Amos 7:4

4 Thus hath Adonoi Hashem showed unto me; and, hinei, Adonoi Hashem called to punish with eish, and it devoured the tehom rabbah (great deep), and did devour the chelek (portion).

Amos 7:4 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 7:4

Thus hath the Lord showed unto me
Another vision after this manner: and, behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire;
gave out that he would have a controversy with his people Israel, and proclaimed the time when he would try the cause with them, and that by fire: or he called his family, as Jarchi; that is, his angels, as Kimchi, to cause fire to descend upon Israel, as upon Sodom and Gomorrah; so other Rabbins Kimchi mentions: or, as he interprets it, the scorching heat of the sun, like fire that restrained the rain, dried up the plants, and lessened the waters of the river, and so brought on a general drought, and in consequence famine: or rather a foreign army, involving them in war, burning their cities and towns; see ( Amos 1:4 Amos 1:7 Amos 1:10 Amos 1:12 Amos 1:14 ) ; and it devoured the great deep;
it seemed, as if it did; as the fire from heaven, in Elijah's time, licked up the water in the trench, ( 1 Kings 18:38 ) ; so this, coming at God's command, seemed to dry up the whole ocean; by which may be meant the multitude of people, nations, and kingdoms, subdued by the Assyrians; see ( Revelation 17:15 ) ; and did eat up a part;
a part of a field, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra; of the king's field, ( Amos 7:1 ) ; as Kimchi; showing, as he observes, that the reigning king was a bad king, and that this was for his sin: or rather a part of the land of Israel; and so refers, as is generally thought, to Tiglathpileser's invasion of the land, who carried captive a part of it, ( 2 Kings 15:29 ) .

Amos 7:4 In-Context

2 And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the vegetation of ha’aretz, then I said, O Adonoi Hashem, forgive, I beseech thee; how shall Ya’akov survive? For he is katon.

3 Hashem relented for this; It shall not be, saith Hashem.

4 Thus hath Adonoi Hashem showed unto me; and, hinei, Adonoi Hashem called to punish with eish, and it devoured the tehom rabbah (great deep), and did devour the chelek (portion).

5 Then said I, O Adonoi Hashem, cease, I beseech thee; how shall Ya’akov survive? For he is katon.

6 Hashem relented for this: This also shall not be, saith Adonoi Hashem.