John Gill Commentary Amos 6

Woe to them [that are] at ease in Zion Or "secure" ^F3 there; which was a strong hold, the city of David, the seat of the kings of Judah; where their court was kept, and the princes and chief men resided and thought themselves safe, the place being well fortified with walls, towers, and bulwarks:

or "at ease"; that is, in easy, prosperous, comfortable circumstances of life; as Job was before his troubles, and others he mentions, (Job 16:12) (12:5) (21:23) ; though to be in such a state is not criminal, but a blessing of Providential goodness, for which men should be thankful, and make use of it aright:

but "woe to the rich in Zion" ^F4 , as the Vulgate Latin Version renders it, when they have nothing else but temporal riches; this is all their portion, and the whole of their consolation, (Luke 6:24) ; when they trust in these uncertain riches, and consume them on their lusts, as described in the following verses; are unconcerned at the troubles of others, and give them no relief, but despise them, (Job 12:5) (Psalms 123:4) ; and even are thoughtless about their own future state, and put away the evil day far from them, (Luke 12:19Luke 12:20) ;

and such are they who like Moab are at ease from their youth as to their spiritual state, (Jeremiah 48:11) ; never had any true sight of sin, or sense of danger; never complain of a body of sin, or are concerned about sins of omission or commission; nor troubled with the temptations of Satan, and have no fears and doubts about their happiness; and such there be who yet are in Zion, or in a church state, which Zion often signifies; and being there, trust in it, and in the privileges of it, and so are secure, and at ease; such are the foolish virgins and hypocrites, who place their confidence in a profession of religion, in being church members, and in their submission to external ordinances, and so cry Peace, peace, to themselves, when, destruction is at hand:

and are moreover at ease, and wholly unconcerned about the affairs of Zion, both temporal and spiritual, and especially the latter; they do not trouble themselves about the doctrines they hear, whether truth or error; and about the success of them, whether they are made useful for conversion and edification; and about the continuance of a Gospel ministry, and a succession in it; and about the discipline of the church of God, and the walk of professors; or about what trials and afflictions are like to come upon the churches; or about the judgments of God in the earth;

and therefore such carnal secure persons are either called upon to awake out of their sleep, and come off of their beds of ease, and shake off their vain confidence and carnal security; for the word may be rendered "ho" ^F5 , as a note of calling, as in (Isaiah 55:1) (Zechariah 2:6) ; or a threatening of calamity is denounced upon them, that the day of the Lord should come upon them as a thief in the night, or as a snare upon them that dwell on earth, and they be surprised with the midnight cry, and with the terrors of devouring flames, as the foolish virgins and hypocrite's in Zion will, (Matthew 25:6Matthew 25:7) (Isaiah 33:14) .

The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, "who despise Zion", or "neglect" her; and the word is sometimes used of insolent persons, and to express their insolence; see (Isaiah 37:29) ; and so may be understood, not of the Jews in Jerusalem, but of the ten tribes, as the following clause; who despised Zion, the city of solemnities, the temple; and, the worship of God there, and set up the calves at Dan and Bethel, and worshipped them; and therefore a woe is denounced upon them;

and trust in the mountain of Samaria ; in the city of Samaria, built on a mountain, a strong fortified city, where they thought themselves safe; the royal city of the kings of Israel, the head of Ephraim, and the metropolis of the ten tribes, who here are intended:

though the words may be rendered, and the sense given a little different from this, as woe to the "confident" ones that ate in Samaria ^F6 ; not that put their trust in Samaria, but dwell there; but, however, are confident in their own strength, wealth, and might. The Targum is, ``that trust in the fortress of Samaria;'' see (1 Kings 16:24) ;

[which are] named the chief of the nations ; the persons at ease in Zion, and trusted in Samaria, were the principal men of both nations, Judah and Israel; or these cities of Zion and Samaria were the chief of the said nations: Zion, Which was near Jerusalem, and includes it, was the metropolis of Judea; as Samaria was the head city of Ephraim, or the ten tribes.

The Targum is, that ``put the name of their children, as the name of the children of the nations;'' as the Jews did in later times, giving their children the names of Alexander, Antipater

to whom the house of Israel came ; meaning not to the seven nations, of which the two named cities were chief, into which Israel entered, and took possession of, and dwelt in; for Samaria never belonged to them, but was built by Omri king of Israel, long after the entrance of the Israelites into the land of Canaan, (1 Kings 16:24) ; but the cities of Zion and, Samaria, into which the whole house of Israel came, or had recourse unto, at certain times: the ten tribes came to Samaria, where their kings resided, the court was kept, and the seats of judgment were; and the two tribes came to Zion, to Jerusalem, to the temple there, to worship the Lord.

