Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · minor prophets · Amos · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
THe sixth Nation here threatned, is Moab, coming of Lots other daughter, his sin was, that he burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime, so it is Hebr. V. 1.but Vulg. into ashes. After the sins of other Nations against Israel laid open ch. 1. here before he cometh to Judah and Israel, he threatneth Moab for a sin against Edom, as Ruffin noteth, partly to take downe the pride of the Jewes, who thought themselves the only men in account with God, and that he Ruffin.would revenge their wrongs, but not the wrongs of any other nation besides; and partly to comfort the poor Gentiles, and to erect them with hope, forsomuch as God hath some care of them to revenge their wrongs, that he hath not utterly left them, or cast off the care of them for ever, but would in mercy one day extend himself to them also, to save them. Touching the thing here said to be done by the Moabites, the burning of the bones of the King of Edom, some say, that because he joined with the King of Judah and Israel against Hieron. 2 King. 3. 27.Moab, whereby that King was forced in his extremity, in his blind superstition, to burn his son in sacrificing upon the wal, the Moabite conceived such an hatred against him, that when he was dead they took his body and for spite burnt it to ashes. Some that the Moabite having the King of Edoms son at that time in his hands, burnt him in sacrifice upon the wall of the City, he being called the King of Edom, because he should have reigned in his stead, and happily was at that time made King together with himself, as some other Kings sons have sometimes been. Lastly some Rabbins, because it is said, burnt into lime, say, that one King of Edom being burnt to ashes before, they took his ashes and burnt them into lime, but this savours of too much boldnesse to excogitate a reason of things spoken in Scripture, when the full knowledge of the thing is concealed from us. If it shall be thought that they raged against the dead body of the King of Edom in this manner, as is most generally held, a question will arise, how they got it into their hands? We must be content then to remain ignorant of that, which is not revealed, and only make this use of such a thing done, as being here related, though no where else, and condemned as a most foul sin, to abhor from doing any thing against the dead, acknowledging this to be more then barbarous cruelty to Note. take up dead mens bones and to burne them, and the pretended Catholicks have often done. If this be done to very Heathens, God will not passe it over unrevenged; as we may see in this place. The Poet, as Gualter noteth hereupon, Gualter.taught more rightly by the light of nature,
Piscitur in vivis linor, post fata quiefeit.
For after death neither can he hurt thee any more, nor thou him, and therefore it is folly and madnesse, and men by thus doing degenerate into crowes or doges. For amongst men it hath commonly been permitted in time of war to bury their dead on both sides, and Alexander in particular allowed it to Datius, Hannibal to Marcelius, and Caesar to Pompey.
I will send a fire into Moab and it shall devour the palace of Kireoth: Kireoth was V. 2.a chief city of Moab, Jer. 48. 24. and the destruction of Moab by fire, by tumult, and the sound of the Trumpet was by war, see the like before, ch. 1. 14. touching Ammou.
I will cut off the Judge, and slay all the Princes, meaning hereby that they should V. 3.be no more a people, because where there is no Judge or Prince to governe, there can be no Common-wealth any more.
Having prophesied against other Nations about, now he prophesieth against V. 4.Judah, and v. 6. against Israel also, that the Heathen might not object and say, also thou threatnest us for our sins, are there not sins in Israel? why then doest thou not prophesie against them?
Hereby then is shewed, that none are so near or dear to God, but if they Note. sin, they shall come under the lash of Gods judgments as well as they that are farthest off. And that they are not lesse sinners although better taught, then the most wicked of the world, and therefore although he cometh last unto them, they shall not be least punished, nay they that are of the Church and Mat. 11. Mat. 12.yet are not moved by repentance through all the meanes which they injoy, shall one day be most severely punished of all others, viz. at the day of judgment.
The sins objected against Judah, were, that they despised the Law of God, and and their lyes caused them to erre, after which their fathers walked: For they that sin Rom. 2.under the law, shall be judged by the law: To the Heathen he speaketh not so, but chargeth them only with sinning against the light of nature. And it is to be Note. noted here, that such as live under teaching, but yet wallow in the mire of sin like swine, may pretend infirmity, through which they do so, but before God they are judged despisers of his law, and shall be proceeded against accordingly.
