26 10 11 12 AMOS. III, Gather yourselves together upon the mountains of And see great § tumults in the midst of her, For they know not to do right, saith Jehovah; Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah : An enemy shall encompass the land, And shall bring down thy strength from thee; Thus saith Jehovah: As the shepherd † taketh out of the lion's mouth So shall the Sons of Israel be taken out, Or, violences. Hebr. Treasuring up. * Or, violence. Hebr. † rescueth. ‡ rescued. Samaria] The capital of the kingdom of Israel; situated on a hill, and surrounded by hills. Maundrell. p. 58. 1 Kings xvi. 24. Some of the versions read the mountain. See c. iv. 1. ઃઃ 11. ---shall encompass] Houbigant reads 2: hostis circumsidens, vel, circumsidebit. Perhaps a circundabit; which exactly corresponds to the verb in the next line. See Syr. "F. 20. sequiter ." Mr. Woide. Five MSS. have 1. 12. Who sit] See c. vi. 4. Who now sit luxuriously on beds and couches. Jer. xxxvi. 15. Esth. 1. 6. Harmer ii. 60, endeavours to shew that the corner of a bed was the most honourable place: and by D he thinks that we may understand a divan; or a part of a room raised above the floor, and spread with a carpet in the winter, and in the summer with fine mats. A mattress laid on this floor might serve for a bed. See. p. 67. He also thinks that pu may signify something made at Damascus. p. 67. Damascus] This prophecy may have been delivered when Jeroboam the Second was in possession of Damascus. 2 Kings Because p in the Arabic version of Isai. iii. 22. is rendered peplum, Houbigant leads us to translate, Who dwell in Samaria, In the extremity of a bed, and in the covering of a couch. 13 14 15 Hear [O ye priests,] and testify to the house of Jacob, Saith the Lord Jehovah, the God of hosts; § That in the day when I visit the transgressions I will also visit the altars of Bethel; And the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and dicating shall fall to the ground: And I will smite the winter-house Together with the summer-house; And the houses of ivory shall be destroyed, have an end, saith * Or, fail. According to this conjectural rendering, the sense may be: So a very inconsiderable part shall escape, who hide themselves. in the most retired places of their habitations. "Professor Michaelis observes that MS. 93 reads w, which he renders in latibulo lecti: from the Arab. abdidit, occultavit." Mr. Woide. ---and in Damascus] "If we suppose the word properly to signify the covering of a couch, this name may have been given to it because probably it was generally made of a species of silk so called. Po in Arab. signifies the threads spun from a silkworm's thread; and the Hebrew word may be formed from it by the substitution of a cognate letter." Dr. Forsayeth. 13. O ye priests] The lxx and Arab. supply this: and there seems to be a peculiar propriety in addressing the priests on this occasion. ---hosts] The word may comprehend the angelic host; the sun, moon and stars, which are the heavenly host; and the hosts, or armies, of all nations; but particularly those of the Jews, whom God led forth to battle when his people observed his law. 14. Bethel] See Kings xii. 29, 32. It's destruction is also foretold c. v. 5. and may be reffered to Jer. xlviii. 13. ---borns] See Ps. cxviii. 27. Ex. xxvii. 2. 11 15. --winter-house] See Jer. xxxvi. 22. ---of ivory] inlaid with ivory in some parts of them. Δώματα ηχηεία Χρυσε το ηλεκτρα τε, και αργυρε, ηδ' ελέφαντος. Non ebur, neque aureum Odyss. iv. 72. Mea renidet in domo lacunar. Hor. Od. L. ii. xviii. 1. See Harmer i. 181. and Boch. Hieroz. L. ii. xxiv. 252. K CHAP. IV. HEAR this word, O ye kine of Bashan, And ye shall go out at the openings, every one Or, fishing instruments. to the passes on Fix mountainz 1. Hear] It should regularly be now: and Houbigant sugGuinnich Albid. gests that this word may have been originally written, acVia Camcording to Gen. iv. 23. su Vi27 ---O ye kine of Bashan] Bashan was famous for its flocks and herds. Deut. xxxii. 