Ver. 1-21. God's Vengeance on Israel's Foes in the ValI (continued)
JOEL III.
Ood Ui he knovm, in His Judyvients.
His Blessing upon Ike Cliureh.
Greek civilization in part oame through the Jewish slaves Imported into Greece from Phoenicia by traffickers. Ezekiel 'Zi. 18 mentions Jdvan and Tyre as trading in the persons of men. far from tlieir border— far from Judea; BO that the captive Jews were cut oH' from all hope of return. 7. raise fUein—i. e., I will rouse them. Neither sea nor distance will prevent my bringing them back. Alexander, and his successors, restored to liberty many Jews In bondage in Greece (Josephus 13. 5; J. B. 3. 9, 2). 8. sell to Its full maturity. God docs not cut off the wicked at once, but waits till tlieir guilt is at its full (so as to the Amorites' iniquity. Genesis 15. 10), to show fortli His own long suffering, and thejustice of their doom wlio have so long abused it (Mattliew 13. 27-30, 38, 40; Revelation 14. la-
Id). For the image of a harvest to be threslied, cf. Jeremiah 51. 33; and a wine press, Isaiah 03. 3 ; Lamentations
1. 15. 14:. The propliet in vision .seeing tlie immense array of nations congregating, exclaims, "Multitudes, multitudes!" a Hebraism for immense multitudes, valley of decision—i. e., the valley in wliicli they are to meet tlieir determined doom. The same as "the valley of Jehoshaphat," i.e., "the valley of judgment" (Note, v. 2). Cf. v. 12, "there will I sit to judge," which confirms AYi/zHa/i Version rather than Margin, " threshing." The repetition of " valley of decision" heightens the effect, and pronounces the awful certainty of their doom. 15. (Notes, ch. 2. 10, 31.) 16, tlieni to . . . Snbeans—the Persian Artaxerxes Mnemon and Darius Ochus, and chiefly the Greek Alexander, reduced the Phoenician and Philistine powers. Thirty thousand Tyrians after the capture of Tyre by the last conqueror, and multitudes of Philistines on the taking of Gaza, were sold as slaves. The Jews are here said to do that which the God of Judah does in vindication of their wrong, viz., sell the Phoenicians who sold them, to a people " far off," as was Greece, whither the Jews had been
(Cf. Ezekiel 38. 18-22.) The victories of tlie Jews over their cruel foe Antiochus, under the Maccabees, may be a reference of this prophecy; but the ultimate reference is to the last Antichrist, of whom Antiochus was the type. Jerusalem being the central seat of the theocracy (Psalm 132.
Bold. The Sabeans at the most remote extremity of Arabia Felix are referred to (cf. Jeremiah 6. 20; Matthew 12.
12). 9. The nations hostile to Israel are summoned by Jehovali to " come up" (this phrase is used because JeruBalem was on a hill) against Jerusalem, not that they may destroy it, but be destroyed by the Lord at It (Ezekiel 38.
13), it is. from thence that Jehovah discomiits the foe. roar—as a lion (Jeremiah 25. 30 ; Amos 1. 2 ; 3. 8). Cf. as to Jehovah's voice tliundering. Psalm 18. 13; Habakkuk 3.
7-2:3 ; Zechariah 12. 2-9 ; 14.2,3). Prepare war—lit., iSanc-
10, 11. liord . . . the liope of liis people—or, their refuge (Psalm 46. 1). n. shall ye know—experimentally by the proofs of favours which I shall vouchsafe to you. So "kuow" (Isaiah 60. 16; Hosea 2. 20). dwe Ulng in Ziou— as peculiarly your God. lioly . . , no strangers pass throiigli—to attack, or to defile, the holy city (Isaiah 35.
