CHAPTER 6

(787 B.C.)

WOE TO THOSE WHO ARE AT EASE IN ZION AND TRUST IN MEN

¹Woe to them who are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the House of Israel came! (The phrase, Woe to them who are at ease in Zion, is the second Woe pronounced, and it denounces a false peace. The first Woe, found in 5:18, addresses itself to the insulting sarcasm of Israels self-righteousness.)

²Pass you unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go you to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? (The cities mentioned in this Verse were great and prosperous at this particular time. But yet, both Judah and Israel are invited by the Holy Spirit to go and compare their condition with that of other countries, from the furthest east to the north and to their own neighbors, and they will see that God has done so much more for them than for these others. Israel is bidden to remember that she is much more favored than all these.)

³You who put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near (You who put far away the evil day, addresses the approaching day of Gods Wrath. The seat of violence refers to the corrupt Court of Justice. Upon hearing Amos stern words, the religious leaders of Samaria assigned a distant date to the time of punishment and calamity, that is, if it should come at all!);

⁴Who lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall (Who lie upon beds of ivory, is meant to portray their Spiritual insensibility, somewhat a result of their prosperity; however, their gain was ill-gotten);

⁵Who chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David (as is obvious, prosperity, producing ease and luxury, was coupled with entertainment; this is not so much different than the modern Church);

⁶Who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. (Who drink wine in bowls, actually referred to the sacrificial bowls, which were used in libations of wine and in the sprinkling of blood, regarding the sacrifices. And anoint themselves with the chief ointments, could very well have referred to the holy ointment, as described in the Law of Moses, which was to be used only to anoint the Ark, the Table, the Candlestick, etc. It was definitely not to be put on ones flesh [Ex. 30:32-33].)

CAPTIVITY TO ASSYRIA

⁷Therefore now shall they go captive with the first who go captive, and the banquet of them who stretched themselves shall be removed. (Therefore now shall they go captive with the first who go captive, speaks of Israel falling to the Assyrians about 133 years before the Southern Kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonians. The last phrase refers to the Nobles of Israel being removed, which is a gross understatement, to say the least! They would be removed as slaves, at least the ones who were not killed.)

⁸The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, says the LORD the God of Hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein. (The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, speaks of the threat proceeding directly from Him; it is, therefore, immutable. The balance of this Scripture does not mean that God hates prosperity, but that He hates prosperity that is not gained by His Hand.)

⁹And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die. (Pestilence would accompany captivity, or follow it, so deadly that even a large family of ten persons should have but one survivor, if that!)

¹⁰And a mans uncle shall take him up, and he who burns him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him who is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with you? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold your tongue: for we may not make mention of the Name of the LORD. (The phrase, For we may not make mention of the Name of the LORD, refers to the fact that so conscious would be the survivors that it was a Divine Judgment, they would feel that they dare not use the ordinary language of Spiritual consolation uttered at funerals.)

¹¹For, behold, the LORD commands, and He will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts. (The great house pertains to the Ten Tribes of the Northern Kingdom, while the little house refers to the Two Tribes of the Southern Kingdom.)

¹²Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of Righteousness into hemlock (For we have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of Righteousness into hemlock, refers to Israel turning the Word of God, and all that it promised, against themselves instead of for themselves. Obedience brings blessing, while disobedience brings the opposite!):

¹³You which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? (You which rejoice in a thing of naught, pertains to Israel trusting idols. The question, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?, refers to military strength and Israels belief that they were impregnable. Their boast was a consequence of the successful wars with the Syrians [II Ki. 14:25-28]. The Prophet proceeds to demolish their proud vaunt.)

¹⁴But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O House of Israel, says the LORD the God of Hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness. (The first phrase refers to the Assyrians. The latter phrase predicts the entirety of Israel being wrecked by the Assyrians.)