Amos 5:18-20 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Amos 5:16-20

Here is, I. A very terrible threatening of destruction approaching, Amos 5:16, 17. Since they would not take the right course to obtain the favour of God, God would take an effectual course to make them feel the weight of his displeasure. The threatening is introduced with more than ordinary solemnity, to strike an awe upon them; it is not the word of the prophet only (if so, it might be made light of) but it is the Lord Jehovah, who has an infinite eternal being; it is the God of hosts, who... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 5:18

Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord ,.... Either the day of Christ's coming in the flesh, as Cocceius interprets it; and which was desired by the people of Israel, not on account of spiritual and eternal salvation, but that they might be delivered by him from outward troubles and enemies, and enjoy temporal felicity; they had a notion of him as a temporal Saviour and Redeemer, in whose days they should possess much outward happiness, and therefore desired his coming; see Malachi... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 5:19

As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him ,.... That is, should the day of the Lord come as they desired, they would not be the better for it; it would be only going from one trouble to another, like escaping Scylla, and falling into Charybdis: or as if a man, upon the sight of a lion, and at his yell, should take to his heels, and flee "from the face" of him, as the phrase is F9 מפני "a facie", V. L. Pagninus; "a faciebus", Montanus; "a conspectu", Mercerus. , and a bear,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 5:20

Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light ?.... The design of such a question is strongly to affirm, that, in this day of the Lord spoken of, there should be nothing but misery and distress, and no prosperity and happiness, at least to the wicked Israelites, or the unbelieving Jews: even very dark, and no brightness in it ? signifying that there should be no deliverance, nor the least glimmering view or hope of it; that the calamity should be so very great, and the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 5:18

Wo unto you that desire the day of the Lord - The prophet had often denounced the coming of God's day, that is, of a time of judgment; and the unbelievers had said, "Let his day come, that we may see it." Now the prophet tells them that that day would be to them darkness - calamity, and not light - not prosperity. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 5:19

As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him - They shall go from one evil to another. He who escapes from the lion's mouth shall fall into the bear's paws: - Incidit in Scyllam, cupiens vitare Charybdim . The Israelites, under their king Menahem, wishing to avoid a civil war, called in Pul, king of Assyria, to help them. This led to a series of evils inflicted by the Syrian and Assyrian kings, till at last Israel was ravaged by Shalmaneser, and carried into captivity. Thus, in... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 5:18

Verse 18 The Prophet expresses here more fully what he briefly and obscurely touched upon as to the passing of God through the land; for he shows that the Israelites acted strangely in setting up the name of God as their shield, as though they were under his protection, and in still entertaining a hope, though oppressed with many evils, because God had promised that they should be the objects of his care: he says that this was an extremely vain pretense. He yet more sharply reproves their... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 5:19

Verse 19 Here is expressed more clearly what the Prophet had said before, — that hypocrites can have no hope, that the various changes, which may take place, will bring them any alleviation. Hypocrites, while straying in circuitous courses, do indeed promise better things to themselves, when the condition of the times is changed: and as Satan transforms himself into an angel of light, so hypocrites imitate the true servants of God. But it is a false imitation; for these are only fading flowers,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 5:20

Verse 20 “You have no reason,” he says, “to hope for any light from the day of Jehovah.” Why? “For Jehovah will not come, except when armed; for, as ye conduct yourselves in a hostile manner towards him, he must necessarily take vengeance. He will, therefore, bring with him no light, except it may be to fulminate against you: but his appearance will be dreadful, even darkness and thick darkness; and then, when he ceases to pursue you in one way, he will assail you in another; and, when foreign... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 5:18

The day of the Lord. Anycrisis in the nation's history is so called, when God interposes to punish and correct. To our minds it looks forward to the final judgment. It is often mentioned by the prophets ( e.g. Isaiah 2:12 ; Isaiah 13:6 , Isaiah 13:9 ; Joel 2:1 , Joel 2:11 ; Joel 3:18 ; Zephaniah 1:7 , Zephaniah 1:14 ) as a time when the heathen should be judged, all the enemies of Israel defeated, and when Israel herself was exalted to the highest pitch of prosperity and... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Amos 5:16-20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 5:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 5:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 5:20

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 5:18

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 5:19

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 5:18

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 5:19

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 5:20

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 5:18

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