Amos 4:2

2 "This is serious - I, God, have sworn by my holiness! Be well warned: Judgment Day is coming! They're going to rope you up and haul you off, keep the stragglers in line with cattle prods.

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 this, you cows of Bashan grazing on the slopes of Samaria. You women! Mean to the poor, cruel to the down-and-out! Indolent and pampered, you demand of your husbands, 'Bring us a tall, cool drink!'

2 "This is serious - I, God, have sworn by my holiness! Be well warned: Judgment Day is coming! They're going to rope you up and haul you off, keep the stragglers in line with cattle prods.

3 They'll drag you through the ruined city walls, forcing you out single file, And kick you to kingdom come." God's Decree.

4 "Come along to Bethel and sin! And then to Gilgal and sin some more! Bring your sacrifices for morning worship. Every third day bring your tithe.

5 Burn pure sacrifices - thank offerings. Speak up - announce freewill offerings! That's the sort of religious show you Israelites just love." God's Decree.