Amos 6:8

8 The Lord God has taken an oath by himself, says the Lord, the God of armies: the pride of Jacob is disgusting to me, and I have hate for his great houses: so I will give up the town with everything in it.

Amos 6:8 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 6:8

The Lord God hath sworn by himself
Because he could swear by no greater, ( Hebrews 6:13 ) ; which shows the importance and certainty of the thing sworn to, and is as follows: saith the Lord, the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob;
or, "the pride of Jacob" ^F3; of Israel, of the ten tribes, remarkable for their pride; hence called the crown of pride, ( Isaiah 28:3 ) ; it may include all that was glorious, valuable, and excellent among them, of which they were proud; their kingdom, riches, wealth, and strength, their fortified cities and towns: if Judah is comprehended in this, it may regard the temple, which was their excellency, and in which they gloried. So the Targum paraphrases it,

``the house of the sanctuary of the house of Jacob;''

and in like manner Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, interpret it; and hate his palaces;
the palaces of the king and nobles, and great men, which should fall into the enemy's hand, and be plundered and destroyed; which is meant by the Lord's abhorrence and hatred of them, this being an evidence of it; therefore will I deliver up the city, with all that is therein;
or, "with its fulness" ^F4; with all its inhabitants and riches; according to Jarchi, the city of Jerusalem is meant; though rather the city of Samaria, unless both are intended, city for cities; since the chief men both of Israel and Judah seem to be addressed, ( Amos 6:1 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (Nwag ta) "superbiam", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus; "fastium", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius.
F4 (halmw) "et plenitudinem ejus", Mercerus, Piscator, Cocceius.

Amos 6:8 In-Context

6 Drinking wine in basins, rubbing themselves with the best oils; but they have no grief for the destruction of Joseph.

7 So now they will go away prisoners with the first of those who are made prisoners, and the loud cry of those who were stretched out will come to an end.

8 The Lord God has taken an oath by himself, says the Lord, the God of armies: the pride of Jacob is disgusting to me, and I have hate for his great houses: so I will give up the town with everything in it.

9 Then it will come about that if there are still ten men in a house, death will overtake them.

10 And when a man's relation, even the one who is responsible for burning his body, lifting him up to take his bones out of the house, says to him who is in the inmost part of the house, Is there still anyone with you? and he says, No; then he will say, Keep quiet, for the name of the Lord may not be named.