NOTES ON The Book of AMOS
Amos was cotemporary with Hosea, Joel and Isaiah, and prophesied a little sooner than
Isaiah. His name signifies a burden; in allusion to which we may say, that his word was
the burden of the LORD. His style is frequently concise and sententious, which makes it
somewhat obscure. He brings many reproofs, allusions and arguments from his country -
employment. But they are fitted with admirable skill, and beautified with an inimitable
eloquence. He begins with threatenings against the neighbouring nations, chap. 1, 2. Then
calls Israel to account, for their idolatry, ingratitude and incorrigibleness, chap. 3, 4.
He calls them to repentance, chap. 5. Foretells the tribulations that were coming upon
them, chap. 6. Some particular judgments, chap. 7. And after other reproofs and
threatenings, chap. 8, 9. concludes with a promise of the Messiah, chap. 10.
Chapter I
The general title and scope of this prophecy, ver. 1, 2. God's controversy with
Syria, ver. 3 - 5. Palestine, ver. 6 - 8. Tyre, ver. 9, 10. Edom, ver. 11, 12. And Ammon,
ver. 13 - 15.
| 1 |
He saw - Received by revelation. Israel - The kingdom of the ten tribes. Jeroboam -
The great grand - son of Jehu. The earth - quake - Of which, only this text, and Zech
14:5, make any particular mention. |
| 2 |
Will roar - Alluding to the roaring of an hungry lion for prey. Jerusalem - The city
God had chosen where he dwelt, the seat of God's instituted worship, and the royal seat of
the kingdom as God had settled it, from which in both respects the ten tribes had
revolted. The habitations - Where the shepherds found pasturage they pitch their tents,
and dwelt therein that they might attend their flocks. And this was the delight and wealth
of these men; alluding to which Amos expresses the wealth and delight of the kingdom of
Israel. Shall wither - Either blasted, or dried up with drought, and turned into
barrenness. So the whole kingdom of the ten tribes, though as fruitful as Carmel should be
made horrid and desolate as a wilderness. |
| 3 |
For three - This certain number is put for an uncertain: three, that is, many. Of
Damascus - Here Damascus is put for the whole kingdom of Syria. Threshed - Treated it with
the utmost cruelty. Gilead - There was a country of this name, and a city, possessed by
the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites; Gilead here is put for the inhabitants of this
country and city, whom Hazael, king of Syria most barbarously murdered. |
| 4 |
Ben - hadad - Ben - hadad was to the Syrian kings a common name, as Pharaoh to the
Egyptian kings, and Caesar to the Roman emperors. |
| 5 |
The bar - Literally the bar with which the city gates were shut, and fastened. Of Eden
- Some royal seat, of the kings of Syria. Kir - Kir of Media, Isa 22:6,
thither did Tiglath - Pilneser carry the conquered Syrians, 2Kings 16:9, and
placed them captives in that barren mountainous country, about fifteen years after it was
foretold by Amos. |
| 6 |
Carried away - All the Jews whom they had taken captive. Edom - Their most inveterate
enemies. These Edomites were ever ready to enslave, and tyrannize over the Jews, if by any
means they could get them into their hands. |
| 7 |
A fire - Desolating judgments. Gaza - All the power and strength of Palestine is here
included. |
| 8 |
Ashkelon - Another city of the Philistines, and a very strong one, which shall perish
with the king and the inhabitants thereof. |
| 9 |
The brotherly covenant - Which was between Hiram on the one part, and David and
Solomon on the other. |
| 11 |
Pursue - Watched for, and laid hold on every occasion to oppress Israel. Did tear - As
a ravenous and fierce lion tears the prey. |
| 12 |
Teman - The metropolis of Idumea, so called from Esau's grandson of that name. Bozrah
- This was a very strong city, and one of the chief in the whole kingdom, so that in the
menace against Bozrah and Teman, the strength and glory of Edom is threatened with an
utter overthrow. |
| 13 |
Enlarge their border - By destroying all that dwelt in it, and hereafter might claim a
title to it. |
| 14 |
With a tempest - With irresistible force, and surprising swiftness. |
Chapter II
God's controversy with Moab, ver. 1 - 3. With Judah, ver. 4, 5. And with Israel,
ver. 6 - 8. The aggravations of their sins, ver. 9 - 12. God complains of them, and
threatens their ruin, ver. 13 - 16.