lify war: because the heathen always began war with religious cerenfonies. The very plirase used of Babylon's preparations against Jerusalem (Jeremiah 6. 4) Is now used of the final foes of Jerusalem. As Babylon was then desired by God to advance against her for her destruction, Bo now all her foes, of whom Babylon was the type, are desired to advance against her for their own destruction. 10. Beat your plouglisliares into swords—As the foes are desired to "beat their plouglislvares into xwords, and
8; 52.1; Zechariah 14. 21). Strangers, or Gentiles, shall come to Jerusalem, but it shall be in order to worship Jehovah there (Zechariah 14. 16). 18. mountains . . . drop. . . wine—figurative for abundance of vines, wtiich were cultivated in terraces of eartli between the rocks on the sides of the hills of Palestine (Amos 9. 13). hills . . . flow with milk i.e., they shall abound in flocks and herds yielding milk plentifully, tluough the richness of the pastures, waters—the great desideratum for fertility in the parched East (Isaiah 30. 25). fountain . . . of . . . house of . . . Lord . . . water . . . valley of Shittim— the blessings, temporal and spiritual, issuing from Jehovah's house at Jerusalem, shall extend even to Shittim, on the border between Moab and Israel, beyond .lordan (Numbers 25. 1; 33. 49; Joshua 2.1; Micah 6. 5). Shittim means acractas, which grow only in arid regions: implying, that even the arid desert shall be fertilized by the blessing from Jerusalem. So Ezekiel 47. 1-12 describes the waters issuing from the threshold of the house as flowing into the Dead Sea, and purifying it. Also in Zechariah their pruninfj hooks into spears," that so they may perish in their unhallowed attack on Judah and Jerusalem, so these latter, and the nations converted to God by them, after the overthrow of the Antichristian confederacy, shall, on the contrary, " beat their swords into ploughshares, and Xhe'w spears into pruning hooks," when under Messiah's coming reign there shall be war no more (Isaiah 2.4; Hosea 2. 18; Micah 4. 3). let tlie weak say, I am strong —so universal shall be the rage of Israel's foes for invading her, that even the weak among them will fancy themselves strong enough to join the Invading forces. Age and Infirmity were ordinarily made valid excuses for exemption from service, but so mad shall be the fury of the world against God's people, that even the feeble will not desire to be exempted (cf. Psalm 2. 1-3). 11. Assemble " Hasten." [Mauker.] tliltlier—to the valley of Jehoshaphat. thy mighty ones—the warriors who fancy themselves " mighty ones," but who are on that very spot to be overthrown by Jehovah. [Maitrer.] Cf. " the mighty men" {v. 9). Rather, Joel speaks of God's really "mighty •nes" in contrast to the self-styled " mighty men" (i 9; Psalm 103. 20; Isaiah 13. 3; cf. Daniel 10. 13). Auberlen remarks: One prophet supplements the other, for they
14. 8 the waters flow on one side Into the Mediterranean, on the other side into tlie Dead Sea, near which latter Shittim was situated (cf. Psalm 40. 4; Revelation 22. 1). 19. Kdom—it was subjugated b.y David, but revolted under Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21. 8-10); and at every subsequent opportunity tried to injure Judah. Egypt under Sliisliak spoiled Jerusalem under Rehoboam of the treasures of the temple and the king's house; subsequently to the oaptivit.v. It inflicted under the Ptolemies various injuries on Judea. Antiochus spoiled Egypt (Daniel 11. 40- all prophesied only " in part." What was obscure to one was revealed to the other; what is briefly described by one is more fully so by another. Daniel calls Antichrist a king, and dwells on his worldly conquests ; John looks more to his spiritual tyranny, for which reason he adds a second beast, wearing the semblance of spirituality. Antichrist himself IS described by Daniel. Isaiah (Isaiah 29.), Joel (ch. 3), and Zechariah (Zechariah 12., 13. and 14.), describe his army of heatlien followers coming up against Jerusalem, but not Antichrist himself. 13. See v. 2. Judge all the heathen round about i. e., all the nations from all parts of the earth which have maltreated Israel, not merely, as Henderson supposes, the nations round about Jerusalem (cf. Psalm 110.6; Isaiah 2. 4; Micah 4.3, H-13; Zephaniah 3. 15-19 ; Zechariah 12. 9; 14.3-11; Malaahl 4. 1-3). 13. Direction to the ministers of vengeance to execute God's wrath, as the enemy's wickedness is come 668
43). Edom was made " desolate" under the Maccabees (Josephus 12. 11, 12). The low condition of the two countries for centuries proves the truth of the prediction (cf. Isaiah 19. 1, &c. ; Jeremiah 49. 17 ; Obadiah 10). So shall fare all tlie foes of Israel, typified by tliese two (Isaiah 63,
1, &o.). ^0. dwell for ever—(Amos 9. 15), t. e., be established as a flourishing state, m. cleanse . . . blood . . not cleansed—I will pui'ge away from Judah the extremt guilt(represeiited by " blood," tlie sliedding of which was the climax of her sin, Isaiah 1. 15) which was for long not purged away, but visited witli judgments (Isaiaii 4. 4). Messiah saves from guilt, in order to save from punishment (Matthew 1. 21).
