Amos 6 Commentary

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Amos 6:1 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria, The distinguished men of the foremost of nations, To whom the house of Israel comes.  

• to them (KJV): Judges 18:7 Isa 32:9-11 33:14 Jer 48:11 49:31 Lu 6:24,25 Lu 12:17-20 Jas 5:5 1Pe 5:7 
• at ease (KJV): or, secure, Jer 7:4 
• and trust (KJV): Am 4:1 8:14 1Ki 16:24 
• named (KJV): Ex 19:5,6 La 1:1 
• chief (KJV): or, firstfruits, Jas 1:18 

Woe to those who are at ease in Zion And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria, The distinguished men of the foremost of nations, To whom the house of Israel comes.  

Amos 6:2 Go over to Calneh and look, And go from there to Hamath the great, Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms, Or is their territory greater than yours?  

• Pass (KJV): Jer 2:10,11 Na 3:8 
• Calneh (KJV): Ge 10:10 Isa 10:9, Calno
• Hamath (KJV): 2Ki 17:24,30 18:34 19:13 
• Gath (KJV): 1Sa 17:4,23 2Ch 26:6 
• better (KJV): Isa 10:9-11 36:18,19 37:12,13 Eze 31:2,3 Na 3:8 

Go over to Calneh and look, And go from there to Hamath the great, Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms, Or is their territory greater than yours?  

Amos 6:3 Do you put off the day of calamity, And would you bring near the seat of violence?  

• put (KJV): Am 5:18 9:10 Ec 8:11 Isa 47:7 56:12 Eze 12:22,27 Mt 24:48 1Th 5:3 2Pe 3:4 Rev 18:17 
• and cause (KJV): Am 6:12 5:12 Ps 94:20 
• seat (KJV): or, habitation

Do you put off the day of calamity, And would you bring near the seat of violence?  

Amos 6:4 Those who recline on beds of ivory And sprawl on their couches, And eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall,  

• lie (KJV): Isa 5:11,12 22:13 Lu 16:19 Ro 13:13,14 Jas 5:5 
• beds (KJV): Either sofas to recline on at table, or beds to sleep on; which among the ancients, were ornamented with ivory inlaid.
• stretch themselves upon their couches (KJV): or, abound with superfluities, 1Sa 25:36-38 Ps 73:7 Lu 12:19,20 

Those who recline on beds of ivory And sprawl on their couches, And eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall,

Amos 6:5 Who improvise to the sound of the harp, And like David have composed songs for themselves,  

• chant (KJV): or, quaver
• to the (KJV): Ge 31:27 Job 21:11,12 Ec 2:8 Isa 5:12 1Pe 4:3 Rev 18:22 
• like (KJV): Am 5:23 8:3 1Ch 23:5 

Who improvise to the sound of the harp, And like David have composed songs for themselves

Amos 6:6 Who drink wine from sacrificial bowls While they anoint themselves with the finest of oils, Yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.  

• drink (KJV): This probably refers to the costliness and magnificence of the drinking vessels, as well as to the quantity drank.
• wine in bowls (KJV): or, in bowls of wine, Ho 3:1 1Ti 5:23 
• chief (KJV): Mt 26:7-9 Joh 12:3 
• but (KJV): Ge 37:25-28 42:21,22 49:22 Es 3:15 Ro 12:15 1Co 12:26 
• affliction (KJV): or, breach, 2Ki 15:29 17:3-6 Jer 30:7 

Who drink wine from sacrificial bowls While they anoint themselves with the finest of oils, Yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph

Amos 6:7 Therefore, they will now go into exile at the head of the exiles, And the sprawlers’ banqueting will pass away.  

• shall they (KJV): Am 5:5,27 7:11 De 28:41 Lu 21:24 
• and the (KJV): 1Ki 20:16-20 Es 5:8,12-14 7:1,2,8-10 Isa 21:4 Da 5:4-6 Na 1:10 

Therefore, they will now go into exile at the head of the exiles, And the sprawlers’ banqueting will pass away

Amos 6:8 The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, the LORD God of hosts has declared: “I loathe the arrogance of Jacob, And detest his citadels; Therefore I will deliver up the city and all it contains.”  