| 1 |
The bones - Or ashes, reduced them by fire into fine dust, and used these ashes
instead of lime to plaister the walls and roofs of his palace, and this in hatred and
contempt of the king of Edom. |
| 2 |
Kirioth - A principal city of this country. Moab - The Moabites. Shall die - Be
destroyed. With tumult - Such as soldiers in fight or assaults make, when they carry all
by force. |
| 3 |
The judge - The governor that is, every one of them. |
| 4 |
Lies - Idols. To err - Their idolatry blinded them, partly from the natural tendency
of this sin, and partly from the just judgment of God. After which - Idols. Walked -
Successively, one generation after another. |
| 6 |
Shoes - The smallest bribe, exprest here proverbially. |
| 7 |
The people - That make a prey even of the poor afflicted ones, who walk with dust on
their heads. Turn aside - Maliciously interpret the actions, words, and designs of the
humble and meek. Will go in - These corrupt judges commit also that lewdness which the
Heathens abhor. |
| 8 |
Lay down - The Jews of old did not sit upright at their meals, but leaned on one side.
Upon clothes - Of which the law had expressly said, none should detain them all night, Deut
24:12,13. Every altar - Of their idols. Drink the wine - They offer their drink -
offerings in wine, which they bought with the fines laid on the innocent. |
| 9 |
The Ammorite - The mightiest nation of all the Canaanites. As the oaks - Another
proverbial speech denoting their great strength. His fruit - Their children. His roots -
The old standards; that present generation. |
| 11 |
Nazarites - Persons who bound themselves to a very sober and holy life; either for
some certain time, or for their whole life. |
| 12 |
Ye gave - Importuned them to drink wine, to violate their vow, and contemn God's law. |
| 13 |
Under you - Under the load of your sins. |
| 14 |
The swift - For their enemies shall be swifter than they. The strong - Natural
strength of body shall not deliver. The mighty - The valiant man, the man of the greatest
courage. |
Chapter III
Judgments denounced against Israel, ver. 1 - 8. Which cannot be prevented, unless
they repent, ver. 9 - 15.
| 2 |
Know - Chosen, adopted to be my peculiar ones. Therefore - Because you have all these
obligations and abused all these mercies. |
| 3 |
Agreed - Can you have God's presence while you walk so contrary to him? |
| 5 |
Can a bird fall - So here for your sins, God will cast the net over you. Shall one
take up a snare - The fowler will not take up the snare, before the prey be taken in it. |
| 6 |
Afraid - Affected with the danger. Evil - Such as plague or famine. Done it - Either
immediately by his own hand, or by the hands of those he employs. Whoever are the
instruments, God is the principal agent. Out of his mouth both good and evil proceed. |
| 7 |
Will do nothing - Usually the Lord doth no great thing for or against his people,
without giving warning of it before it comes. |
| 8 |
Hath roared - As a lion roareth when near his prey: so God hath terribly threatened
what is near to be done. Prophesy - Amos can not but speak what he had heard. |
| 9 |
Publish - Ye prophets invite strangers to come and observe what cause I have to do
what I threaten. Tumults - The seditious counsels, and rebellious conspiracies among them.
