And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest
thou?
&c.] This question was put to him, the rather, since he was
silent, and did not upon this vision, as the former, make any
supplication to the Lord; as also, because this vision portended
something of moment and importance, which he would have the
prophet attend to: and I said, a plumbline;
the same word as before, and is differently rendered, as already
observed. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "a plasterer's"
or "mason's trowel"; with which they lay their plaster and mortar
on in building: the Septuagint, an adamant: and which, by Pliny
{f}, is called "anachites"; a word in sound near to this here
used: the Targum renders it, "judgment": but Jarchi and Aben Ezra
observe, that in the Arabic tongue it signifies lead or tin, as
it does F7; and so a line with lead at the end
of it; then said the Lord, behold, I will set a plumbline
in the midst of my
people Israel;
take an exact account of their actions, and see how they agree or
disagree with the rule of the word; and in the most strict and
righteous manner deal with them for their sins and
transgressions, "lay judgment to the line, and righteousness to
the plummet", ( Isaiah 28:17
) ; I will not again pass by them any more;
wink at their sins, and overlook their transgressions, by not
correcting and punishing for them; or will not pardon them, but
inflict punishment on them. So the Targum,
``behold, I will exercise judgment in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not add any more to pardon them.''Though some understand it of God's making such an utter end of them, that he should no more "pass through them" F8, to destroy them, having done it at once, and thoroughly.