John Calvin Commentary Amos 8:10

"And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day." — Amos 8:10 (ASV)

The Prophet pursues the same subject, but he omits the figurative mode he had previously adopted. He therefore denounces vengeance more openly: that God would turn their feast days into mourning, and their songs into lamentation. This was intentionally mentioned, for the Israelites, we know, flattered themselves because of their ceremonies, by which at the same time they increasingly provoked God’s displeasure. For the worship of God, which they pretended to perform, was mere superstition and was therefore a profanation of true religion.

Although they brought on themselves God’s judgment in this way by their wicked ceremonies, they still thought they were sufficiently disguised. For as Jeremiah says, ceremonies are to hypocrites the dens of robbers (Jeremiah 7:10–11).

So here the Prophet speaks specifically of feast days and songs: “Do you think that I am pacified on your feast days, when you offer sacrifices to me, or rather to idols under my name? And do you think that I am delighted with your songs? These things are so regarded by me that they all the more excite my wrath. Your festal-days then will I turn to mourning, and your songs to lamentation.”

At the same time, the Prophet threatens generally what we have previously noted: that there would be mourning among the whole people for having too long abused the forbearance of God. I will then turn your joy into mourning. This is the sum of the whole. We have already shown why he names feast days and songs, and that is because they thought them to be expiations to turn aside God’s vengeance, yet they were fans by which they increasingly kindled the fire of his displeasure.

He later adds, I will make sackcloth come up on all backs, and baldness on every head. These are various ways of speaking that refer to the same thing, for they were accustomed to put on sackcloth and to shave their heads when in grief and mourning.

The Prophet then means that there would be extreme sorrow among the people. Having cast away all delights, they would be constrained to give themselves up entirely to weeping, lamentation, and grief. I will then make sackcloth come up on all loins—that is, I will make each one put off all valuable and soft clothing and put on sackcloth, and also shave their heads, and even tear off their hair, as they were accustomed to do.

We indeed know that ancient Eastern peoples were more disposed to adopt external signs of sorrow than we are. It was, in truth, the expressive nature of that culture that accounts for their dramatic displays of mourning; and from this practice of mourning our Prophet borrowed his way of speaking.

He then adds, I will set her in mourning as for an only begotten (he speaks of the Israelites under the name of land). This comparison also occurs in another place: They shall mourn as for an only-begotten, says Zechariah (Zechariah 12), and also in other places, so there is no need for a long explanation.

For when someone has many children and one dies, they bear that death patiently; but when anyone is bereaved of an only begotten, there is no end or moderation to their grief, for no comfort remains. This is the reason why the Prophet says that there would be grief like that which is felt for an only begotten.

And he shows that these calamities would not be for a short time only. He says, Her posterity shall be as in the day of bitterness.

For hypocrites drive away, or at least moderate, their fear of punishment by imagining that God will not be so severe and rigid but only for a short time: “Oh! It cannot be that God will punish our sins for long; but it will be like mist which soon passes away.” Thus hypocrites reassure themselves.

Therefore, the Prophet with good reason adds this second clause, that their posterity shall be as in the day of bitterness. Hence, when they think themselves freed from all evils, new ones will succeed, so that their posterity will even grieve doubly, for they will feel more bitterness than their fathers.