Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 1 · Section 2
VERSE 3.
And yee shall goe out at the breaches, every Cow at that which is before her, and yee shall cast them into the Palace, saith the Lord.
THe Prophet continues his Threatning, as appears by the Copulative, And, yee shall goe out of the Breaches. Hee amplifies their calamity by that fear and consternation which should surprize them; the walls of Samaria being broken down, those Grandees which before went in great state and order, should now confusedly, like so many frighted Beasts, flee out at every breach to save themselves; so that in this Verse we have, as in the former, 1. A Commination, or Judgement threatned, Yee shall goe out at the breaches. 2. A confirmation of this Commination, saith the Lord. The better to awaken them he adds this again, that they had not to doe with man, but with the Almighty, who will not be mocked, nor dallied withall.
The Prophet goes on in directing his speech to the Nobles, Judges, and Counsellours of the Land, though he spare not the inferiour sort, yet because the Rulers were the ring-leaders in sin, therefore he bends his speech principally against them.
1 Here is the Title which he gives them, viz. Gowes, a blunt term, but a fit one; this is implied in the feminine Gender, Una quae que scil. vacca, as verse the first, q. d. you look upon your selves as great men, but in my eye yee are as so many fat Beasts, and not one of you shall escape Gods revenging hand, 2 King. 17.20.
2 Here is the misery that attends these wanton luxurious Beasts, they shall be so full of fear, that they shall run out at the breaches of the walls, leaving all their riches behind them.
The words admit of some difficulty, and therefore I shall open them distinctly.
Yee shall goe out of the breaches, viz. Which the enemy hath made in your walls. Samaria had been long besieged, and the Assyrian had made many breaches in the walls of the City, at which they attempted to run out and save themselves by flight, even as Beasts when they are frighted run out at a gap.
Every Cow at the breach which is before her; that is to say, any way, for they had neither Gates nor Walls whole. Valiant men keep their ranks and files in despight of all opposition, Ioel 2.7, 8. but faint-hearted, fearful sinners shift for themselves, and take the next gap to run out at. As beasts when chased, run on heaps disorderly, so these fly from their enemies tumultuously, and confusedly, without any respect to their companions; seeking only to save themselves, Amos 2.14, 15, 16.
And yee shall cast them into the Palace; q. d. that yee may fly away the swifter, yee shall cast away your pleasant and precious things, and shall fly naked from your enemy. The Learned conceive there may bee an Ecclipsis in the words, which may be thus supplied; yee shall cast away those things [ which yee have brought ] into the Palace, as Bribes, Treasures, Jewels, and precious things which you brought into the Palace, for security and safety in that strong place; yee shall now in your fear cast them all away. This is conceived to bee the most genuine sense, yet the learned are divided.
1 Some render the word thus, Yee shall bee cast as Captives into Armenia, or into Mount Armon, but these mistake the Original word, Haharmonah: where Harmon is not a proper name,In Harmon, vulg. in Armeniam, Chald. but a common name, and signifieth a Palace, High-house, or Tower, from Ram, altus, excelsus.
2 Others thus, You shall cast your selves into the Palace, viz. to hide your selves there, from the fury of the Assyrian, but in vain, for hee shall batter those Towers, and take you there.
3 Calvin thus, You shall cast your selves, e Palatio, out of the Palace, that is, yee shall fly for your lives, and leave all your pleasant things behind you in your forsaken Palaces.
4 The Dutch Annotations thus, Yee shall throw away that which was brought into the Palace, (i. e.) that which you gathered into your Palaces by violence and robbery,Yee shall cast away the things of the Palace, so the Margin of our Bible. you shall now throw it away, alluding to that of Amos 3.10. Yee store up violence and robbery in your Palaces; but when the Sword comes yee shall throw all away, and think it well if yee can save your lives; so that in these two Verses we have a three-fold punishment threathed against Israel, 1. Banishment, and transplantation out of their own Land, Vers. …. 2. Flying before their enemies. 3. Loss of goods, ver. 3.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 Fear and amazement is the proper portion of wicked men. Those that fear not God, have cause to fear every thing. All are enemies when God is an enemy, Deut. 28.65. Prov. 28.1. Ioel 2.6. these men here run, some this way, and some another way; one runs out of the City, and another runs into the Palace, but all in vain, for there is no escaping when God pursues, Amos 9.1, 2, 3, 4. though wicked men may seeme full of courage and confidence in times of peace, yet when Judgement shall arrest them,In my Com. on Psal. 73.19. See Attersol on Numb. 22.3. p. 874, 875 none so amort and amazed as they, Levit. 26.36. Isa. 33.14. Dan. 5.6. But of this at large elsewhere.
2 Obs. Wicked men are the Pests of the places where they dwell. By their sins they bring down the walls of Cities, and make breaches in them for their enemies to enter and destroy them,See more in my Com. on Hos. 13.16. Obs. 7. p. 71 the very stones and timber cry for judgement against them, Zech. 5.4.
3 Observe, Partners in sin will leave men in their sorrow. Those that were united before, yet when judgement comes they look for the nearest Breach to run out at, not staying for others. When Iudas was troubled in conscience for betraying his Lord and Master, his companions in sin leave him to shift for himself, with a Look thou to that, Mat. 27.4.
4 Obs. Creature-comforts cannot steed us in a day of wrath, Prov. 11.4. Silver and Gold will not then avayl, Ezek. 7.19. all Jewels and Treasures fayl us in time of distress,See my Com. on Hos. 13.15. p. 58, 59, 60. only the jewel of a good Conscience, like a faithful friend, will never leave us, nor forsake us.