John Calvin Commentary Amos 5:16

"Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the Lord: Wailing shall be in all the broad ways; and they shall say in all the streets, Alas! Alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful in lamentation to wailing." — Amos 5:16 (ASV)

The particle of inference, stated here, confirms what has already been said: that the Israelites vainly flattered themselves, even though they were in the worst condition. And since the Prophet knew there would be no end to their evasions, as they were perverse hypocrites, he cut off all their subterfuges by saying that God had now announced His purpose concerning them, and that regardless of whatever they might object, God’s judgment could no longer be deferred, for their iniquity was more than sufficiently proven.

Therefore Jehovah, he says, God of hosts, the Lord, says. He again repeats the attributes of God to set forth His supreme power, as if he had said that the Israelites gained nothing by playing the part of sophists with God; for He is the supreme judge, against whom there is no appeal, and whose sentence cannot be revoked. Hence we see that what is checked here is that waywardness which deceived the Israelites while they continued to clamor against God. Thus then says Jehovah; this was said so that they might understand that they were depraved in their disposition, corrupt in morals, wholly given to wickedness, and without a particle of goodness in them.

Thus then says God, In all the streets of concourse there shall be lamentation, and in all the highways they shall say, Woe! Woe! The Prophet does not dispute here with them, nor denounce their vices, but speaks only of punishment, as if he had said that the litigation was decided and there was no need of an accuser. For nothing now remained but for God to execute His vengeance on them, since He had already contended more than enough with them.

This mode of teaching frequently occurs in the Prophets, and it ought to be observed, so that we may not think we can gain anything by our evasions when the Lord regards us as guilty. Let us then dread the punishment which is prepared for all the intractable and the obstinate.

He says, They shall say in all the highways, Woe! Woe! They now prattle and think to prevail by their loquacity: when they murmur against God, they think that a delay is thus attained and that He dares not inflict punishment. But God nevertheless proceeds with His judgment; they shall cry, Woe! Woe! There will be no time then for devising evasions, but they will be wholly taken up with wailing.

They shall call, he says, the husbandman to mourning. Some think אכר, acar, is derived from נכר, nucar, which means to own, or to make oneself a stranger; and they are led to regard it so only for this reason: because the Prophet immediately mentions those who were skillful in mourning.

But, as all the Hebrews agree on the meaning of this word, I am unwilling to make any change without authority; and it also harmonizes well with what the Prophet says. At the same time, those Hebrew interpreters are wrong who think that the order is inverted, as if it ought to have been, “The skillful in lamentation shall call husbandmen to mourning.” But the Prophet, I doubt not, meant that all were to be led together to mourning; for, though the manner was different, yet, in the first place, he appoints mourning to husbandmen, and then he shows that it would be common to all those who were accustomed to mourn.

Let us then consider what the Prophet says, Lamentation to all the skillful in mourning. Eastern nations, we know, made a practice of performing grief, and they still do so today. Indeed, we find that they practiced all kinds of gesticulations; at least greater moderation is seen among us, however heavy the grief may be.

This custom also came into Europe in former times, for we know that women were hired to mourn in Rome, and we know that there were professional mourners everywhere. They therefore mourned for wages. The Prophet notices this vicious custom, but it is not discussed here whether this was done rightly or foolishly, for the Prophet here only refers to a common custom. He says, There will be lamentations for all the skillful in mourning; that is, all who are accustomed to employ their labor in weeping will now be fully occupied.

This part is the first we have considered, though it is the last in the verse's sequence, or at least it is the middle clause between two others. Now, the two other parts follow: that the very husbandmen would be led to mourning, and then that there would be lamentation in all the highways.

But why does the Prophet say that all the skillful in mourning were to be occupied in lamentation? Because the common calamity would thus constrain them. He further adds that this grief would not be feigned, but that as destruction would prevail through the cities and fields, none would be exempt. However unaccustomed the husbandmen were to such rites, they would still wail and learn this new art, says the Prophet. We now see what these words mean, but the next verse must be joined to them.