Amos 8:14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Amos 8:11-14

In these verses is threatened, I. A general judgment of spiritual famine coming upon the whole land, a famine of the word of God, the failing of oracles and the scarcity of good preaching. This is spoken of as a thing at some distance: The days come, they will come hereafter, when another kind of darkness shall come upon that land of light. When Amos prophesied, and for a considerable time after, they had great plenty of prophets, abundant opportunities of hearing the word of God, in season... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 8:14

They that swear by the sin of Samaria ,.... The calf at Bethel, which was near Samaria, and which the Samaritans worshipped; and was set up by their kings, and the worship of it encouraged by their example, and which is called the calf of Samaria, Hosea 8:5 ; the making of it was the effect of sin, and the occasion of leading into it, and ought to have been had in detestation and abhorrence, as sin should; and yet by this the Israelites swore, as they had used to do by the living God; so... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 8:14

By the sin of Samaria - Baal, who was worshipped here. Thy god, O Dan - The golden calf, or ox, the representative of the Egyptian god Apis, or Osiris. The manner of Beer-sheba - The worship, or object of worship. Another of the golden calves which Jeroboam had set up there. The word דרך derech , way, is here taken for the object and mode of worship; see Acts 19:9 , where way is taken for the creed and form of Divine worship as practiced by the followers of Christ, and by which... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 8:14

Verse 14 He afterwards mentions the reason why the Lord would inflict such punishments on his people; it was, because they had prostituted themselves to wicked superstitions; They swear, he says, by the sin of Samaria; they say, Live does thy God, Dan; Live does the way of Beersheba Some understand “sin” here metaphorically, (as it is taken also in many other places,) as meaning sin-offerings, which are called by the Hebrews אשמות, ashimut, and by the Latins piacula — expiations: but this... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 8:1-14

§ 5. In the fourth vision, the basket of summer fruit, the Lord shows that the people is ripe for judgment. Explaining this revelation, Amos denounces the oppression and greed of the chieftains (verses 4-10), and warns them that those who despise the Word of God shall some day suffer from a famine of the Word (verses 11-14). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 8:11-14

The scarcity that swallows the residue of good. To waste is to want, in things temporal and spiritual alike. Abuse is inevitably followed by deprivation, and the prodigal is one who is purveying for himself a suit of rags. God caps our "will not" with his "shall not," and the rude hand of change soon spills the cup of good we have refused to taste. Under the operation of this law the nation of Israel would now come. They had wasted the Word of God, neglecting it, despising it, and at last... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 8:14

They who trusted in idols shall find no help in them. They who swear by. Those who reverence and worship, as Deuteronomy 6:13 ; Deuteronomy 10:20 . The sin of Samaria. The golden calf at Bethel (comp. Deuteronomy 9:21 ; Hosea 8:5 , Hosea 8:6 ). Septuagint, κατὰ τοῦ ἱλασμοῦ σαμαρείας , "by the propitiation of Samaria." Thy god, O Dan, liveth; i.e. as thy god liveth, by the life of thy god. This was the other calf erected at Dan, near the source of the Jordan, in the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Amos 8:14

Religious sincerity. "They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again." "The sin of Samaria" means the idolatry of Samaria. In Samaria they worshipped the golden calf as the chief object; but it would seem there were other inferior idols. The god of Dan was the golden calf sot up by Jeroboam in Dan ( 1 Kings 12:1-33 .). "The fulfilment," says Delitzsch, "of these threats commenced... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Amos 8:14

Who swear - Literally, “the swearing,” they who habitually swear. He assigns, at the end, the ground of all this misery, the forsaking of God. God had commanded that all appeals by oath should be made to Himself, who alone governs the world, to whom alone His creatures owe obedience, who alone revenges. “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve Him and swear by His Name” Deuteronomy 6:13; Deuteronomy 10:20. On the other hand Joshua warned them, “Neither make mention of the name of their gods... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Amos 8:14

Amos 8:14. They that swear by the sin of Samaria That is, by the calf which Jeroboam set up as an object of worship at Beth-el, not far from Samaria, committing a great sin in so doing, and making Israel to sin. Swearing, according to the sense in which the word is here taken, is a solemn invocation of the name of God, and an appeal to him; and, as such, is a proper part of divine worship, (see Deuteronomy 6:13; Deuteronomy 10:20,) and therefore ought not to be given to idols. And say,... read more

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