Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · minor prophets · Amos · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
I Saw the Lord standing upon the Altar, and he said, Smite the lintell of the doore, V. 1.that the posts may shake, and cut all of them in the head, &c. This is by Gualter reckoned the seventh sermon of Amos, chap. 8. the 6. chap. 7. the fifth. chap. 5. the fourth, chap. 4. the third, chap 3. the second, chap. 1. 2. the first. And herein he prophesieth first against Jutah, left he should be thought partiall to his own country, unto vers. 7. where he speaketh to all Israel together. For these words, they set forth another Vision, which the Prophet had of the Lord standing upon his own Altar, for with the Altars in the kingdome of the ten Tribes he would have nothing to doe, either in Bethel, Dan, Gilgal, or Beershebah, of which it is spoken before, so that this was the Altar of burnt-offerings at Zion, where the house of God was. Standing here he biddeth an angell smite the lintell of the doore, which is supported by posts on each side, so that they might shake, and to cut every one of them, hereby shewing, that for the abuses committed about his Worship and service there, such wicked worshippers should be smitten and cut downe both Princes and Priests, that were as the superliminare or lintell, and the common people as the posts. For although they offered Sacrifices, yet they did not that, which the Lord by their sacrificing would have them put in mind to doe, that is, repent them of their sins, praise God in sincerity of heart and order their conversation aright, as Psal. 50. 23. For doing otherwise, living in sin and trusting to be accepted, because they brought God Sacrifices, is rejected both Psal. 50. and declared to be an abomination, Esai. 1. and 66. And what he saw in Vision is immediately expressed in word, I will slay the last of them with the sword, and be that fleeth of them shall not flee away, &c. that is, not flee so, but to be overtaken with judgement, and if any have escaped death at the first, he shall be destroyed afterwards, thus Gualter. But in the Vulg. it is rendered, Smite the hinge and the lintels shall be shaken, expounded by Jerome, of the lower parts of Gualter. Hieron.the doorway, which being smitten, the upper parts, the lintell and posts supported hereby must needs be shaked, the word foreign signifieth a globule, wherewith they used to adorn the upper part of the dooreway, and foreign properly signifieth groundsels Now the difference in the Expositions arise from hence, that the round little globe is by some taken for works made in such a form by curving upon the lintell, and figuratively for the lintell it self, but by others for the hinge which is round whereupon the doore turneth which is below, but for rendring the next words lintels or posts, I see no reason, because it signifieth nothing else, but thresholds, and because it is a plurall, I conceive that both limen inferius, and superius are meant, and therefore that it may best be read, smite the hinge and the limina both beneath and above shall be shaken, that beneath, being in English called a threshold, and that above lintell or transome, in Latine Limen and superliminare: for strike that whereupon the doore hangeth extending from the threshold to the lintell and both of them will shake; here by a part the whole house is meant that should be ruined. In the next words the Vulgar differeth from ours more, rendring them covetousnesse is in the head of all, and in the Hebrew it is, their covetousnesse is in the head of them all, Indeed the word foreign doth signifie both covetousnesse and to cut, and it seemeth more to stand with sense hereby to render it, because he is speaking of the supporters of an house, and having said smite them, and spoken of shaking following hereupon, what can be more agreeable in the next place then to bid cut them, that they may fall and the house be ruined? And therefore most of them prefer that reading even them in the head, all of them, that is, all the supporters of the building cut them in the head, that is, where their chiefest strength is, hereby meaning as is by and by explained, that both Temple and City should be destroyed, neither should the inhabitants escape. And this is most commonly understood of the destruction of all made by Nebuchadnezzar; but by some, of that made long after by the Romans. Yet for the other reading covetousnesse, it may have a good sense so, it we take the first words as a sentence by it selfe against the house, and this against the people, they sacrifice and hear the word indeed, but covetousnesse is in the chief of them all, and from them it goeth to the meaner sort, and therefore I will slay them from the first to the last. Russin will not have this taken as spoken to the Jews, but to the kingdom of Israel, as it the Prophet went on here in the same argument, with which he concluded chap. 8. But for somuch as the altar was not here, which must needs be understood when the altar is named, and nothing else added, it must needs be taken for the altar of the Lord, and therefore this prophesie of the destruction of Jerusalem, and I will stay the last of them with the sword. This is the explication o… the vision, as hath been said, shewing that not some or many, but all of them shall be smitten from the first unto the last.