FOOTNOTES:

• F3: (Mynnavh) "secure sedentibus", Munster; "securos", Mercerus, Castalio, Burkius.
• F4: "Opulentis", Tigurine version.
• F5: (ywh) "heus", Piscator, Tarnovius, Burkius.
• F6: (Nwrmv rhb Myxjbh) "confidentibus qui habitant in monte Samariae", Liveleus; "securis qui habitant in monte", Samariae, Drusius.

Pass you unto Calneh, and see
What is become of that city, which was in the land of Shinar, an ancient city, as early as the days of Nimrod, and built by him, and was with others the beginning of his kingdom, (Genesis 10:10); it belonged to Babylon, and is by Jarchi here interpreted by it, being put for Babel, as he supposes. According to Jerom ^F7, it is the same city, sometimes called Seleucia, in his days Ctesiphon; very probably it had been lately taken by the king of Assyria, and therefore made mention of; see (Isaiah 10:9); where it is called Calno;

and from there go you to Hamath the great;
the same with Antiochia, as Jarchi and Jerom; called the great, to distinguish it from Hamath the less, sometimes called Epiphania; or from Hamathzobah, near Tadmor, or Palmyra, in the wilderness, (2 Chronicles 8:3 2 Chronicles 8:4); though it might be so called with respect to its own grandeur and magnificence; as Sidon is called "Sidon the great", though there was no other, (Joshua 11:8); for it was a royal city; we read of Toi, king of Hamath, in the times of David, (2 Samuel 8:9 2 Samuel 8:10). It is placed by Josephus ^F8 on the north of the land of Canaan; and so it appears to be, and to be between Damascus and the Mediterranean sea, from (Ezekiel 47:15–17) (48:1). Abu'lfeda ^F9, a learned prince, who reigned in Hamath, and should know its situation, places it on the Orontes, between Hems and Apamea, that river surrounding it on the east and north.

The learned Vitringa ^F11 thinks that neither Antiochia nor Epiphania are meant, but the city Emissa; which Ammianus Marcellinus ^F12 makes mention of along with Damascus, as a famous city in Syria, equal to Tyre, Sidon, and Berytus: and of the same opinion was Theodoret ^F13 among the ancients, and so Calmet ^F14 of late. And so Hamath and Damascus are mentioned together as recovered by Jeroboam, (2 Kings 14:28); very probably the kingdom of Hamath became subject to the kings of Damascus; see (Jeremiah 49:23); but, be it what place it will, it is very likely it had been lately spoiled by the king of Assyria; see (Isaiah 37:13).

then go down to Gath of the Philistines;
one of their five principalities, and a chief one, so called to distinguish it from other Gaths, as Gathhepher, Gathrimmon. It stood about five or six miles south of Jamnia, about fourteen south of Joppa, and thirty two west of Jerusalem. A village of this name as shown, as Jerom ^F15 says, five miles from Eleutheropolis, as you go to Diospolis or Lydda, and is taken to be the same place. It is famous for being the birthplace of Goliath; and is called in (2 Samuel 8:1); compared with (1 Chronicles 18:1), Methegammah, or the bridle of Ammah, or Metheg and her mother; that is, Gath and her daughters.

Reland ^F16 thinks Gath is the city Cadytis of Herodotus ^F17, who says it is a city of the Syrians, called Palestines or Philistines, and speaks of the mountains of it; and this city was not far from the mountainous country of Judea: now this city had been taken by Hazael, king of Syria, and its wall was broke down by Uzziah, king of Judah, (2 Kings 12:17) (2 Chronicles 26:6);

[be they] better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your
border ?
that is, do Calneh, Hamath, and Gath, excel in dignity and grandeur, in wealth and strength, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah? or are they of a larger circumference, and exceed them in length and breadth? no, they did not; and therefore the more ungrateful were Israel and Judah to sin against the Lord as they had done, who had given them such rich and large kingdoms, and therefore might expect to be taken and spoiled as well as they: though some think there is a change of number and persons in the text, and that the sense is, are you better than these kingdoms, or your border greater than theirs? and, if not, you may expect to fare as they; see a like expression in (Nahum 3:8).

FOOTNOTES:

• F7: Quaest. in Gen. fol. 66. M.
• F8: Antiqu. l. 9. c. 10. sect. 1.
• F9: See the Universal History, vol. 2. p. 316.
• F11: Comment. in Jessiam, c. 10. 9.
• F12: Lib. 23.
• F13: Comment. in Jer. ii. 15. and xlix. 23.
• F14: Dictionary, in the word "Hamath".
• F15: De locis Hebr. fol. 92. A.
• F16: Palestina Illustrata, tom. 2. l. 3. p. 669.
• F17: Euterpe, sive l. 2. c. 159. & Thalia, sive l. 3. c. 5.