• sworn (KJV): Am 4:2 Jer 51:14 Heb 6:13-17 
• I abhor (KJV): Lev 26:11 Ps 78:59 106:40 Zec 11:8 
• the excellency (KJV): Am 8:7 Ps 47:4 Eze 24:21 
• and hate (KJV): Am 3:11 La 2:5 
• therefore (KJV): Mic 1:6-9 
• all that is therein (KJV): Heb. the fulness thereof, Ps 50:12 

The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, the LORD God of hosts has declared: “I loathe the arrogance of Jacob, And detest his citadels; Therefore I will deliver up the city and all it contains

Amos 6:9 And it will be, if ten men are left in one house, they will die.

• if (KJV): Am 5:3 1Sa 2:33 Es 5:11 9:10 Job 1:2,19 20:28 Ps 109:13 Isa 14:21 

And it will be, if ten men are left in one house, they will die

Amos 6:10 Then one’s uncle, or his undertaker, will lift him up to carry out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “No one.” Then he will answer, “Keep quiet. For the name of the LORD is not to be mentioned.”

• And a (KJV): Abp. Newcome says that this obscure verse seems to describe the effects of the famine and pestilence during the siege of Samaria.
• that burneth (KJV): Am 8:3 1Sa 31:12 2Ki 23:16 Jer 16:6 
• Hold (KJV): Am 5:13 Nu 17:12 2Ki 6:33 Eze 24:21 
• for (KJV): Jer 44:26 Eze 20:39 
• we may not make (KJV): or, they will not make, or, have not made

Then one’s uncle, or his undertaker, will lift him up to carry out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “No one.” Then he will answer, “Keep quiet. For the name of the LORD is not to be mentioned

Amos 6:11 For behold, the LORD is going to command that the great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments.  

• the Lord (KJV): Am 3:6,7 9:1,9 Ps 105:16,31,34 Isa 10:5,6 13:3 46:10,11 55:11 Eze 29:18-20 Na 1:14 
• he will (KJV): Am 6:8 3:15 2Ki 25:9 Ho 13:16 Zec 14:2 Lu 19:44 
• breaches (KJV): or, droppings, Ec 10:18 

For behold, the LORD is going to command that the great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments.  

Amos 6:12 Do horses run on rocks? Or does one plow them with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,  

• horses (KJV): Isa 48:4 Jer 5:3 6:29,30 Zec 7:11,12 
• for (KJV): Am 5:7,11,12 1Ki 21:7-13 Ps 94:20,21 Isa 59:13,14 Ho 10:4,13 Mic 7:3 Hab 1:3,4 Ac 7:51,52 

Do horses run on rocks? Or does one plow them with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,  

Amos 6:13 You who rejoice in Lodebar, And say, “Have we not by our own strength taken Karnaim for ourselves?”  

• which (KJV): Ex 32:18,19 Judges 9:19,20,27 16:23-25 1Sa 4:5 Job 31:25,29 Ec 11:9 Isa 8:6 Jer 9:23 50:11 Jon 4:6 Hab 1:15,16 Zep 3:11 Lu 12:19,20 Joh 16:20 Jas 4:16 Rev 11:10 
• Have (KJV): 2Ki 13:25 14:12-14,25 2Ch 28:6-8 Isa 7:1,4 17:3,4 28:14,15 Da 4:30 

You who rejoice in Lodebar, And say, “Have we not by our own strength taken Karnaim for ourselves?

Amos 6:14 “For behold, I am going to raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD God of hosts, “And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath To the brook of the Arabah.”

• I will (KJV): 2Ki 15:29 17:6 Isa 7:20 8:4-8 10:5,6 Jer 5:15-17 Ho 10:5 
• from (KJV): Nu 34:8 1Ki 8:65 Eze 47:15-17 
• river (KJV): or, valley

For behold, I am going to raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD God of hosts, “And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath To the brook of the Arabah