For v. 2. it is the same in effect that is said Psal. 139. Although they hide themselves V. 2, 3.in the top of Carmel I will search and take them out thence: It may seem strange that Carmel an high hill should be spoken of as a place for them to hide themselves in, for where may men be seen if not upon the top of an hill? but Gualter saith, that there were caverns upon the top of Carmel, and of these, Gualter. Lyra.wherein men might be hid, he speaketh. Lyra; Carmel is named, because a very high h…ll, and hereby the highest hils, the tops whereof seem to touch the heavens, which I think is rather to be preferred, for having spoken of ascending up to heaven v. 2. here he further explaineth what he meant thereby, viz. going up to the tops of mountains, where they that are seem to be in heaven above the sight of mortall eyes. If in the bottom of the Sea, I will command the Serpent and he shall bite them: where by serpent the whale or some other dreadfull beast in the sea that devoureth men is commonly understood; but because the same word is used here and before, ch. 5. 10. where a serpent biting in an house is spoken of, the same seemeth to be meant some poisonous serpent keeping in the water or upon the land indifferently. The meaning of all being, that neither being in most low or most high places, in the sea or land, the Note. wicked shall be safe, but drawn forth to destruction, or perish there: and for the Jews it is meant, that by the Caldees he would deal thus by them.
Although they goe into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword V. 4.and it shall slay them: This is by some understood of their going into Babylon, but because that being once carryed away, this is against the law of armes to kill captives, I rather assent to them, that understand it of their voluntary going away for fear of the Caldees into Egypt. For it is plainly shewed Jer. 43. that the sword should seize upon them notwithstanding.
It is be that toucheth the land and it shall melt, &c. Here that none might be unbeleeving V. 5, 6.and harden thamselves in their sins, as thinking that God could not do such things as were threatned, he sets the power of the Lord forth, as he had partly done before, ch. 4. 13. 5. 8. but every time he varieth, bringing in only here the same words against Judah that he used against Israel, ch. 8. 8. it shall rise up wholly as a floud.
He that buildeth his stories in heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth, the Psal. 104. 3.Vulg. that hath built his ascension in heaven, and sounded fasciculum suum, his little bunch b…d together as a faggot upon earth, expounded the one of his glory appearing most in heaven, the other of the elementary heavens consisting of air and water, which are little in comparison of all the starry heaven, and that Lyra.above where the waters are, called by Philosophers coelum crystallinum, so Lyra, and indeed the word foreign signifieth fasciculum, and the word rendred ascensions, upper chambers, as I have shewed before Ps. 104. 3. Calvin renders the Calvin.first words, as the Vulg. by ascensions, understanding one wonderfull work of God above another in heavenly places, 1. the air, 2. the fire above that, 3. the starry heavens above the element of fire. But the next the rendreth coagmentations, understanding by coagmentations sounded upon the earth, the earth it self being compacted together, as a solid thing. But that which is founded upon the earth and the earth it self cannot be one and the same, therefore by ascensions or lofts we are rather to understand, as was said before, the starry heavens, and by the other the three regions of the air, which are often said to be founded upon the earth, or the earth upon them to declare Gods almighty power the more.
Are ye not as Aethiopians to me, O children of Israel? Here to shew that there V. 7.was reason why the Lord should proceed so against Israel, as was said before, v. 2, 3, 4. he declareth the foul blackness of their evil manners, as Jer. 13. 23. And for this there was just cause of his dealing so with them, there being now in them nothing amiable, but abominable, as most contrary to the most holy and pure God, whose people he had taken them to be, and that doing miraculously for them in bringing them out of Egypt, as in the next words, whereby they above all peoples were bound to keep themselves white through sanctity and holinesse of life and righteousnesse in all their doings. Whereas some gather, because Israel is spoken to, that all said hitherto is spoken to the ten tribes, and not to Judah, their reason is weak, for here after prophesying against Judah he cometh to join all Israel together, recounting Gods extraordinary mercy towards them and their vilenesse and unanswerablenesse hereunto, in stead of keeping their garments undefiled fouling them, and making them black, as the swine wallowing in the mire after washing. And the Philistims from Caphtor, and the Assyrians from Kir, the Vulg. from Cappadocia, and the Syrians from Cyrene. And this agreeth best to the Hebr. and the meaning of the whole verse is, Ye bear your selves upon this, that ye are Abrahams and Israels children, but truly ye are Blackamores to me through your sins; and if ye think that my love is singular to you because I brought you out of Egypt, rely not so much upon this, for I brought the Philistims also out of Cappadocia, as may be gathered Jer. 47. Deut. 32. and the Syrians, not Assyrians, for the word is foreign signifying Syria, a part of the fruitfull land of Canaan, or whereof Canaan was a part, in which the Syrians were placed as well as they, being brought from another place thither also, yet the Lord for sin judged both Philistims and Syrians, as we may see ch. 1. 3, 6. it is threatned. Thus Jerom, Rupertus, and Chrysostome, and herein we may well rest as the genuine meaning. Of the Caphtorites brought hither, see Deut. 2. 23. for Kir it was the place to which the Syrians were carryed captive, 2 King. 16. 9. Amos 2. 5.
Saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord: Having V. 8.in the former part of the verse said, that he set his eyes upon this sinfull nation of Israel to destroy it from off the face of the earth, here he beginneth to speak Act. 19. 16.some comfort in Christ to the faithfull amongst them, as the next words v. 9. and specially v. 11. which is applyed so by James, shew.
I will sift the house of Israel as corn is sisted, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the V. 9.earth: And this Gualter will have spoken by way of answer to an objection that might be made, Will God destroy Israel? how then shall his promise to Gualter.the seed of Abraham. and Israel be made good, of being their God for ever? Sol. Such as be good corn in this common destruction shall be preserved, that is, the faithfull, a remnant, as they are often elsewhere called, and the chaffe and drosse only shall be sifted out and fall to the ground and be blown away, of which comparison see Ps. 1. Luk. 3.
In that day I will raise up the Tabernacle of David that is faln, and I will close up his V. 10.breaches: This is by the Jews applyed to the rearing up of Davids temporall Kingdom at the coming of the Messiah, but it is certainly to be spiritually understood, because it being so long agoe spoken there hath never yet been any such repairing of his house or tabernacle, but it hath manifestly been repaired it most remarkably, by subduing through the Gospel unto him, all Kingdoms wheresoever the sound thereof came. And his Kingdom or Church is called a tabernacle to denote, that the faithfull are here as pilgrims dwelling in tents, they have another to which they goe when they depart out of this life. For other things in this prophesie, and the difference in relating it by James in the words, see in my Expositions upon Act. 15. 13, 14.
The dayes come that the Plough-man shall overtake the Reaper, and the treader of V. 13.grapes him that soweth seed &c. which is to be understood spiritually of the increase of grace in time of the Gospel, as it is a time of wonderfull plenty when as new seed is sown, and the ground is ploughed for this purpose, before that all the corn of that year is reaped, and before all the corn be sown; the Vintage is ready to be gathered. So fruits of preaching the Gospel, the meaneth, shall come in most plentifully, people after people being converted unto Christ. And to ploughing and reaping our Lord alludeth, Joh. 4. and calleth people ready to be converted regions white unto the harvest. And the mountains shall drop sweet wine, of which see Joel 3. 18. and all the hils shall melt, Vulg. all the hils shall be tilled, but the word signifieth melting, whereby is not meant melting through fear, as v. 5. making the hearts of the Inhabitants of the land to melt, but flowing with milk as the Mountains wich wine, according to Joel 3. 18. the word is foreign musram, or the sweet liquor of Pomgramates, it is an hyperbolicall description of plenty, as it is said often of the land of Canaan, that it was a land flowing with milk and honey, all yet being to be understood spiritually of things appertaining to the Kingdom of Christ.
And I will bring again the captivity of my people, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them: Here under the restitution from the Babylonish captivity, and V. 14.their rebuilding of their ruined cities, which was a figure of turning our spiritual captivity by Christ, the redemption of the faithfull by him is meant. For Eph. 4. 8.that it cannot be restrained to that deliverance out of Babylon is plain, because although they built in their own land after this, yet they continued not alwayes there, but were afterwards expelled again by the Romans: understand we it therefore of the spirituall building under the Gospel by the Apostles in knowledge and faith, and the planting of vineyards and gardens, of planting 1 Cor. 3. 9.Christian Churches which bring forth fruit unto God. For this building is upon a rock, Mat. 16. 16. and although in particular places whilst the Church is militant upon earth, the Gospel preaching and imbracing may sade away, yet it never shall be so put down again, but that it shall have a place here alwayes to the worlds end. Persecutors indeed have and may bend their forces to ruine this building, but they shall never be able to effect it, and in the world to come, which is chiefly the land of faithfull, the Church shall stand gloriously for ever and ever.