Dominus Jehova, et consumpsit (aut, voravit) abyssum magnam (et consumpta fuit
MINOR PROPHETS
Lord, thou drawest forth now thy power against miserable creatures, who are already enfeebled enough'' for he calls him small, because he had been worn out by many calamities: and hence I said, that reference is here made to that miserable time, of which Scripture records, when it declares that the free as well as the captive were reduced to extreme distress, before Jeroboam the second began to reign. Then indeed God restored his people; but short was that favor; for immediately after the death of king Jeroboam, a sedition arose, which proved ruinous to the whole kingdom: his son Zachariah, as it is well known, was slain by Shallum, (2 Kings 15:8-10)
How then will Jacob rise up? Some take the verb {,}יקוםikum, 55 in a transitive sense, ``Who will raise him up?'' but others think it to be a neuter verb, ``How will Jacob rise up?'' that is, by what means will Jacob rise up? as {,}מיmi, may be taken to mean, how, or by what means: How then will Jacob rise up? But this difference has little to do with the main point It is then enough to say, that the Prophet here speaks of the weakness of the people, that on this account God might be more ready to forgive them. It now follows ---
Amos 7:4-6
4. Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.
4. Sic ostendit mihi Dominus Jehova: et ecce vocans ad disceptandum in igne
Dominus Jehova, et consumpsit (aut, voravit) abyssum magnam (et consumpta fuit possessio) (alii {}חלקvertunt partem agri; sed malo accipere pro tota possessione.
5. Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
5. Et dixi, Adonai Jehova, cessa, obsecro; quis (hoc est, quomodo) consurget
Jacob? (vel, quis attollet, ut prius dictum est;) quia parvus est.
6. The Lord repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord God.
6. Poenituit Jehova super hoc; Etiam hoc non erit, dicit Dominus Jehova.
The Prophet shows that God had not once only spared the people, but that when he was again prepared for vengeance, he still willingly deferred it, that, if possible, the people might willingly recover themselves: but as all were unhealable, this forbearance of God produced no fruit. Now as to the words of the Prophet, we see that a heavier punishment is designated by the similitude of fire, than by what he said before when he spoke of locusts. We stated that by locusts is to be understood ordinarily a moderate punishment, one not so dreadful at first sight. For though the want and famine introduced by locusts, when they consume all kinds of fruit, are most grievous evils; yet fire sometimes strikes people with much greater dread.
Hence the Prophet shows by mentioning fire, that God had become very indignant, having seen that the people had hardened themselves and could not be reformed by common and usual remedies. The Lord's usual mode of proceeding, as he declares everywhere in Scriptures is this: At first he tries to find whether men are capable of being healed, and applies not the most grievous punishment, but such as may be endured; but when he perceives in sinners hardness and obstinacy, he doubles and 55One MS. has {,{יקיםwhich is, to cause to rise, or to raise up. This agrees with the Septuagint --- {αναστήσει}, and comports with the rest of the sentence; for {}מיis `who,' and not `how' or `by what means.' --- Ed.