Judgment/ upon Syria, AMOS I. Philistia, Tyre, Edom, and Ammon.
AMOS.
INTRODUCTION.
Amos (meaning in Hebrew " a burden ") was (ch. 1. 1) a shepherd of Tekoa, a small town of Judah, six miles soutn-
Piisl from Betlileliem, and twelve from Jerusalem, on the borders of the great desert (2 Chronicles 20. 20 ; cf. 11. 6, ibid). The region being sandy was fitter for pastoral than for agricultural purposes. Amos therefore owned and tended flocks, and collected sycamore figs; not that the former was a menial office, kings themselves, as Mesha of Moab (2 Kings X 4), exercising it. Amos, however (from ch. 7. 14, 15), seems to have been of humble rank. Thougli belonging to Judah, he was commissioned by God to exercise his prophetical function in Israel ; as the latter kingdom abounded in impostors, and the prophets of God generally fled tojudah through fear of the kings of Israel.a irne prophet from Judali was the more needed in It, His name is not to be confounded with that of Isaiah's father,
Afnoz.
The time of liis prophesying was in the reigns of Uzzlah king of Judea, and Jeroboam II. son of Joash, king of Israel
(ch. 1. 1), i.e.. In part of the time in which the two kings wei'e contemporary; probably in Jeroboam's latter years, aflpr that mon.arch had recovered from Syria " the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath to the sea of the plain "
(2 Kings 14. '2.~i-'I7); for Amas foretells that these same coasts, "from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of the wilderness," should be t lie scene of Israel's being afllicted (ch. 6. 14); also his references to the state of luxurious security then existing (cli. 6. 1, 4, l'?), and to the speedy termination of it by the Assyrian foe (ch. 1. 5; 3. 12, 15; 5. 27; 8.2), point to the latter part of Jeroboam's reign, which terminated in 784 b. c, the twenty-seventh year of Uzziah's reign, wliich continued down to 759 B. c.
He was contemporary with Hosea, only that the latter continued to prophesy in reigns subsequent to Uzziah (Hosea 1. 1), wliereas Amos ceased to prophesy in the reign of that monarch. The scene of his ministry was Beth-el, wliere the idol calves were set up (oh. 7. 10-13). There his prophecies roused Amaziah the idol priest to accuse him of conspiracy, aud to try to drive him back to Judah.
The first six cliapters are without figure ; the last three symbolical, but witli the explanation subjoined. He first denounces the neighbouring peoples, then the Jews, then Israel (from ch. 3. to the end), closing with the promise or restoration under Messiali (ch. 9. 11-15). His style is thought by Jekomb to betray ills humble origin ; but though not Bublime, it is regular, perspicuous, and energetic; his Images are taken from the scenes in nature with which he was familiar; his rliythms are flowing, his parallelisms exact, and his descriptions minute and graphic. Some peculiar expressions occur: "cleannessof teeth " i. e., want of bread (ch. 4. (i); " tlie excellency of Jacob " (ch.6.8; 8.7); "the high places of Isaac " (ch. 7. !)); "tlie house of Isaac" (ch. 7. 16); "he that createth the wind " (ch. 4. 13). Hengstenbeeg draws an able argument for the genuineness of the Mosaic records from the evidence in Amos, that tlie existing institutions in Israel as well as Judah (excepting the calves of Jeroboam), were framed according to the Pt iitateuch rules.
Two quotations from Amos occur In the New Testament (cf. Acts 7. 42, 43, with ch. 5. 25, 26 ; and Acts 15. 16, 17, with ch. 9. 11).
Philo, Josephus, Melito's catalogue, Jerome, JusTinr Martyr (sec. 22, quoting the fifth and six chapters of Amos as "one of the twelve minor prophets"), and the 60th canon of the Laodicean council support the canonicity of the book of Amos.
