if the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 2:5

But I will send a fire upon Judah ,.... An enemy, Nebuchadnezzar, who should burn, waste, and destroy, all that were in his way: and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem ; the chief city of Judah, the royal city, where stood the temple, the palace of the most High, and the palaces of the king and his nobles; these were burnt with fire when it was taken by the Chaldean army, about two hundred years after this prophecy, Jeremiah 52:13 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 2:6

Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions of Israel ,.... The ten tribes rent from the house of David in the times of Rehoboam, and who departed from the true worship of God, and set up calves at Dan and Bethel: and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof ; the following part of this prophecy is taken up in pointing at the sins and punishment of Israel; now the prophet is come to the main business he was sent to do: because they sold the righteous for silver ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 2:7

That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor ,.... Either were greedy after money, the dust of the earth, and even that small portion of it the poor were possessed of; they could not be easy that they should enjoy that little of it they did, but were desirous to get it out of their hands by oppression and injustice: or they were eagerly desirous of throwing the poor upon the earth, and trampling upon them, and dragging them through the dust of it, thereby filling their heads... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 2:8

And they laid themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar ,.... That is, the clothes they took in pledge of poor people, which they should have restored before sun setting, Exodus 22:26 ; these they spread by every altar, of which they had many erected to their idols, and on these as on carpets they slept by them, as was usual with the Gentiles; who not only in common used to lie and sleep on garments, or carpets, or skins spread on the floor F19 Vid. Gloss in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 2:3

I will cut off the judge - It shall be so destroyed, that it shall never more have any form of government. The judge here, שופט shophet , may signify the chief magistrate. The chief magistrates of the Carthaginians were called suffetes; probably taken from the Hebrew Judges, שופטים shophetim . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 2:4

For three transgressions of Judah - We may take the three and four here to any latitude; for this people lived in continual hostility to their God, from the days of David to the time of Uzziah, under whom Amos prophesied. Their iniquities are summed up under three general heads: They despised, or rejected the law of the Lord. They kept not his statutes. 3. They followed lies, were idolaters, and followed false prophets rather than those sent by Jehovah. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 2:5

I will send a fire upon Judah - This fire was the war made upon the Jews by Nebuchadnezzar, which terminated with the sackage and burning of Jerusalem and its palace the temple. read more

Group of Brands