John Calvin Commentary Amos 3:9

"Publish ye in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold what great tumults are therein, and what oppressions in the midst thereof." — Amos 3:9 (ASV)

Amos begins here to set judges over the Israelites. Because they would not patiently submit to God’s judgment, he appoints and sets the Egyptians and Idumeans over them as judges. This prophecy no doubt increasingly exasperated the minds of the people, who were already very stubborn and rebellious; yet this was necessary.

Indeed, God had summoned them to His tribunal as long as a hope of reconciliation remained. But when they grew angry because of God’s threatening, clamored against His servants, yes, and obstinately disputed as if they were guilty of no fault, what else remained but for God to appoint judges over them, whom the Prophet names—namely, the Egyptians and Idumeans?

“You cannot bear My judgment; unbelievers, who are already condemned, will pronounce sentence on you. I am indeed your legitimate judge; but since you have repudiated Me, I will prove to you how true My judgment is. I will be silent; the Egyptians will speak.”

And who were these Egyptians? They were those who were equally guilty with the Israelites and labored under the same charges, or were at least not far from deserving a similar punishment. Yet God would compel the Israelites to hear the sentence to be pronounced on them by the Egyptians and Idumeans.

We know how proudly the Israelites gloried in their birthright; but the Lord here exposes this arrogance to scorn, because they made such bad use of His benefits. Thus we now perceive the Prophet’s intention.

Publish, he says, in the palaces of Ashdod, in the palaces of the land of Egypt, and say—what? Assemble on the mountains of Samaria. He would have the Egyptians and the Idumeans meet together, and the mountains of Samaria to be, as it were, the theater, though the idea of a tribunal is more suitable to the comparison being used.

It was then as if the Egyptians and Idumeans were to be seated on an elevated place, and God were to set before them the oppressions, the robberies, and wicked plundering that prevailed in the kingdom of Israel.

Assemble then on the mountains of Samaria. The Prophet alludes to the situation of the country, for though Samaria was situated on a plain, there were still mountains around it. They thought themselves hidden there and were like wine settled on its dregs.

God says now, “Let the Egyptians and Idumeans meet and view the scene. I will allot them a place from which they can see how greatly all kinds of iniquity prevail in the kingdom of Israel. They indeed dwell in their plain and think themselves sufficiently defended by the mountains around; but from these mountains even the very blind will be able to see how abominable and shameful their condition is.”

Let them come and see, he says, the oppressions in the midst of her. The word he uses is מהומת, meumet, tumults; but he means oppressions committed without any regard for reason or justice, when all things are done with clamor and violence.

“Let them see then the oppressions; let them see the distresses.” He speaks of their deeds; afterwards, he mentions the persons. But the Prophet means the same thing, though he uses different forms of expression—namely, that the kingdom of Israel was filled with many crimes. For plunder of every kind prevailed there, and men kept within no bounds of moderation, but by tumult and clamor pillaged the poor and the miserable.