Amos
Chapter 6
Third Woe: Worship and Justice
Third Woe: Luxury and Riches
Woe to those proud people who live overconfidently on the hill of Samaria!Woe to you, men of renown, from the first among the nations, to whom the people of Israel come!
Pass through Calneh and see; from there, go to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is your territory greater than theirs?
You hope to delay the terrible day; in reality, you cause a year of chaos.
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and sprawl on your couches; you eat lamb from the flock and veal from calves fattened in the stall.
You strum your harps, and like David, experiment with new musical instruments.
You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you do not mourn the ruins of Joseph.
Therefore, you will be the first to go into exile, and the feast of sprawlers will come to an end.
The Lord has sworn by his life: “I hate the proud city of Jacob,I hate its palaces. I will hand over the city and everything in it.”
For this is the Lord’s command: “The great house shall crumble, and the small house fall to pieces.”
In those days, if ten people remain in one house, they will die.
Their relative will lift the corpses and gather the bones from the house; when he asks his comrade at the back of the house: “Are there any more?” the other will reply, “No, but hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”
Do horses run on jagged cliffs? Does anyone plow the sea with oxen? Well, you have turned the rights into a poisonous plant, and the court’s sentences into wormwood.
You celebrate trivial things when you say: “Are we not winners once more?”
Yet, am I stirring up against you, Israel, a nation that will oppress you, from the pass of Lebo-hamath to the brook of the Arabah.
Commentaries
Title.
This section explains why the northern kingdom will be judged. The first three oracles start with the phrase “Hear this word” (3:1; 4:1; 5:1). These are followed by three “woes” as warnings (5:7; 5:18; 6:1) to those who refuse to listen.
Woe: Luxury and Riches.
Riches and power have blinded the leaders of Samaria, making them feel secure and completely unconcerned about their future. Therefore, the prophet encourages them to visit two smaller cities that are more aware of the potential threat from Assyria, which actually occurred in 738 B.C. The use of ivory, cups, and fine perfumes—imported items of great value—serves as evidence of a luxurious and opulent lifestyle (4-6). The recurring theme of justice turned into poison closes the section of the “woes” (12; cf. 5:7). When there is no discernment and sincere pursuit of truth, the entire social structure becomes contaminated and corrupted. Military achievements are not a source of glory for the Lord; on the contrary, such accomplishments are considered “nonsense” by God. ‘Qarnayim’ means “horns,” symbolizing power. Nonsense is the translation of the name of the first city mentioned, “Lo-debar,” which means “No-Thing,” or “Nothing” (13). This occurs when Israel’s leaders manipulate and calculate history without regard for the Lord of history.