14. Ezek. xxxix. 18. The proud and luxurious matrons of Israel may be here described. Or if the reader supposes that the men of Israel are addressed, you may be construed with ar to navojasvov, or, according to the sense; and may be the reading, v. 2. ---to their masters] Houbigant reads לאדניכן .Ar : and V. Syr. Masters, or Lords, are husbands. Gen. xviii. 12." Secker. 2. ---ye shall be taken away] Literally: one shall take you See on Jon. iii. 7. away. ---hooks] The original word in the masculine is used for thorns; but in the feminine it signifies shields. In Buxt. Lex, Rabb. Ny signifies canistrum corbis; and is equivalent to N in Hebrew, they and being often changed. So that perhaps a fishing-instrument may be denoted, which, like some now in use, resembled a shield, or a basket, in its form. Our translators render hooks, from their analogy to thorns. ---nets of fishers] The original word in the masculine is used for thorns, and in the feminine for pots; and the sense of hooks is assumed by the English translators, as before. Perhaps the prophet means vessels of fishing resembling pots, with nets annexed to them. Those who think that the women of Israel are understood v. אתכן and עליכן .may read in this w ,1 3. ---at the openings] The apertures of the fishing instru And I will cast it forth, and will utterly destroy it, saith Jehovah. Hebr. to transgress. And proclaim, publish abroad, freewill-offerings. ment in which ye were caught. Houbigant reads be cause Vulg. Syr. actually supply the preposition; which in He- --every one] N Sc. 727 fish. ---utterly destroy]_Houbigant Proposes; "et projiciemini in sagenas." Possibly, ɔannn na’nɔbum, "et projiciam eam perdendo eam." From Chald. Syr. we may collect 27, or, "to the mountains of Mini or Armenia." In v. 2, 3, the image is changed from that of v. 1, in the irregular eastern manner: and I suppose it continued through these two verses; and not interrupted by a second transition. 4. Gilgal] See c. v. 5. That this place, which lay between the river Jordan and Jericho, was the scene of idolatry, appears from the contempory prophet Hosea; c. iv. 15. ix. 15. xii. 11. It was so called, because at that place God 2 rolled away the reproach of circumcision from the Israelites. Josh. v. 9. ---years] So sometimes signifies. See Ex. xiii. 10. ---of leaven] Though of leaven, in contempt of the law Lev. 2, ---proclaim] Inviting many to feast on these sacrifices. See Spencer de leg. Hebr. L. iii. c. vii. The sense of these two For thus ye love to do, O ye sons of Israel, And moreover I have given you Cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And want of bread in all your places: And yet ye have not returned unto me, saith And moreover I have withholden from you the rain, And upon another city have I caused it not to rain: And another portion, whereupon I have caused it And two or three cities have gone Unto one city To drink water, and have not been satisfied: And yet ye have not returned unto me, saith I have smitten you with blasting, and with mildew, verses is: With the punishment denounced, . 2, 3, impending over you, and notwithstanding past tokens of my anger, v. 6, &c.; continue to trust in your idols. A severe derision of their folly and mpiety. 6. And yet, &c.] A reprehension which occurs five times in this chapter. 7. three months] Some understand this of the rain which fell in April, three months before wheat-harvest: others think that there is a reference to the snow and rains which filled the reservoirs in the beginning of February. Harmer i. 40. ---whereupon I have caused it not to rain] Forn, V. 6. Ar. read N. So does one MS. now; and a second read so originally, and perhaps a third. This reading is therefore .תמטר preferable to 8. or three] ww. Houbigant. V. 6. But Syr. Chald. omit the vau. The rhyme in v. 7, 8, is prosaic. and yet the use of the future for the past, and the repetition at the close of 2. 8, are in the poetical manner. 9. very much] Hebr. multiplicando. See Prov. xxv. 27. |