I saw the LORD standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.
the LORD. One of the 134 places where the Sepherim say they altered "Jehovah" of the primitive text to "Adonai" ( App-2 ). See App-4 . Here it is combined with 'eth = Jehovah Himself.
upon beside, or by.
the altar. Probably the same altar at Beth-al where Jeroboam had once stood (1 Kings 13:1 ). Compare Amos 7:13 , lintel = capital. Render: "smite the capital, shake the foundations, cut them off [i.e. the pillars] by the head, all of them". and I will slay. This is the signification of the symbolical act. the last of them: i.e. the remnant of the People.
Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:
Though they dig, &c. Note the Figure of speech Catabasis (Ap'. 6).
hell. Hebrew. Sheol = The grave. App-35 . Compare Psalms 139:8 , &c,
climb up . Compare Job 20:6 . Jeremiah 51:53 .Obadiah 1:4 .
And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
command the sword. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:33 . Deu 26:25 ). App-92 . Compare Ezekiel 5:12 .
I will set Mine eyes , &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 17:10 ; Leviticus 20:5 ). App-92 . Compare Jeremiah 44:11 .
evil = calamity. Hebrew. ra'a'. App-44 . Compare Amos 3:6 .
And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.
It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name.
stories = chambers above. Compare Psalms 104:3 , Psalms 104:13 ,
troop = band: i.e. the blue vault.
in = over.
calleth . Compare Amos 5:8 . The LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . It.
is His name. Ref: to Pentateuch (Exodus 15:3 ). App-92 .
Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
children = sons.
saith the LORD [is] Jehovah's oracle.
brought up Israel. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 13:3 , Exodus 13:9 , Exodus 13:14 , Exodus 13:16 ; Exodus 33:1 .Deuteronomy 5:15 ; Deuteronomy 6:21 , &c.) App-92 .
Caphtor = Crete. Ref, to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 2:23 ). App-92 .
Kir. Supposed to be Lower Mesopotamia.
Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos . App-6 .
sinful. Hebrew. chata . App-44 .
earth = ground, or soil. Hebrew adamah.
For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.
lo = behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
the least grain. Hebrew. tzeror. A usage common to-day with the fellahheen (see James Niel's Palestine Explored, p. 250).
earth. Hebrew Wets. Not the same word as in Amos 9:8 .
All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.
sinners. Hebrew. chata , as in Amos 9:8 . prevent = surprise.
In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
In that day. Passing to the subject of the future restoration (see the Structure). Quoted in Acts 15:14-18
of David. Erected on Zion by David (2 Samuel 6:17 . Compare Amos 7:6 ) before the Temple was built on Moriah by Solomon. in Amos 7:7-9 , it was seen to be "out of plumb", therefore on the point of falling. Here it is fallen down: hence the prophecy here given. In Acts 15 the time had come, had the People obeyed Peter's call in Amo 3:18-21 . But it was finally rejected (Acts 28:25-28 ), and this prophecy, therefore, yet awaits its fulfilment.
That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
may possess = may take possession of.
Edom. Compare Numbers 24:18 . 2 Samuel 8:14 .
heathen = nations.
which are called, &c.: or, on whom My name is called.
name : i.e. Israel
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
the plowman , &c. This shows that the fulfilment of this prophecy is yet in abeyance, for these temporal blessings were postponed on the rejection of the call to repentance in Acts 3:18-26 . Compare Act 28:25-58 . Note the reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:5 ). App-92 .
the mountains , &c. Compare Joel 3:18 .
sweet wine = new wine. Hebrew. asis See App-27 .
melt : i.e. dissolve into wine and oil. Figure of speech Hyperbole ( App-6 ), for emphasis.
And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
I will bring again. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 30:5 ). App-92 . Compare Amos 5:11 .Psalms 53:6 . Jeremiah 30:3 , Jeremiah 30:18 ; Jeremiah 31:23 .Ezekiel 16:53 ; Ezekiel 39:25 .Joel 3:1 , Joel 3:2 .
captivity = the captives. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for captives.
they shall build. Compare Isaiah 61:4 ; Isaiah 65:21 .Jeremiah 30:18 ; Jer 30:31 , Jer 30:36-40 . Ezekiel 36:33-36 ; Ezekiel 37:25-28 .
they shall plant. Compare Amos 5:11 .Isaiah 62:8; Isaiah 62:8 Isaiah 62:9 ; Isaiah 65:21 .Ezekiel 28:26 . Hosea 2:21-23 . Joe 8:18 , &c.
wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27 .
And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.
I will plant. Ref to Pent, (Leviticus 25:18 , Leviticus 25:19 ; Leviticus 26:5 ). App-92 .
their land . Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 13:15 , &c.) App-92 . Compare Isaiah 60:21 .Jeremiah 24:6 ; Jeremiah 32:41 .Ezekiel 34:28 ; Ezekiel 37:25 .Joel 3:20 . Micah 4:4 .
no more be pulled up. Compare Jeremiah 32:41 , margin
which I have given them . This is the ground of' all the blessing. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 32:7 , Numbers 32:9 . Deuteronomy 3:18 ; Deuteronomy 26:15 ; Deuteronomy 28:52 ). App-92 . Compare Joshua 2:6 , Joshua 2:15 ; Joshua 18:3 ; Joshua 23:13 , Joshua 23:15 .Jeremiah 25:5 . The so-called "Priests "Code", according to most modern critics, was compiled by the priests in Babylon, and most of the Pentateuch is "post-exilic" (see Encycl. Brit., eleventh (Cambridge) edition, vol. 3, p. 852, col. I). Yet it was well known to Amos (cent. 7 B.C.) Compare Amos 2:4 , Amos 2:7 , Amos 2:8 , Amos 2:12 ; Amos 4:4 , Amos 4:5 ; Amos 5:12 , Amos 5:21 , Amos 5:22 ; Amos 9:4 , &c.
saith = hath said.