The oppressed - Multitudes of oppressed ones, as the usurpers took it to be their interest
to crush all they feared or suspected. In the midst - Yea, throughout the whole kingdom of
Samaria. |
| 10 |
Store up - As men lay up wealth in their treasures, perverting judgment, first
condemning the innocent, next seizing all his substance. |
| 11 |
Therefore - Because of all the violence and rapine with other crying sins. An
adversary - The Assyrian. Round about - Shall beset the whole land as one besieged city. |
| 12 |
As the shepherd - As the shepherd doth hardly rescue a small part of a sheep or lamb
from the lion, so a small part of the children of Israel, shall escape when Samaria is
taken. The corner of a bed - Lying in some dark corner. Damascus - The chief city of Syria
taken by Tiglath - Pilneser about the time when he wasted Israel. In a couch - Some few of
the poor, shall escape, pitied by the enemy, when he finds them sick upon their couch. |
| 13 |
Hear ye - Prophets. The God of hosts - Who is Lord of all, and hath all power in his
hand. |
| 14 |
Of Israel - The many and great transgressions of the ten tribes. |
| 15 |
The winter - house - Which probably was in the chief city, whither the great men
retired in the winter. The summer - house - The houses of pleasure, where the nobles and
rich men spent the summer time. Of ivory - Beautified with ivory. |
Chapter IV
Oppressors threatened, ver. 1 - 3. Idolaters given up, ver. 4, 5. The
incorrigibleness of Israel, ver. 6 - 11. They are still invited to repent, ver. 12, 13.
| 1 |
Kine of Bashan - So Amos compares the mighty, wanton, and oppressive rulers of Israel,
to those full - fed, strong, and wanton beasts which in the herds did push at, hurt, and
disturb the weaker cattle. |
| 2 |
By his holiness - By himself as he is the holy God. The days - Of famine, desolation
and captivity. He - God by the Assyrian army will take you, as fish are taken with the
hook. Your posterity - The children of these oppressors. |
| 3 |
Ye - Kine of Bashan. Go out - Ye shall endeavour to make your escape. The breaches -
Which the besieging enemy make in your walls, when Samaria is besieged. Before her -
Taking the readiest way. The things - All the riches and ornaments of your palaces. |
| 4 |
Come to Beth - el - A strong irony, giving them over as incorrigible. At Gilgal -
Gilgal was a place where much idolatry was acted. Every morning - In the same irony God
reproves their sins tho' they imitated the instituted worship at Jerusalem. Three years -
God had Deut 14:28, commanded every third year that all the tithe of that
year should be brought, and laid up in a publick store - house. |
| 5 |
With leaven - As all the rest of your will - worship, so this also is against the
express law, Lev 2:11. However, do so at your peril, try whether it will end
in good. Proclaim - Publickly persuaded your people to voluntary sacrifices. |
| 6 |
An I - The Lord who gave many blessings to win you to repentance, hath also tried what
might be done by judgments. Cleanness of teeth - This is a description of famine. |
| 7 |
When - At a season when your country most needed it. Upon one city - That you might
see my hand in it, I gave rain to one city, and withheld it from the next; nay one part of
the same field was watered and flourished: another part, dry and withered. |
| 8 |
Not satisfied - Either that had not enough for them, or durst not part with it. |
| 9 |
Increased - When they were most fruitful. Devoured - Eat up all, as is the manner of
them. |
| 10 |
Your horses - The riders being killed. The stink - So great slaughter hath been made
in your camp that there were not sufficient to bury the slain. |
| 11 |
Overthrew - By grievous and desolating judgments. As a fire - brand - Such of you as
escaped were yet as fire - brands in the midst of the fire, 'till infinite mercy saved a
remnant. |
| 12 |
Therefore - In a more terrible manner will I now proceed against thee. |
| 13 |
Declareth - Knows the thoughts of all men. The God of hosts - Whose sovereign power
all creatures obey, and acts for or against us as he willeth. Let us humble ourselves
before this God, and give all diligence to make him our God. For happy are the people
whose God he is, and who have all this power engaged for them. |
Chapter V
The deplorable condition of Israel, ver. 1 - 3. An exhortation to seek God, ver. 4
- 15. Judgments denounced, ver. 16 - 20. Notwithstanding their outward services, ver. 21 -
27.