You that put far away the evil day
The day of Israel's captivity, threatened by the Lord, and prophesied of by the prophets; by this prophet, and by Hoshea and others: this they endeavoured to put out of their minds and thoughts, and supposed it to be at a great distance, yea, hoped it never would be; and like the Jews, with respect to their captivity, and the destruction of their city, said it was not near, but prolonged, yea, would never come to pass, (Ezekiel 11:3) (12:22) ;

So some men put far from them the day of death; which though to a good man is better than the day of his birth, yet to a wicked man is an evil and terrible day; he does not care to hear or speak, or think of it, lest it should dampen his carnal joys and pleasures: as also the day of Christ's coming to judgment; which though a good man hastens to in his affections, desires, and prayers, wicked men set at the greatest distance, yea, scoff at it, as believing it never will be, and to show that they are in no pain or uneasiness about it; see (Isaiah 56:12) (Matthew 24:48) (2 Peter 3:4–12) .

The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "who are separated to the evil day"; appointed to it; foreordained to this condemnation; destined to ruin and destruction for their sins; see (Proverbs 16:4) ;

and cause the seat of violence to come near ;
boldly venture upon the commission of acts of injustice, rapine, and violence, on a presumption the evil day threatened will never come; or place themselves on the bench in courts of judicature, and there, without any manner of concern, commit the greatest acts of unrighteousness, as believing they shall never be called to an account for them by God or man.

That lie upon beds of ivory
That were made of it, or inlaid with it, or covered with it, as the Targum; nor was it improbable that these were made wholly of ivory, for such beds we read of: Timaeus says ^F18 , the Agrigentines had beds entirely made of ivory; and Horace ^F19 also speaks of such beds: and if any credit can be given to the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem on (Genesis 50:1) . Joseph made his father Jacob to lie on a bed of ivory. Indeed, the Latin interpreters of these Targums render it a cedar bed; but Buxtorf ^F20 conjectures that ivory is meant by the word used; and so Bochart ^F21 translates it; on these they lay either for sleep and rest, or to eat their meals;

and stretch themselves upon their couches ;
for the same purposes, living in great splendour, and indulging themselves in ease and sloth; as it was the custom of the eastern countries, and is of the Arabs now; that they make little or no use of chairs, but either sitting cross legged, or lying at length, have couches to lie on at their meals; and when they indulge to ease, they cover or spread their floors with carpets, which for the most part are of the richest materials. Along the sides of the wall or floor, a range of narrow beds or mattresses is often placed upon these carpets; and, for their further ease and convenience, several velvet or damask bolsters are placed upon these, or mattresses ^F23 , to lean upon, and take their ease; see (Ezekiel 13:18) ; and thus, and in some such like manner, did the principal men of the people of Israel indulge themselves.

Some render it, "abound with superfluities"; the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, "are lascivious"; and the Arabic version, "burn in lust"; and so some of the Jewish writers interpret it of their committing adulteries, and all uncleanness, on their beds and couches;

and eat the lambs out of the flock ;
pick the best and fattest of them for their use: so the Targum, "eat the fat of the sheep:"

and the calves out of the midst of the stall ;
where they are put, and kept to be fattened; from thence they took what they liked best, and perhaps not out of theft own flocks and stalls, but out of others, and with which they pampered themselves to excess.

FOOTNOTES:

• F18: Apud Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 29.
• F19: "----Rubro ubi cocco Tincta super lectos cauderet vestis eburnos". Horat. Serm. l. 2. Satyr. 6. v. 102.
• F20: Lexic. Talmud. col. 2475.
• F21: Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 24. col. 252.
• F23: See Shaw's Travels, p. 209. Ed. 2.

That chant to the sound of the viol Or psaltery; an instrument of twelve cords, and that gave twelve sounds, as Josephus ^F24 says, being stricken with the fingers; and to these sounds these men chanted or quivered, made like sounds with their voice, which they raised higher or lower, according to the sound of the instrument: they "particularized", as the word signifies ^F25 ; or observed the divisions and distinctions of notes and sounds, by the modulation of their voice:

[and] invent to themselves instruments of music, like David : not content with old ones, such as were used in former times, they invented new instruments and new tunes, and new songs to sing to them; as David made songs and invented several instruments of music to sing them upon and to, in religious worship, and for the praise and glory of God; so these men invented new ones to indulge their carnal mirth and jollity, in which they thought themselves to be justified by the example of David.

FOOTNOTES:

• F24: Antiqu. l. 7. c. 19. sect. 3.
• F25: (Myjrwph) "particularizantes", Montanus; "qui particularia habent cantica", Pagninus; "qui particulatim canunt", Vatablus, Mercerus; "variis modulationibus concinunt", Tigurine version.