When Carmel itself " withers," how utter t desolation I (Song of Solomon 7. 5; Isaiah aS. 9; S5. 2; Je"miah 50. 19; Nahum 1. 4). 3. Here begins a series of threatenings of vengeance against six other states, followed by one against Judah, and ending with one against Israel, with whom the rest of the prophecy is occupied. The eight predictions are in symmetrical stanzas, each prefaced by " Thus saith the Lord." Beginning with the sin of others, which Israel would be ready enough to recognize, he proceeds to bring home to Israel her own guilt. Israel must not think hereafter, because she sees others visited similarly to herself, that such judgments are m.atters of chance; nay, they are divinely foreseen and foreordered, and are confirmations of the truth that God will not clear the guilty. If God spares not the nations that know not the truth, how much less Israel that sins wilfully (Luke
CHAPTEit I.
Ver. 1-15. God's Judgments on Syria, Philistia, Tyre, Edom, and Ammon. 1. Tlie words of Amos—i. e., Amos' m acular communications. A lieading found only In Jeremiah 1. 1. amoug tlie herdmen—rather, "shepherds;" both owning and tending sheep; from an Arabic root, to mark with pricks, viz., to select the best among a species of sheep and goats ill-shapen and short-footed (as others explain the name from an Arabic root), but distinguished by their wool. [Maurer.] God chooses "the weak things of the world to confound the mighty," and makes a humble shepherd reprove the arrogance of Israel and her king arising from prosperity (cf. 1 Samuel 17. 40). whlcli he saw—in supernatural vision (Isaiah 1. 1). two years before the eart Siqnake—mentioned In Zecharlah
12. 47, 48 ; James 4. 17) ! For tliree traiiggressions . . . and for four—If Damascus had only sinned once or twice, I would have spared them, but since, after having been so often pardoned, they still persevere so contimially, I will no longer " turn away" their punishment. The Hebrew is simply, "I will not reverse it," viz., the sentence of punishment which follows; the negative expression implies more than it expresses, i. e., " I will most surely execute it;" God's fulfilment of His threats being more awful than human language can express. "Three and four" imply sin multiplied on sin. Cf. Exodus 20. 5; Proverbs 30. 15, IS,
14. 5. The earthquake occurred in Uzziah's reign, at the time of his being stricken with leprosy for usurping the priest's functions. [Josephus, Antiquities 9. 10. 4.] This clause must have been inserted by Ezra and the compilers of the Jewish canon. 3. will roar—as a lion (Joel 3. 16). Whereas Jehovah Is there represented roaring in Israel's behalf, here he roars against her (cf. Psalm 18. 13; Jeremiah Vy. .W). from ZIon . . . Jerusalem—the seat of the theocracy, from which ye have revolted; not from Dan and Beth-el, the seat of your idolatrous worship of the calves, hiililtation . . . mourn—poetical personification. Their inhabitants shall mourn, imparting a sadness to the very habitatio Tis. Carmel — the mountain promontory north of Israel, In Asher, abounding in rich pastures, uUves, and vines. The name is the symbol of fertility.
21; "six and seven," Job 5. 19; "once and twice," Job 33.
14; "twice aud thrice," Margin; "oftentimes," Englifh Version, Job 33.29; "seven and also eight," Ecclesiaste*
11. 2. There may be also a reference to seven, the productoj
OofTs Judgments apon Syria, Philistia, etc. AMOS II. His Wrath (igainit Moab.
three Rnd four added; seven expressing the full completion of the measure of their guilt (Leviticus 26.18,21,24; cf. Mattliew 23. 32). tUreshed—tlie very term used of the Syrian king Hazael's oppression of Israel under Jehu and Jelioahaz (2 Kings 10. 32, 33; 13. 7). Tlie victims were tlirown l)pfore tlie threshing-sledges, the teeth of which tore their bodies. So David to Ammon (2 Samuel 12. 31; chadnezzar, the Persians, Alexander, and lastly the Asmoneans. 9. Tynis . . . delivered up the . . . captivity to Elom—the same charge as against the Pliilistines (v.