| 2 |
The virgin - So she was, when first espoused to God. Upon her land - Broken to pieces
upon her own land, and so left as a broken vessel. |
| 3 |
By a thousand - That sent out one thousand soldiers. An hundred - Shall lose nine
parts of them. |
| 4 |
Ye shall live - It shall be well with you. |
| 5 |
Seek not - Consult not, worship not the idol at Bethel, Gilgal, or Beersheba. |
| 6 |
The house of Joseph - The kingdom of the ten tribes, the chief whereof was Ephraim,
the son of Joseph. In Beth - el - If once this fire breaks out, all your idols in Beth -
el shall not be able to quench it. |
| 7 |
Ye - Rulers and judges. Judgment - The righteous sentence of the law. To wormwood -
Proverbially understood; bitterness, injustice and oppression. Leave off - Make to cease
in your courts of judicature. |
| 8 |
The seven stars - A constellation, whose rising about September was usually
accompanied with sweet showers. Orion - Which arising about November brings usually cold,
rains and frosts intermixt very seasonable for the earth. The shadow of the earth - The
greatest adversity into as great prosperity. Dark with might - Changes prosperity into
adversity. That calleth - Commands the vapour to ascend, which he turns into rain; and
then pours from the clouds to make the earth fruitful. |
| 9 |
The strong - The mighty, victorious and insolent. Shall come - Shall rally and form a
siege against their besiegers. |
| 10 |
They - The judges and people. In the gate - Where judges sat, and where the prophets
many times delivered their message. |
| 11 |
Your treading - You utterly oppress the helpless. Ye take - Ye extort from the poor
great quantities of wheat, on which he should live. |
| 12 |
In the gate - In their courts of justice. |
| 13 |
Shall keep silence - Be forced to it. Evil - Both for the sinfulness of it, and for
the troubles, wars, and captivity now at hand. |
| 14 |
With you - To bless and save you yet. |
| 15 |
The evil - All evil among the people, and yourselves. Love - Commend, encourage,
defend: let your heart be toward good things, and good men. Remnant - What the invasions
of enemies, or the civil wars have spared, and left in Samaria and Israel. |
| 16 |
Therefore - The prophet foreseeing their obstinacy, proceeds to denounce judgment
against them. The husbandman - This sort of men are little used to such ceremonies of
mourning, but now such also shall be called upon; leave your toil, betake yourselves to
publick mourning. |
| 17 |
Vineyards - In these places were usually the greatest joy. Pass through - To punish
all every where. |
| 18 |
That desire - Scoffingly, not believing any such day would come. To what end - What do
you think to get by it? Is darkness - All adversity, black and doleful. Not light - No
joy, or comfort an it. |
| 19 |
And a bear - You may escape one, but shall fall in another calamity. Into the house -
At home you may hope for safety, but there other kind of mischief shall meet you. |
| 21 |
I hate - Impure and unholy as they are. Will not smell - A savour, of rest or delight,
I will not accept and be pleased with. |
| 23 |
Thy songs - Used in their sacrifices, and solemn feasts; herein they imitated the
temple - worship, but all was unpleasing to the Lord. Will not hear - Not with delight and
acceptance. Thy viols - This one kind of musical instrument is put for all the rest. |
| 24 |
Let judgment - Let justice be administered constantly. Righteousness - Equity. Stream
- Bearing down all that opposes it. |
| 25 |
Have ye - Their fathers and they, tho' at so great a distance of time, are one people,
and so the prophet considers them. Unto me - Was it to me, or to your idols, that you
offered, even in the wilderness? |
| 26 |
Ye have borne - Ye carried along with you in the wilderness; the shrine, or canopy in
which the image was placed. Moloch - The great idol of the Ammonites. Chiun - Another
idol. |
| 27 |
Therefore - For all your idolatry and other sins, in which you have obstinately
continued. |
Chapter VI
The security of Israel and Judah, ver. 1 - 6. Their punishment, ver. 7 - 14.