For their walking after lyes, hereby the doctrine of false Prophets is meant, V. 6:who out of their owne wicked heads taught them, that it was best to worship other gods, and incouraged them in their so doing, and in other sins, by promising them peace against the threatnings of all the true Prophets of God. But for all this they are threatned with destruction by their enemies the Caldeans, who should fire their City, as indeed they did.
Here coming to Israel, to whom he was specially sent, he is large in ripping up their sins, and convincing them of ingratitude for extraordinary benefits received, that after this he might the more effectually by threatning judgments move them to speedy repentance: because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. Coming to lay open their sins in particular, he beginneth with the chief amongst them, their Judges and Rulers, first taxing their covetousnesse, shewing it self in taking bribes to pervert justice. For this is meant by their selling of the righteous for silver, they had not so much regard to the righteousnesse of a mans cause that came before them, as to base gain, so that if any man brought them a bribe, they would judge on his side against all justice and right. That which is added of the poor for shoes, sets forth another kind of bribe, taken of those that had no mony, but in case that one poor man contended in law with another, and one that desired to have the judgment goe on his side were a Cobler or Shoemaker, that offered to give the Judge the mending of a pair of shoes, or a pair of shoes to judge for him; or one of another calling, doing some like thing for the like reason. Lyra saith, Lyra.that the word signifieth either Shoes or Closes, and therefore it may be understood indifferently of the poor man having nothing but a little ground to bribe the Judge withall, and giving this to make him of his side.
That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, that is, are carryed V. 7.away with a greedy desire to trample the poor under their feet as the dust of the earth through tyranny, pride, and disdaine. For this is another sin amongst great ones upon earth, they tyrannize over the meaner sort of men, taking any occasion to bring them down to the dust, that they may even goe over them at their will, they not once daring to speak or mutter against their tyrannicall doings.
A most high degree of wickednesse, and a sin that addeth more to their unjust Note. dealings, and it is too too commonly practised in these miserable times, wherein men must suffer by injustice, and say nothing against injurious proceedings; if he doth, he shall be sure to be kicked down and trodden upon with the greatest rigour.
And turn aside the way of the meek, here is another sin objected, by means of their tyranny against them that oppose their unjust doings, many of meek spirits are so terrified, that they are made for fear to goe wrong also, holding and saying as these their tyrannicall masters doe. But they that are so meek, being thus made to goe out of the way of the meek, whom Christ blesseth, are cursed together with them by whose feare they are mis-led against the fear of God.
And a man and his father will goe into the same maid to prophane my holy Name. Here is a fourth sin laid to their charge, the sin of abominable incest, the law of God being quite neglected, which forbiddeth the same woman to the father and Levit. 18.the son, and all others that are very neare either in consanguinity or affinity. And in naming this, as Gualter noteth well, he meant any kind of incestuous Gualter.copulation, and generally all fleshly uncleannesse by any whoredome. And hereby he saith that they prophaned the holy name of God, because the Gentiles round about hearing of such wickednesse committed amongst Gods peculiar people, blasphemed God, laying, that he was the Patron of filthinesse And this he saith touching fleshly uncleannesse, to the great reproof of those Note. that make so light of this sin, that they may be ashamed and abhorre themselves therefore as unworthy of the name of Gods people.
And they lay themselves down upon cloaths laid to pledge by every Altar, and they drink V. 8.the wine of the condemned in the house of their God. Here a fifth sinne is taxed, viz. extream unjust dealing in their commerce with the poor, contrary to Gods law Exod. 22. Deut. 24. where it is injoyned, if any man takes a pledge, and it be cloathing, that is necessary for him to cover him withall at night, that he restore it before the going down of the Sun, but in Israel there were such oppressors, who so little regarded the law of God, that they kept such cloaths for their own use, lying themselves upon them, when they solemnized nights to the honour of their Idols near their Altars. For Idolaters imitated Gods servants, of whose keeping watch by night in the Lords house we read Psal. 134. And hereby their sin was the more aggravated in that they came in that, which it was unlawfull for them to hold of another mans, about such rites, as Note. they counted sacred, as if a pawn-taker should come to Church in the best apparell of a poor man for his mony layed to pledge unto him, being wrongfully wrested from him for want of wherewithall to redeem it at the time; thus taking advantage against him, and possessing a thing much more worth without making restitution for the over-plus to his great detriment.
For the next words, they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their gods. Here is a sixth sin laid open, of which Gualter maketh three.Gualter.
