Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 2 · Section 9
VERSE 9.
That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoyled shall come against the Fortress.
THe Prophet having set forth Gods Omnipotency in the works of Creation, comes now to clear it further by his works of Gubernation and Providence, hee can with ease strengthen the weak and destroy the strong; there is nothing too hard for him.
In this verse wee have a Prolepsis, or preventing of an objection, whereas the Israelites might say, Wee dwell in Samaria, a strong fortified City that hath stood it out many a time successfully against its enemies, wee have likewise a potent and successful King, Ieroboam the second, and therefore it is not for us to fear.
To this the Prophet answers, that they had no reason to trust in these creature-co…fidences, for the Lord could easily raise up the Assyrian who should spoil both them, and their Kingdome.
Object. If hee do come, wee will flye to our strong Holds and Fortresses.
Answ. And I will send the Destroyer (saith the Lord) against the Fortress. There is no power nor policy against the Lord, all Forts and Fortifications are but vain if hee be our enemy. God can send mighty Adversaries against us who shall destroy our Forts, and us in them.
In the words wee have 1 A Position or Proposition. God strengtheneth the spoyled against the strong.
2 An Inference,Hammablig, confortans, corroborans, from Balag, robora vit, consortavis. Therefore the spoyled shall come against the Fortress, and take it. The vulgar Latine, and all the Popish gang, that leave the Original, and follow the Latine Translation, render it subridet vastatorem, God laughs at the destruction of wicked men. But the word signifies to corroborate and strengthen, and not to laugh or smile.
Others conceive, that the Lord here threatens that if they did not seek him, but would trust in their strength, and creature-confidences, and still went on to conremn his warnings, he would send some weak,Qui vires auget infirmis contra fortes, & direptoribus super propugnacula fortissimorum imperium donat. Chald. Paraph. spoyled, contemptible enemy, and strengthen him with the spoyl which hee should get, so that hee should destroy them, for hee gives victory to whom hee pleaseth, and can make the weak to prevail against the mighty; and therefore Israel ought to stand in awe of him, and sue unto him for mercy. This way the Chaldee Paraphrase goes.
But the Original favours the Geneva Translation, which runs thus, Hee strengtheneth the destroyer against the mighty, and the destroyer shall come against the Fortress.
The original word Shod which our Translation renders spoyled,Shod, vastato…, devastator, rapina. is usually rendred a Destroyer, a Waster, a Spoyler, a Plunderer, Isa. 16.4. Let mine out-casts dwell with thee Moab, be thou a covert to them from (Shod) the spoyler, for the Extortioner is at an end, the spoyler ceaseth, and substantively it is put for devastation, waste, and spoyl, Isa. 22.4. and 59.7. Hos. 7.13. So that wee may take the words either generally, that the Lord is hee that strengtheneth the Destroyer against the Mighty,Gn…l gnaz, super robustum fortem, valentem. when they sin against him, and provoke him.
Or particularly, as spoken to Israel, it is the Lord that strengthens the Assyrian (who is called the Spoyler by way of eminency) against these Idolatrous Israelites who thought themselves strong and mighty.
And the Lord will bring him against the Fortress: that is, against the fortified City of Samaria, and the other Cities and Towns depending on it, Isa. 17.3.
q. d. You think your selves safe and well, because you are armed and fortified, and therefore you sleight my Threatnings, and promise your selves peace, and think that none shall bring you down, not once considering that you have to do with God, and not with man, who can strengthen the weak against the strong, and hath many Destroyers at hand ready to execute his vengeance upon a rebellious people.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 If wee take the words according to our Translation, the Observation is, That God can strengthen the weak, and make them overcome the strong. It is hee that strengthens one, and enfeebles another, Ezek. 30.24. and can make wounded men to subdue his enemies, Ier. 37.10. He can make one Abraham with his family to conquer four Kings, Gen 14.9.18. he can make a Ioshua to slay Amalakites, destroy Midianites, and subdue Canaanites, Num. 31.7. We should not then kiss our own hands, or sacrifice to our own nets, but ascribe the praise of all our victories to the Lord, who strengthens the wasted and the spoyled against the spoyler, and can make Iacob a worm to thresh mighty Mountains, Isa. 41.14, 15. so Iosh. 6.5, 15. 1 Cor. 2.27. Ier. 31.22.
2 No Forts, nor Fortifications can preserve a sinful people from destruction.
In my Com. on Hos. 13.16. O…s. 7. p. 71.Though they should build walls as high as heaven, and dig ditches as deep as hell, yet if sin bee within, all Fortifications without are vain; as I have shewed at large elsewhere.