| 1 |
At ease - That neither fear nor believe the threatened judgments of God. In Zion -
That is put for the kingdom of the two tribes, and principally the inhabitants of
Jerusalem. Samaria - Woe to them also who rely upon the strength, wealth, and policy of
the kingdom of Samaria or Israel. Which - Which two cities, Zion and Samaria. Named chief
- Accounted the chief cities of that part of the world. To whom - To which place all
Israel had recourse, the two tribes to Zion, the ten tribes to Samaria. |
| 2 |
Pass ye - Run over the history of that great and ancient city. Hemath - Head of the
Syrian kingdom, lately overthrown by Tiglath - Pilneser, and a fresh instance of God's
just indignation against secure sinners. Gath - The chief city of the Philistines, a few
years before wasted by the arms of Hazael; by these examples learn to amend your ways, or
expect to perish in them. Greater - That is, greater than these kingdoms of Israel and
Judah, and their borders, or bounds, greater than these of Israel and Judah. |
| 3 |
Ye - That flatter yourselves the day of darkness foretold, is far off. The seat - The
judgment seat which should relieve the oppressed, is made a seat of violence. |
| 4 |
That lie - That out of laziness or luxury, lay themselves to rest. And eat - The very
best in all their flock. |
| 5 |
That chant - That in a time of deep mourning entertain themselves with songs, and
musical instruments. |
| 6 |
In bowls - Not in little vessels, but probably bowls: they drank these filled as full
as they could hold too, and in design to drink each other down. And anoint - In those hot
countries this anointing was much used. Not grieved - Nothing affected with the calamities
of their country. |
| 7 |
The banquet - The feastings of voluptuous ones shall cease. |
| 8 |
The excellency - All that the seed of Jacob accounts a glory and excellency to them,
all their external privileges and worship. |
| 9 |
Remain - Escaping the enemies sword. Ten men - Many men, a certain number for an
uncertain. They shall die - Tho' they escape a while, they shall not finally escape. |
| 10 |
Uncle - Or near kinsman, instead of those who were wont to do this, and were paid for
it; but now none of these remaining, the next to the dead must, as well as he is able,
take him up on his shoulders, and carry him. That burneth - Though the Jews mostly buried,
yet in some cases they burned the dead bodies, as in this of pestilence. The bones - The
flesh being consumed, the bones are reserved to be buried. Unto him - Any one he sees near
the house out of which the bones are carried. Is there yet any - Is any one living in your
house. Hold thy tongue - Do not complain, lest thou thyself be killed, lest all be rifled.
For - It is too late to seek God, who is executing his immutable decree. |
| 11 |
For behold - It seems to be the continued speech of him who took care of the dead,
ver.10, God hath sent out war, famine, and pestilence. The great house - The
palaces of great men shall have great breaches made in them, and the cottages of poor men
shall, by lesser strokes, be ruined. |
| 12 |
Shall horses - If prophets exhort or advise, it does no more good than if you would
run your horses upon the precipices of rocks. |
| 13 |
Who rejoice - In your victories, alliances, and idols. Have we not - We have raised
ourselves to greatness by our wisdom and courage. |
| 14 |
Hemath - A city of Syria, bordering on Israel, north - east. The wilderness - Which is
the south - west parts of Canaan. So all your country shall be destroyed. |
Chapter VII
Threatened judgments turned aside by the prayer of Amos, ver. 1 - 6. Yet at length
they are sentenced to utter ruin, ver. 7 - 9. Amaziah accuses Amos, ver. 10 - 13. Amos
justifies himself and denounces the judgment of God against Amaziah, ver. 14 - 17.