1. Idolatry, in that he speaks of the house of their god, which was some Idol.
2. Intemperance and excesse even in places that they counted most holy, the houses of their gods, in which they dranke wine, that is, unto drunkenness.
3. Unjust getting of money to buy this wine, being against the innocent, and condemning him in his case brought before him for bribes received from the contrary party to doe it. For herewith they grew rich and feasted at times set apart to the honour of their gods in their houses. And of these sins the Papists are most notoriously guilty at this day.
For first they have Images which they make Gods by giving unto them religious worship.
2. They keep festivals to the honour of their Saints, at which times they run to all excesse of riot, especially in festis En…aeniorum, vel dedicationis, trium regum, paschalis, ascensionis, Martini, Carnisprivii, & pro defunctis.
3. To these feasts rich men contribute largely, who have gotten their goods by wicked means, thinking that hereby an expiation is made of their sins, and by Monks and Fryers, and sacrificing Priests, who impose by way of penance for satisfaction summes of mony to be paid by those that confesse unto them.
Having laid open their sins, now he cometh to lay open their ingratitude V. 9.for Gods extraordinary mercies towards them, especially in destroying the Amorite so tall and strong as the Cedar and Oak, both fruit above and root beneath. Of this comparative setting forth of the Amorite, see Numb. 13. and he meaneth, that both those Giants and their posterity were all destroyed partly in Joshua his time, partly in Davids.
I raised up of your sons for Prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. These V. 11.were other great benefits bestowed upon Israel, and are so at all times to be accounted by the people of God. Men amongst our selves to be stirred up to Calvin.act the part of Messengers or Angels sent from God, that thus we may be instructed in Gods will from time to time, is a wonderfull great benefit, and not common to all Nations, and for Nazarites, see Numb. 6. they were certain men moved by the Spirit of God to lead a singular holy and abstemious life, that by their example others might be turned from their prophanenesse and excesse, as by the teaching of the Prophets, that having both doctrine and example they might be the more effectually stirred up or made more inexcusable as all are at this day also, although we have no Nazarites now but godly Ministers that teach with all earnestnesse, and godly livers, that sincerely apply Note. themselves to live and do accordingly. The Papists hold the profession of Monks and Fryers now, to be answerable to that of the Nazarites then, and the vows of these to be justifiable by theirs. But there is a vast difference betwixt them, they vowed to abstein from wine, not from flesh or from marriage, these are licentious for drinking the strongest wines, yea even the Carthusians, which would seem to be holyest, but vow against marriage and eating flesh at certain times. They followed none other rules, but what were set down by God, these crossing the rules set down by God, hold them only to rules of living set down by men: for that rule of vowing against marriage and meats are censured as doctrines of Devils, and therefore most contrary to God and his laws.
But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink, and commanded the Prophets, saying, Prophesie V. 12.not: that is, what means soever God set up amongst them, they were so farre from profiting hereby, that they stopt the course of these his Ordinances, corrupting the young men, that had set themselves apart by vow to more strictnesse of life, by bidding them contrary to their vow to drink wine, and forbidding the Prophets to prophesie any thing, but what they best liked, telling the one that whatsoever vow he had made in this kind, he was tyed thereby; and the other, that if he presumed to speak any thing against them he should surely smart for it. And these are two such great evils, as that where they reign, sin is grown to such an height, as that God will no longer forbear to punish it in any Nation. None are so grosse, as altogether to forbid preaching, but the same evill commonly reigneth to forbid, or to be severe against Note. them that preach unpleasing things, and so the liberty that ought to be in preachers, is taken away, there being no fault more common then this in such as be in authority in these our dayes, and much do the riotors of these times rejoice, if they can wind in one that is of a strict life to drinke wine unto drunkennesse at any time, as if that Hab. 2. 4. were quite forgotten, where a woe is denounced against him that giveth his neighbour drink.
I am pressed under you as a cort that is laden with sheaves, that is, ye may happily count these sins objected against you, light and not worth the speaking of; but V. 13.truly they are most heavy, and I am so weary of bearing them, as of too heavy a load, that I wil now disburthen my self, not bearing with you any longer, but bringing judgments upon you, as ye are well worthy. And what will ye do then? shall the swift of foot thinke to flee, or the strong to be saved by his strength, he that handleth the bow by his shooting, or the horsman by his V. 14.horse? if they do, they shall be utterly deceived, for flight shall perish from the swift, &c. v. 14, 15, 16.