Amos 4:4 - Exposition

The prophet now turns to Israel, and ironically bids them exhibit their zeal for idolatry, and thus increase their guilt. Bethel ; as the chief seat of idol worship ( Amos 3:14 ). At Gilgal; rather, to Gilgal, "come ye" being repeated in thought. Gilgal was a strong position in the plain of Jordan, three miles east of Jericho, taking its name probably from the stone circles erected for purposes of worship in very early times. Joshua ( Joshua 5:9 ) gave a new meaning to the old name. There is a large pool of water in this neighbourhood called Jil-julieh, about four miles from the Jordan, which is doubtless a corruption of the ancient name Gilgal. It seems to have been regarded as a holy place in Samuel's days or even before (see 3:19 ; 1 Samuel 7:16 ; 1 Samuel 10:8 ; 1 Samuel 11:14 , etc.; 1 Samuel 13:8 , etc.); and later was appropriated to false worship, though we have no information as to the date of this declension. Gilgal and Bethel are associated together in idolatrous worship ( Amos 5:5 and in Hosea 4:15 ; Hosea 9:15 ; Hosea 12:11 ). Bring your sacrifices every morning. They were careful to maintain the outward semblance of the regular Levitical worship, even beyond the letter of the Law in some respects, though their service was all the time idolatry. As this and the following clause are still ironical, Amos is speaking, not of the daily-prescribed sacrifice ( olah, Numbers 28:3 ), but of the offerings ( zebach ) of individual Israelites which were not required to be presented every day. Your tithes after three years; literally, on the three of days ; lishlosheth yamim ; Vulgate, tribus diebus ; Septuagint, εἰς τριημερίαν , "every third day." Revised Version, "every three days." So Gesenius, Ewald, Keil, Schegg, Hitzig, Baur. The prophet bids them bring their tithes, not as the Law ordered, every year (Le 27:30), or, as in the ease of the second tithe, every three years ( Deuteronomy 14:28 ; Deuteronomy 26:12 ), but, by an ironical exaggeration, "every three days." Dr. Pusey defends the English Version on the ground of the idiomatic use of "days" for one circle of days, i.e. a year (Le 25:29; 17:10 ; 1 Samuel 27:7 ). But this loses the irony which is so marked in the whole passage. Keil, "If ye would offer slain sacrifices every morning, and tithe every three days, ye would only thereby increase your apostasy from the living God."