| 1 |
Thus - This is the first of five prophetic representations of what was coming upon
this people. The latter growth - The shooting up of the first growth being too luxuriant,
they often eat it down with cattle; but if the second growth were eat up, it marred the
whole harvest. Mowed - It is supposed the first mowing of the corn in the blade was for
the king's use; and after this the second springing grew up to the harvest. |
| 2 |
It came to pass - In the vision. By whom - How shall any of Jacob escape, if thou dost
cast him down? |
| 3 |
Repented - This is spoken after the manner of men. |
| 4 |
Shewed - In vision. Called - Commanded fire from heaven. A part - Of the land too. |
| 7 |
By a plumb - line - Strongly and beautifully built. |
| 8 |
Set a plumb - line - I will exactly measure the whole ten tribes. Pass by them - I
will no more forbear, but will pull down all that is faulty. |
| 9 |
The high places - The temples on high mountains built to idols. Of Isaac - The seed of
Isaac. |
| 10 |
In the midst - Openly, and publickly, endeavouring to stir up Israel to sedition or
rebellion. The land - The people cannot bear all his harsh predictions. |
| 11 |
Jeroboam shall die - He nowhere said so, but spake of his house distinguished from his
person, as ver.9. |
| 13 |
The king's court - To which therefore thou oughtest to shew more respect, and not thus
to affront the king in his own house. |
| 14 |
No prophet - Not originally, or by study, or by any human designation. An herdman - By
breeding and occupation I was and still am, an herdman. Sycamore fruit - This fruit was
good food for man, or cattle. |
| 16 |
The house of Isaac - The posterity of Isaac. |
| 17 |
In a polluted land - Among the Heathen. Israel - The ten tribes. |
Chapter VIII
The vision of a basket of summer fruit, ver. 1 - 3. The destruction of the
oppressors foretold, ver. 4 - 10. And a famine of the word of God, ver. 11 - 14.
| 2 |
The end - Of God's patience towards Israel, the end of their ripening, they are now
fully ripe, fit to be gathered. Pass by them - God had with admirable patience spared, but
now he will no more pardon or spare. |
| 3 |
With silence - So great will be the cruelty of the enemy, that they dare not bury
them, or if they do, it must be undiscerned. |
| 4 |
To fail - Either to root them out, or to enslave them. |
| 5 |
When - Ye that could wish there were nothing to interrupt your marketing, that look on
solemn times of worship as burdensome, such was the first day of every month, and the
weekly sabbath. Small - So the ephah being too little, the poor buyer had not his due. The
shekel great - They weighed the money which they received, and had no more justice, than
to make their shekel weight greater than the standard; so the poor were twice oppressed,
had less than was their right, and paid more than they ought to pay. |
| 6 |
That we may buy - They would have new moons and sabbaths over, that they might go to
market to buy the poor. And when these poor owed but for a very little commodity, as
suppose a pair of shoes, these merciless men would take the advantage against them, and
make them sell themselves to pay the debt. The refuse - This was another kind of
oppression, corrupted wares, sold to those that were necessitous. |
| 7 |
Hath sworn - By himself. Forget - Suffer to pass unpunished. |
| 8 |
The land - The people of it. For this - This that you have done, and this that God
will do. And it - The judgment, the displeasure of God, shall rise and grow like a mighty
wasting flood. It - The land. Drowned - As Egypt by the overflowing of the Nile. |
| 9 |
At noon - So Israel's sun did as at noon set under the dark cloud of conspiracies and
civil wars by Shallum, Menahem, Pekah, and Hosea, 'till the midnight darkness drew on by
Pul, Tiglath - Pilneser, and Salmaneser. Darken - Bring a thick cloud of troubles and
afflictions. In the clear day - When they think all is safe, sure, and well settled. |
| 10 |
Upon all loins - All sorts of persons shall put on mourning. Baldness - Shaving the
head and beard was a sign of the greatest sadness. A bitter day - A bitter day, which you
shall wish you had never seen, shall succeed your dark night. |
| 12 |
Shall wander - Search all places for a prophet or preacher, from the Mid - land sea to
the dead sea, they shall search all corners for a prophet. |
| 14 |
They - Who sacrifice to and swear by the calves at Dan and Beth - el. By the sin - Who
say the idol at Dan is the true and living God. The manner - The idol which is worshipped
at Beersheba. |
Chapter IX
Judgments are threatened upon all, but the remnant, ver. 1 - 10. Mercy is promised,
ver. 11 - 14.
