John Calvin Commentary Amos 3:15

"And I will smite the winter-house with the summer-house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith Jehovah." — Amos 3:15 (ASV)

Amos shows again that the great people trusted in vain in their wealth and fortified places, because these could not hinder God from bringing them out for punishment. Since abundance blinds people, and they imagine themselves to be as if inaccessible, especially when living in great palaces, the Prophet here declares that these houses would be no obstacle to prevent God’s vengeance from breaking through: I will then destroy the winter-house together with the summer-house.

Amos undoubtedly intended this description to refer to the palaces. The poor consider it enough to have a cottage for both winter and summer, for they do not change the parts of their buildings to live in the warmer sections in winter and cool themselves in the colder ones during summer. The poor do not possess such an advantage, as they are content with the same dwelling throughout their lives.

But since the rich sought warmth in winter and had their summer compartments, the Prophet says that their large and magnificent buildings would be no protection for them, because God’s vengeance would penetrate them: I will destroy then the winter with the summer house.

And then he says, Fail shall the houses of ivory. We now see more clearly that the Prophet speaks here against the rich and the wealthy, who lived in splendid and magnificent palaces.

Perish then shall the houses of ivory and fail shall the great houses; Some say many houses, but improperly, because the Prophet continues the same idea. Just as he had previously mentioned houses of ivory, so he now calls them great houses.

For they were built not only for use and convenience, like common and plebeian houses, but also for show and display. The rich, as we know, are always lavish and profuse, not only in their food and clothing, but also in their palaces. This is the meaning.