Amos 4:2

2 The LORD and King has taken an oath in his own holy name. He says, "You can be sure that the time will come when your enemies will put hooks in your faces. They will lead every one of you away with fishhooks.

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 Listen to the LORD's message, you women who live on the hill of Samaria. You treat poor people badly. You crush those who are in need. You say to your husbands, "Bring us some drinks!" But you are already as fat as the cows in Bashan.

2 The LORD and King has taken an oath in his own holy name. He says, "You can be sure that the time will come when your enemies will put hooks in your faces. They will lead every one of you away with fishhooks.

3 Each of you will go straight out through a gap in the wall. You will be thrown out of the city on the hill where you crush others," announces the Lord.

4 "People of Samaria, go to Bethel and sin! Go to Gilgal! Sin there even more! Bring your sacrifices every morning. Every third year, bring a tenth of everything you produce.

5 Bake some bread with yeast. Burn it as a thank offering. Brag about the offerings you freely give. That is what you Israelites love to do," announces the LORD and King.