Amos 4:10

10 “I sent among you a pestilence ¹after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and ²carried away your horses, ^[a] and ³I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; ⁴yet you did not return to me, ”declares the Lord.

Amos 4:10 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 4:10

I have sent among you the pestilence, after the manner of
Egypt
Like that which was sent among the firstborn of Egypt, and cut them off in one night; or when in the way of Egypt, as the Targum; either as in the wilderness, when they came out of Egypt, so Jarchi interprets it; see ( Numbers 16:46-49 ) ; or the Lord sent the pestilence as they went in the way to Egypt for help and assistence, or for shelter, for food in time of famine; for they went thither, as Kimchi says, because of the famine, to fetch food, from thence; and this was displeasing to the Lord, and he sent the plague among them, which cut them off in the way: your young men have I slain with the sword;
of the enemy in battle; or as they were in the way to Egypt, being sent there to fetch food, but were intercepted by the enemy: and have taken away your horses;
on which they rode to Egypt on the above errand; or rather which they brought up from thence, contrary to the command of God: and have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils;
such numbers of their armies being slain, and these lying unburied, the smell of them was very noisome: yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord;
still they continued obstinate and impenitent; (See Gill on Amos 4:6).

Amos 4:10 In-Context

8 so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me, ”declares the Lord.

9 “I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me, ”declares the Lord.

10 “I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me, ”declares the Lord.

11 “I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me, ”declares the Lord.

12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel! ”

Cross References

• 1. 4:10 Deut. 28:27, 60; [Ex. 12:29; Ps. 78:50; Isa. 10:24, 26]
• 2. 4:10 2 Kgs. 13:7
• 3. 4:10 [Joel 2:20]
• 4. 4:10 [See ver. 6 above]

Footnotes

• [a] 4:10 Hebrew 'along with the captivity of your horses'