John Calvin Commentary Amos 5:1

"Hear ye this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel." — Amos 5:1 (ASV)

Some render the verse this way: “Hear ye this word, because upon you, or for you, I raise a lamentation.” However, we will later speak in more detail about the proper rendering. Let us see what the subject is. The Prophet here denounces upon the Israelites the punishment they had deserved, and yet they did not think that it was near. They ferociously despised, I have no doubt, the denunciation itself, because no event had yet taken place that might have indicated such a destruction. Therefore, the Prophet and his threatenings were both despised.

However, he threatens them here in severe terms with the judgment of God, which they did not fear. This is the reason why he says, Hear ye. Indeed, it was not without reason that he began this way and intimated that they greatly flattered themselves, and even stopped their ears against wholesome counsel; the admonition would have been otherwise unnecessary. The Prophet then indirectly reproves that complacent indifference in which the Israelites indulged themselves.

But with regard to the words, some, as I mentioned before, refer this lamentation to Amos himself, as if he had said that he lamented the state of the people, finding that they were so stupid and did not perceive how dreadful the wrath of God is. Since, then, they thus flattered themselves in their sins, those interpreters think that the Prophet here assumes the character of a mourner for that irreclaimable people. Hear, he says, this word, that is, because I lament over you. For the more rebellious the people were, the more touched with grief the Prophet no doubt was, for he saw how horrible the judgment of God was, which was near them, on account of their stubbornness. No wonder then that the Prophet says here, that he undertook or raised a lamentation for the people; and this way of speaking is common in Scripture.

However, I am more inclined to think that another sense is more suitable to this place, which becomes evident by inserting an explanatory particle: Hear then this word which I raise upon you, even a lamentation, etc. The word משא (mesha), rendered “burden,” is derived from the verb נשא (nusha), which means “to raise up”; and there is a striking allusion to the subject discussed here. For the Prophet does not here simply teach the people, nor comfort them, nor does he only warn them, but he denounces upon them the final punishment. From this we see the import of the expression, “to raise up a word”; it was as if he said, “I lay upon you this prophecy,” for a burden is laid on the shoulders of men when God’s wrath is denounced.

It afterwards follows, Even a lamentation, O house of Israel; which means, “I raise upon you a word, which will constrain you to mourn and lament: though now you are so rebellious against God, that you spurn all warnings, and reject all threatening; yet this word shall finally prove mournful to you.” This seems to be the true meaning of the Prophet: firstly, he reproves the stupidity of the people of Israel, by demanding a hearing; then he reproves their contempt of God in despising all threatenings; and he also shows that this prophecy would prove mournful to them for having so long trifled with God, “The lament of the house of Israel shall be this word, which I now raise up upon you.”