Amos 4:2

2 The Lord GOD has ¹sworn by His ²holiness, "Behold, the days are coming upon you When they will take you away with ³meat hooks, And the last of you with ⁴fish hooks.

Amos 4:2 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 4:2

The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness
That is, by himself, holiness being his nature, and an essential attribute of his; this is done to ascertain the truth of what is after said, and that men may be assured of the certain performance of it. Some render it, "by his holy place"; and interpret it of heaven; so Aben Ezra and Kimchi; which is not likely; see ( Matthew 5:34 ) ( James 5:12 ) . The Targum is,

``the Lord God hath sworn by his word in his holiness;''

that, lo, the days shall come upon you;
speedily, swiftly, and at an unawares: that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fish
hooks;
the enemy, the king of Assyria, or God by him, would take them out of their own land, as fish out of water, out of their own element, and carry them captive into a strange land, both them and their posterity; and which should be as easily done as fish are taken with the hook, even though they were as the kine of Bashan. The word for fish hooks signifies "thorns" ^F16, and is by some so rendered; these perhaps being used in angling, before iron hooks were invented. The Targum is,

``that people shall take you away on their shields, and your daughters in fishermen's ^F17 boats;''

see ( Jeremiah 16:16 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (twryob) "spinis", Mercerus, Liveleus, Drusius, Grotius.
F17 So it is interpreted by R. Sol Urbin Ohel Moed, fol. 65. 2. likewise Elias says the word signifies a small ship, or a boat that is in a large ship, Tishbi, p. 59. So Vatablus interprets it, "scaphas piscatorias, [sive] cymbas"; and some in Munster.

Amos 4:2 In-Context

1 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, "Bring now, that we may drink!"

2 The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness, "Behold, the days are coming upon you When they will take you away with meat hooks, And the last of you with fish hooks.

3 "You will go out through breaches in the walls, Each one straight before her, And you will be cast to Harmon," declares the LORD .

4 "Enter Bethel and transgress; In Gilgal multiply transgression! Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days.

5 "Offer a thank offering also from that which is leavened, And proclaim freewill offerings, make them known. For so you love to do, you sons of Israel," Declares the Lord GOD.

Cross References

• 1. Amos 6:8; Amos 8:7
• 2. Psalms 89:35
• 3. Isaiah 37:29; Ezekiel 38:4
• 4. Jeremiah 16:16; Ezekiel 29:4; Habakkuk 1:15

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD, and so throughout the ch
• [b]. Lit "he"