Chapter Note Matthew Henry Commentary (Complete)
A M O S.
CHAP. V.
The scope of this chapter is to prosecute the exhortation given to Israel in the close of the foregoing chapter to prepare to meet their God; the prophet here tells them, I. What preparation they must make; they must "seek the Lord," and not seek any more to idols Amos 5:4 - 8 ); they must seek good, and love it, Amos 5:14 ; Amos 5:15 . II. Why they must make this preparation to meet their God, 1. Because of the present deplorable condition they were in, Amos 5:1 - 3 . 2. Because it was by sin that they were brought into such a condition, Amos 5:7 ; Amos 5:10 - 12 . 3. Because it would be their happiness to seek God, and he was ready to be found of them, Amos 5:8 ; Amos 5:9 ; Amos 5:14 . 4. Because he would proceed, in his wrath, to their utter ruin, if they did not seek him, Amos 5:5 ; Amos 5:6 ; Amos 5:13 ; Amos 5:16 ; Amos 5:17 . 5. Because all their confidences would fail them if they did not seek unto God, and make him their friend. (1.) Their profane contempt of God's judgments, and setting them at defiance, would not secure them, Amos 5:18 - 20 . (2.) Their external services in religion, and the shows of devotion, would not avail to turn away the wrath of God, Amos 5:21 - 24 . (3.) Their having been long in possession of church-privileges, and in a course of holy duties, would not be their protection, while all along they had kept up their idolatrous customs, Amos 5:25 - 27 . They have therefore no way left them to save themselves, but by repentance and reformation.
Book Note Matthew Henry Commentary (Complete)
AN
EXPOSITION,
W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E R V A T I O N S,
OF THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
A M O S.
T HOUGH this prophet appeared a little before Isaiah, yet he was not, as some have mistaken, that Amos who was the father of Isaiah Isaiah 1:1 ), for in the Hebrew their names are very different; their families too were of a different character, for Isaiah was a courtier, Amos a country-farmer. Amos signifies a burden, whence the Jews have a tradition that he was of a slow tongue and spoke with stammering lips; we may rather, in allusion to his name, say that his speech was weighty and his word the burden of the Lord. He was (as most think) of Judah, yet prophesied chiefly against Israel, and at Bethel, Amos 7:13Amos 7:13 . Some think his style savours of his extraction, and is more plain and rustic than that of some other of the prophets; I do not see it so; but it is plain that his matter agreed with that of his contemporary Hosea, that out of the mouth of these two witnesses the word might be established. It appears by his contest with Amaziah the priest of Bethel that he met with opposition in his work, but was a man of undaunted resolution in it, faithful and bold in reproving sin and denouncing the judgments of God for it, and pressing in his exhortations to repentance and reformation. He begins with threatenings against the neighbouring nations that were enemies to Israel, Amos 1:1 - 2Amos 1:1 - 2 He then calls Israel to account, and judges them for their idolatry, their unworthy walking under the favours God had bestowed upon them, and their incorrigibleness under his judgments, Amos 3:1 - 4Amos 3:1 - 4 He calls them to repentance ( Amos 5:1 - 27Amos 5:1 - 27 ), rejecting their hypocritical sacrifices unless they did repent. He foretels the desolations that were coming upon them notwithstanding their security Amos 6:1 - 14Amos 6:1 - 14 ), some particular judgments Amos 7:1 - 17Amos 7:1 - 17 ), particularly on Amaziah; and, after other reproofs and threatenings Amos 8:1 - 9Amos 8:1 - 9 ), concludes with a promise of the setting up of the Messiah's kingdom and the happiness of God's spiritual Israel therein, just as the prophecy of Joel concluded. These prophets, having opened the wound in their reproofs and threatenings, which show all wrong, in the promises of gospel-grace open the remedy, which alone will set all to rights.