6). remembered not the brotherly covenant—the leairue of Hiram of Tyre with David and Solomon, tlie former supplying cedars for the building of the temple and king's house in return for oil and corn (2 Samuel 5. 11 ; I Kings 5. 2-6; 9. 11-14, -27 ; 10. 22; 1 Chronicles 14. 1 ; 2 ChroniclCN 8. 18; cf. Isaiah 28. 27). 4. Haznel . . . Bcn-liadnd—A black morl)le obelisk found in the central palace of Nimroud, and now in tlie British Museum, Is inscribed with the names of Hazael and Ben-hadad of Syria, as well as Jehu of Israel, mentioned as tributaries of "Shalmanubar," king of Assyria. The kind of tribute from Jehu is mentioned, gold, pearls, precious oil, &c. [G. V. Smith.] Tlie Ben-hadad here is the son of Hazael (2 Kings 13. 3), not the Ben-hadad supplanted and slain by Hazael (2 Kings 8.
9. 10). 10. lire—(Cf.ti. 4,7; notes, Isaiah 2:^.; Ezekiel 2(i.. 27., and '28.) Many parts of Tyre were burnt by fiery missiles of the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar. Alexaiulei of Macedon subsequently overthrew it. 11. Edom . . . did pursue his brother—(Isaiah .34. .5.) The chief aggravation to Edom's violence against Israel was, that they both came from the same parents, Isaac and Rebecca (cf. Genesis 25. 21-26; Deuteronomy 2.3. 7, 8; Obadiah 10, 12; Maliiclii
7, The phrase, " I will send a fire," <S:c., j. e., the flame of war (Psalm 78. 63), occur also {v. 7, 10, 12, 14, and ch. 2. 2, 5; Jeremiah 49. 27; Hosea 8. 14). 5. Bar of Damascus i.
1. 2). cast off all pity lit., destroy compassions, i. f., did suppress all the natural feeling of pity for a brollier in distress, his M'rath for ever—as Esau kept up his grudge against Jacob, for having twice supplanted him, viz., as to the birth-right and the blessing (Genesis 27. 41), so Esau's posterity against Israel (Numbers 20. 14, 21). Eilom first showed his spite in not letting Israel pass through his borders Avlien coming from the wilderness, liut threatening to "come out against him with the sword;" next, when the Syrians attacked Jerusalem under Ahaz (cf. 2 Chronicles 28. 17, with 2 Kings 16.5); next, when Nebuchadnezzar assailed Jerusalem (Psalm 137. 7, 8). In each case Edom chose the day of Israel's calamity for venting his grudge. This is the point of Edom's guilt dwelt on in Obadiah 10-13. God punishes the children, not for the sin of their fathers, but for their own filling up the measure of their fathers' guilt, as children generally follow in the steps of, and even exceed, tlieir fathers' guilt (cf. Exodus e., tlie bar of its gates (cf, Jeremiah 51. 30). the Inliabltant—singular lor plural, " inhabitants." Henderson, because of the parallel, "him that holdeth the sceptre," translates, " the ruler." But the parallelism is that of one clause complementing the other, " the inhabitant" or subject here answering to " him that holdeth the sceptre" or ruler there, botli ruler and subject alike being cut ofT. Aven—the same as Oon or Un, a delightful valley, four hours' journey from Damascus, towards the desert. Proverbial in the East as a place of delight. [Josephus AbAssus.] It is here parallel to " Eden," which also means pleasantness; situated at Lebanon. As Josephus Abassus is a doubtful authority, perhaps the reference may be rather to the valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, called El-Bekaa, where are the ruins of the Baalbek temple of the sun ; so the LXX. render it On, the same name as the city in Egypt bears, dedicated to the sun-worship (Genesis 41. 45; Margin, Ezekiel 30. 17, Heliopolis, " the city of the sun"). It is termed by Amos " the valley of Aven," or vanity, from the worship of idols in it. Kir—a region
20. 5). 12. Teman—a city of Edom, called from a grandson of E.sau (Genesis 36. 11, 15; Obadiah 8, 9). Situated five miles from Petra; south of the present Wady Musa. Its people were famed for wisdom (Jeremiah 49. 7). Boxrali —a city of Edom (Isaiah 63. 1). Selah or Petra is not mentioned, as it had lieen overthrown by Amaziah (2 Kings sulfject to Assyria (Isaiah 22. 6) in Iberia, the same as that called now in Armenian Kur, lying by the river Cyrus
