1.
Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
take up = lift up as a burden.
lamentation = dirge.
house of Israel. See note on Amos 8:1 .
2.
The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
virgin. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for the house of Israel, a young girl who is beloved, as in Hosea. Compare Isaiah 37:22 ; Isaiah 47:1 .Jeremiah 14:17 ; Jeremiah 46:11 , &c.
she. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Syriac and Vulgate, read "and shall not": i.e. cannot rise again.
land = soil. Hebrew. 'adamah.
there. Some codices read "and [there]".
3.
For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.
the Lord GOD. Hebrew. Adonai Jehovah . App-4 .
went out = goeth out [to war].
by a thousand = a thousand strong. Ref to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 32:30 ). App-92 .
by an hundred = a hundred strong.
to = [belonging] to.
4.
For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
thus saith. Note the prophetic formula (see App-82 ), introducing the exhortation, and emphasising it.
the Lord . Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
Seek ye Me, &c.
Note this word "seek" in the several exhortations. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 12:5 ). App-92 . As in Psalms 9:10 . Isaiah 9:13 .Jeremiah 10:21 .Hosea 10:12 .Zephaniah 1:6 .
ye shall live. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 18:5 , see note there. Deuteronomy 30:19 ). App-92 . Compare Isaiah 55:3 .
5.
But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
Bethel. Gilgal. Beer-sheba. Compare Hosea 4:15 ; Hosea 10:8 . These were the seats of Israel's idolatrous worship.
pass not = pass not through; which was necessary in order to get from the north to Beer-sheba in the south. Compare Amos 4:4 ; Amos 8:14 .
Gilgal shall surely go into captivity. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia ( App-6 ), for emphasis. Hebrew. Gilgal galoh yigleh = The Roller, rolling, shall roll away : i.e. be utterly removed. This is emphasized by the Figure of speech Polyptoton ( App-6 ).
6.
Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
Joseph. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Part), App-6 , for the whole Northern Kingdom.
7.
Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
wormwood. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 29:18 ).
leave off. in = cast down. to.
8.
Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
the seven stars. Hebrew. kimah = cluster. Modern name, the Pleiades. See notes on Job 9:9 ; Job 38:31 , Job 38:32 . Compare Isaiah 13:10 ; and see App-12 .
Orion. Hebrew. kesel = rigidity, strength; from kesalim = loins (Job 15:27 ): hence, "confidence" derived from strength (Job 8:14 ; Job 31:24 , where the Septuagint has ichun = strength. Psalms 78:7 . Proverbs 3:26 ). In the Denderah Zodiac his name is oar , from the Hebrew root 'Or = light: hence the glorious One. See App-12 . Compare Job 9:9 ; Job 38:31 .
the shadow of death. Hebrew. tzalmaveth . Not "a late word". We find it ten times in Job; four times in Psalms. Isaiah 9:2 .Jeremiah 2:6 ; Jeremiah 13:16 .
Maketh the day, &c. Compare Psalms 104:20 .
That = [Seek Him] That.
calleth, &c. Compare Amos 9:6 . Job 38:34 .Isaiah 48:13 .
is = it[is].
9.
That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong = that makes destruction to corns suddenly to flash upon the strong.
so that the, &c = and destruction will come upon the fortress.
10.
They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
They hate, &c. The connection is not "difficult". The Structure is the commentary. Compare Isaiah 29:21 .
him that rebuketh, &c. = the reprover.
in the gate: i.e. before the judge.
uprightly = truthfully.
11.
Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
the poor an impoverished one. Hebrew. dal, See note on "poverty", Proverbs 6:11 .
burdens = exaction. Singular.
ye have built, &c. Reference to Deut. (Deuteronomy 28:30 , Deuteronomy 28:39 ).
pleasant vineyards = vineyards of desire. wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27 .
12.
For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.
transgressions. Hebrew pasha. App-44 .
sins. Hebrew. chata App-44 .
they afflict = oppressors [as ye are] of.
the just = a righteous one.
take a bribe. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 35:31 , Numbers 35:32 , the same word). App-92 , turn aside. Reference to Pentateuch, (Exodus 23:6 . Deuteronomy 16:19 ; Deuteronomy 24:17 . The same Hebrew word in all three cases). App-92 , Compare Isaiah 29:21 .Malachi 3:5 .
the poor' needy ones. Hebrew. 'ebyee . See note on "poverty", Proverbs 6:11 . Compare Amos 2:7 . Isaiah 29:21 .
13.
Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
Therefore, &c. Compare Proverbs 28:11 , Proverbs 28:28 . an evil time, a time of calamity. Hebrew raa'. App-44 . See note on Amos 3:6 .
14.
Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
Seek good. Note the Structure ("u1", "u2":u3", p. 1237).
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
as = according as. Compare Micah 3:11 .
15.
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
Hate the evil, he. Compare Psalms 34:14 ; Psalms 97:10 . Romans 12:9 , This concludes the last of the three exhortations.
it may be . Hebrew. u lay. The whole versa is the exhortation: but the Heb, accent marks off this sentence, calling attention, not to uncertainty on the part of Jehovah, but to the difficulty on Israel's part; and this order to stimulate obedience to the exhortation. Compare Exodus 32:30 . 2 Kings 19:4 .Joel 2:14 .
Joseph. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Part), App-6 , for the whole of the Northern Kingdom.
16.
Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.
the LORD". One of the 134 places where the Sopherirm say they altered "Jehovah" ( App-4 .) of the primitive test to "Adenai" ( App-4 . See App-32 .
streets = open places.
skilful of lamentation: i.e. the professional mourners. Compare 2 Chronicles 35:25 .Ezekiel 12:5 .Jeremiah 9:17 .
17.
And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.
pass through. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 12:12 ). App-92 .
18.
Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
Woe. The first woe. See the Structure above. the day of the LORD. See notes on Isaiah 2:12 ; Isaiah 13:6 . Joel 2:1
darkness, and not light. Note the Figure of speech Pleonasm ( App-6 ) for emphasis. Compare Jeremiah 30:7 . Joel 2:2 .Zephaniah 1:15 .
19.
As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
man. Hebrew. 'ish . App-14 .
a lion . Hebrew the face of a lion. A special various reading called Sevir ( App-34 ) reads "the mouth of a lion".
a bear. The Syrian bear is fiercer than a lion (Daniel 7:5 . Compare 2 Kings 2:24 .Lamentations 3:10; Lamentations 3:10 ).
20.
Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
Shall not. ? Figure of speech Erotesis ( App-6 ), for emphasis
and no brightness. Note the Figures of speech Pleonasm and Erotesis ( App-6 ). Some codices omit "and".
21.
I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
I hate, &c. Compare Proverbs 21:27 , Isaiah 1:11-14 .Jeremiah 6:20 .
I will not smell, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:31 ) App-92 .
solemn assemblies Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 23:36 . Numbers 29:35 .Deuteronomy 16:8; Deuteronomy 16:8 ). App-92 .
22.
Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
offer = offer up.
burnt offerings . . . meat offerings. See App-43 .
I will not accept, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 1:4 . App-92 .
peace offerings. See App-43
Take thou away &c. Compare Isaiah 1:13
viols = lutes
23.
Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
24.
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
rundown = roll on. Reference to Gilgal
mighty = inexhaustible.
stream. Hebrew. nahal = a wady, or intermittent stream; not nahar, a constant-flowing river.
25.
Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
Have ye offered, &c . . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 . This is a question in some codices and three early printed editions; but other codices, and four early printed editions, read it as an affirmative statement. If a question, the answer is No. See Deuteronomy 32:17 . Joshua 5:5-7 . Jeremiah 7:22 , Jeremiah 7:23 .Ezekiel 20:8 , Ezekiel 20:16 , Ezekiel 20:24 .
unto Me, Not "unto demons". Ref to Pentateuch (Leviticus 17:7 . Deuteronomy 32:17 ). App-92 , Compare Psalms 106:37 . 1 Corinthians 10:7 .
26.
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
ye have borne = borne aloft. Figure of speech Hysteresis. App-6 .
tabernacle = booth. Hebrew. sikkuth.
Chiun. The Egyptian or Greek equivalent was Remphan (Septuagint Raiphan; another spelling preserved in the Septuagint and in Acts 7:43 ). Proper names frequently differ in spelling: e.g. Ethiopia is the Hebrew Kush; Egypt is Mizrain; Mesopotamia and Syria is 'Aram, or 'Aram naharaim, & c.
the star of your god: or, your star-god.
27.
Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.
beyond Damascus. In Acts 7:43 beyond Babylon, which was of course "beyond Damascus", and included it, showing what was in the Divine purpose in the words of Jehovah (Amos 5:27 ) by Amos. Moreover, the road to Assyria lay through Damascus. Compare 2 Kings 15:29 ; 2 Kings 16:9 . Isaiah 8:4 .Isaiah 3:12 . May not the Holy Spirit quote and adapt His own words as He pleases?
saith = hath said.