| 1 |
The altar - Of burnt - offering before the temple at Jerusalem, this altar and temple
Israel had forsaken, and set up others against it; and here God in his jealousy appears
prepared to take vengeance. Possibly it may intimate his future departure from Judah too.
There Ezekiel, Eze 9:2, saw the slaughter - men stand. The door - The door of
the gate that led into the priests court. And cut them - Wound deep, the people who were
visionally represented as standing in the court of the temple. |
| 2 |
Hell - The center of the earth, or the depth of hell. |
| 3 |
The serpent - The crocodile or shark. |
| 4 |
Set my eyes - I will perpetually watch over them. |
| 5 |
Toucheth - He needs not take great pains therein, a touch of his finger will do this.
Shall melt - As snow before the sun. |
| 6 |
His stories - The celestial orbs one over another, as so many stories in an high and
stately palace. And he hath founded his troop in the earth: all the creatures, which are
one army, one body; so closely are they connected, and so harmoniously do they all act for
the accomplishing of their creator's purposes. Calleth for the waters - Either in judgment
to drown, or in mercy to give rain. |
| 7 |
The Arabians - A wild, thievish, and servile nation. Have not I brought - And whereas
you boast my kindness to you, bringing you out of Egypt, and thereupon conclude, God
cannot leave you whom he hath so redeemed; you argue amiss, for this aggravates your sin.
From Kir - Conquered by some potent enemies, and sent away to Kir, a country of Media, yet
at last delivered. Should these nations, argue themselves to be out of danger of divine
justice, because I had done this for them. |
| 8 |
The sinful kingdom - Every sinful kingdom. |
| 9 |
The least grain - Though tumbled and tossed with the great violence, yet the smallest,
good grain, shall not be lost or destroyed. |
| 10 |
All the sinners - The great, notorious sinners. The evil - Is far off, we shall die
first, and be safe in the grave. |
| 11 |
In that day - In the set time which I have fixt. Raise up - Bring back out of
captivity, and re - establish in their own land, the house of David, and those that adhere
to his family. Fallen - By the revolt of the ten tribes. The breaches - Which are in it by
that long division. |
| 12 |
They - Literally the Jews. Possess - Both the lands of Edom, and some of the posterity
of Edom; these as servants, the other as their propriety. The remnant - Left by
Nebuchadnezzar. All the heathen - That is, round about. That doth this - But this is also
a prophecy of setting up the kingdom of the Messiah, and bringing in the Gentiles. |
| 13 |
Behold the days come - Here is another promise literally of abundant plenty to the
returned captives, and mystically of abundant grace poured forth in gospel - days. The
plowman - Who breaks up the ground, and prepares it for sowing, shall be ready to tread on
the heels of the reaper who shall have a harvest so large, that before he can gather it
all in, it shall be time to plow the ground again. The treader of grapes - So great shall
their vintage be that e'er the treaders of grapes can have finished their work, the seeds
- man shall be sowing his seed against the next season. Shall drop - The vineyards shall
be so fruitful, and new wine so plentiful as if it ran down from the mountains. Shall melt
- Or, as if whole hills were melted into such liquors. If any object, it never was so: I
answer, the sins of the returned captives prevented these blessings, which are promised
under a tacit condition. |
| 15 |
Pulled up - On condition that they seek the Lord. This was on God's part with
admirable constancy performed through six hundred years, perhaps the longest time of
freedom from captivity they ever knew. |
|
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