Amos 4:5 - Exposition

Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven; more definitely, offer by burning a thank offering of that which is leavened. This is an alteration of the prescribed ritual in two particulars. The Law forbade leaven in any meat offering consumed by fire (Le Amos 2:11 ; Amos 7:12 ); and if it allowed cakes of leavened bread to be offered on one occasion, these were not to be placed on the altar and burned, but one was to be assigned to the officiating priest, and the rest eaten at the sacrificial meal (Le Amos 7:13 , Amos 7:14 ). The ironical charge to the Israelites is that in their unlicensed zeal they should not only burn on the altar that which was leavened, but, with the idea of being more bountiful, they should also offer .by fire that which was to be set apart for other uses. The Septuagint Version can only be explained by considering the translators to have had a different reading, καὶ ἀνέγνωσαν ἔγω νόμον , "and they read the Law without." Proclaim … publish. Make public proclamation that free will offerings are to be made, or else, like the Pharisees ( Matthew 6:2 ), announce with ostentation that you are about to offer. The essence of such offerings was that they should be voluntary, not of command or compulsion (Le 22:18, etc.; Deuteronomy 12:6 ). Septuagint, καὶ ἐπεκαλέσαντο ὁμολογίας , "and called for public professions" (as Deuteronomy 12:6 , Deuteronomy 12:17 , Deuteronomy 12:18 ). This liketh you; this ye love ; Septuagint, "Proclaim ye that the children of Israel loved these things." Their whole heart was set on this will worship.