Amos 4:3

3 You will be led out through the ruins of the wall; you will be thrown from your fortresses, ” says the LORD .

Amos 4:3 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 4:3

And ye shall go out at the breaches
Not at the gates of the city, as they had used to do at pleasure; but at the breaches of the walls of it, made by the enemy, in order to make their escape, if possible; they who had broke down the fences of law and justice, and injured the poor and needy, shall now have the walls of their city broken down and they themselves exposed to the most imminent danger, and glad to get out of them to save their lives: every [cow] at that [which is] before her;
every woman, as Jarchi and Kimchi; or every great person, compared to the kine of Bashan, shall make up as fast as he can to the breach before him, to get out; shall follow one another as quick as they can, and clamber on one another's backs, as such cattle do, to get out first; which shows the hurry and confusion they should be in, upon the taking of their city Samaria: and ye shall cast [them] into the palace, saith the Lord;
either their children, or their substance, which they shall cast into the royal palace, or fort, or citadel, for safety. Some render it, "ye shall cast yourselves"; so Abarbinel; that is, such as could not get out at the breaches should betake themselves to the palace or fort for their security. The Targum of the whole is,

``and they shall break down the wall upon you, and bring you out, gathered everyone before him, and carry you beyond the mountains of Armenia.''

And so some others, taking it to be the name of a place, render it, "ye shall be cast into Armon", or Mona; which Bochart ^F18 suspects to be the same with Minni, mentioned with Ararat, a mountain in Armenia, ( Jeremiah 51:27 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F18 Geograph. Sacr. l. 1. c. 3. col. 20.

Amos 4:3 In-Context

1 Listen to me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who are always calling to your husbands, “Bring us another drink!”

2 The Sovereign LORD has sworn this by his holiness: “The time will come when you will be led away with hooks in your noses. Every last one of you will be dragged away like a fish on a hook!

3 You will be led out through the ruins of the wall; you will be thrown from your fortresses, ” says the LORD .

4 “Go ahead and offer sacrifices to the idols at Bethel. Keep on disobeying at Gilgal. Offer sacrifices each morning, and bring your tithes every three days.

5 Present your bread made with yeast as an offering of thanksgiving. Then give your extra voluntary offerings so you can brag about it everywhere! This is the kind of thing you Israelites love to do,” says the Sovereign LORD .

Footnotes

• [a]. Or thrown out toward Harmon, possibly a reference to Mount Hermon.