14.7). 13. Ainmon—the Ammonites under Naliash attacked Jabesh-gilead, and refused to accept the ofl'er of the latter to save them, unless the Jubesh-gileadwliicli empties itself into the Caspian Sea. Tiglath-pileser fulfilled tills prophecy when Ahaz applied for help to him against Rezin king of Syria, and the Assyrian king took Damascus, slew Rezin, and carried away its people captive ites would put out all their right eyes (1 Samuel 11. 1, &c.). Saul rescued Jabesh-gilead. The Ammonites joined the Chaldeans in their invasion of Judea for the sake of plunder, ripped up women with child—as Hazael of Syria also did (2 Kings 8. 12; cf. Hosea 1.3. 16). Amnion's object in this cruel act was to leave Israel without "heir," so as to seize on Israel's inheritance (Jeremiah 49. 1). 14. Kabbah—the capital of Ammon: meaning "the Great." Distinct from Kabbah of Moab. Called Philadelphia, afterwards, from Ptolemy Philadelplius. tempest— t. <., with an onset swift, sudden, and resistless as a hurricane, day of the whirlwind—parallel to " the day of battle ;" therefore meaning "the day of the foe's tumultuous assault." 15. tlieir king . . . princes—or else, "their Moloch (the idol of Ammon) and his priests." [Grotius and LXX.]
to Kir. 6. Gaza—tiie soutliernmost of the five capitals of the five divisions of Philistia, and the key to Palestine on tlie south: lieiice put for the whole Philistine nation. Uzziah commenced the fulfilment of this prophecy (see 2 Chronicles 26. 6). because they carried away . . . the tvhole captivity—t. e., they left none. Cf. with the phrase here, Jeremiah 13. 19, " Judah . . . carried captive all of it. . . wholly carried away." Under Jehoram already the Philistines had carried away all the substance of the king of Judah, and his wives and his sons, "so that there was never a son left to him, save Jehoaliaz ;" and after Amos' time (if the reference include the future, which to the prophet's eye Is as if already done), under Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28. 18), they seized on all the cities and villages of the low country and south of Judah. to deliver them up to Edom—Judali's bitterest foe; as slaves (v. 9; cf. Joel 3. 1,
Isaiali 43.28 so uses "princes" for priests. So ch. 5. 26, "your Molech ;" and Jeremiah 49. 3, Margin. English Version, however, is perhaps preferable both here and in Jeremiah 49. 3; see notes there.
3,6). Grotius refers it to the fact (Isaiah 16. 4) that on Sennacherib's invasion of Judah, many fled lor refuge to neiglibouring countries; the Philistines, Instead of hospitably sheltering the refugees, sold them, as if captives
CHAPTEE II.
Ver. 1-16. Charges against Moab, Judah, and lastly Israel, the chief Subject of Amos' Prophecies.
in war, to their enemies, the Idumeans. 7. tire i. e., the flame of war (Numbers 21. 28; Isaiah 26. 11). Hezekiah
1. burned . . . bones of . . . kin of Edom Into limewhen Jehoram of Israel, Jehoshaphat of Judah, and the king of Edom, combined against Mesha king of Moab, the latter failing in battle to break through to the king of Edom, ttxik the eldest son of the latter and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall (2 Kings 3. 27). [Michaells.] Thus, "king of Eilom" is taken as the heir to the throne of Edom. But " his son" is rather the king of Moah's own son, whom the father oirered to Molech. [Josephus, Anfulfilled the prophecy, smiting the Pliilistines unto Gaza
(2 Kings 18. 8). Foretold also by Isaiah 14. 29, 31. 8. Ashdod, &c.—Oalh alone Is not mentioned of the five chief Philistine cities. It had already been subdued by David; and it, as well as Ashdod, was taken by Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26. 6). Gath perhaps had lost its position as one of the five primary cities before Amos uttered this prophecy, whence arose his omission of it. So Zephaniah 2. 4, 5. V.i. Jeremiah 47. 4; Ezekiel 25. 16. Subsequently to the subjugation of the Philistines by Uzziah, and then by Hezetlah, they were reduced by Psamraetlcus of Egypt, Nebutiquities, 9. !^.] Thus the reference here in Amos isndtto that fact, but to the revenge which probably the kinu