TEXT [Commentary]
B. Listen, Cows of Bashan (4:1-13)
1 Listen to me, you fat cows[*]
living in Samaria,
you women who oppress the poor
and crush the needy,
and who are always calling to your husbands,
“Bring us another drink!”
2 The Sovereign LORD has sworn this by his holiness:
“The time will come when you will be led away
with hooks in your noses.
Every last one of you will be dragged away
like a fish on a hook!
3 You will be led out through the ruins of the wall;
you will be thrown from your fortresses,[*]”
says the LORD.
4 “Go ahead and offer sacrifices to the idols at Bethel.
Keep on disobeying at Gilgal.
Offer sacrifices each morning,
and bring your tithes every three days.
5 Present your bread made with yeast
as an offering of thanksgiving.
Then give your extra voluntary offerings
so you can brag about it everywhere!
This is the kind of thing you Israelites love to do,”
says the Sovereign LORD.
6 “I brought hunger to every city
and famine to every town.
But still you would not return to me,”
says the LORD.
7 “I kept the rain from falling
when your crops needed it the most.
I sent rain on one town
but withheld it from another.
Rain fell on one field,
while another field withered away.
8 People staggered from town to town looking for water,
but there was never enough.
But still you would not return to me,”
says the LORD.
9 “I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew.
Locusts devoured all your fig and olive trees.
But still you would not return to me,”
says the LORD.
10 “I sent plagues on you
like the plagues I sent on Egypt long ago.
I killed your young men in war
and led all your horses away.[*]
The stench of death filled the air!
But still you would not return to me,”
says the LORD.
11 “I destroyed some of your cities,
as I destroyed[*] Sodom and Gomorrah.
Those of you who survived
were like charred sticks pulled from a fire.
But still you would not return to me,”
says the LORD.
12 “Therefore, I will bring upon you all the disasters I have announced.
Prepare to meet your God in judgment, you people of Israel!”
13 For the LORD is the one who shaped the mountains,
stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind.
He turns the light of dawn into darkness
and treads on the heights of the earth.
The LORD God of Heaven’s Armies is his name!
NOTES
4:1 Listen. See the note on 3:1 concerning the “summons to listen” formula in prophetic literature.
fat cows. Most commentators understand the expression as a satirical reference to self-indulgent women of the ruling class in Israel (“pampered darlings,” cf. Smith and Page 1995:85). The MT reads “cows of Bashan”; Bashan was the most fertile part of Gilead along the Yarmuk River in the Transjordan, celebrated for its rich pasture lands. This made Bashan a “byword for prosperity in agriculture and animal husbandry” (Hubbard 1989:155). Amos apparently makes reference to women of the royal court who enjoyed luxurious lifestyles by exploiting the poor. By contrast, Andersen and Freedman (1989:421-422) interpret “cows” as a parody of the warriors of Israel, comparing the prophet’s taunt or insult to other texts where soldiers behave like women (e.g., Isa 19:16; Nah 3:13). Koch (1982:46) finds allusions to fertility cult worship by women who imagined themselves consorts of the bull-god of Samaria (cf. Hos 8:5). Note the ambiguity of the word “husbands” in Amos 4:1 (lit., “lords”; ’adon). The prophet’s charge of exploitation of the poor (in this case by the wealthy women of Samaria) best fits the context, since prophetic satire against warriors is often more obvious (cf. Nah 3:13).
oppress . . . crush. The word “oppress” (‘ashaq [TH6231, ZH6943]) generally describes the intimidation and exploitation (with overtones of extortion and violence) of weaker members of the community by those who are stronger (NIDOTTE 3.557). The word “crush” (ratsats [TH7533, ZH8368]) means “to pulverize” or “abuse, mistreat” (NIDOTTE 3.1192). Ironically, the same two root words are used to describe the divine judgment of Israel for disobedience to the Mosaic covenant (Deut 28:33).
drink. Then as now, the idleness of the wealthy class led to binges of drunkenness and debauchery. The prophet Hosea decried the abuse of alcohol because it robbed God’s people of their brains (Hos 4:11). God’s judgment against the nations includes an indictment of those who trade little girls as slaves for more imported wine (Joel 3:3; cf. Walton 2000:763).
4:2 sworn. The verb (shaba‘ [TH7650, ZH8678]) introduces an oath formula that carries the force of a curse. The certain destruction of Samaria is sealed by Yahweh’s swearing an oath by his own holiness, “an expression known from the context of Ps 89:35 to represent divine determination to enforce a covenant” (Stuart 1987:332).
hooks in your noses. The Hebrew text proves difficult to translate at this juncture (cf. Andersen and Freedman 1989:419, “they will take you away with grappling hooks, and your rear guard with fishhooks”). S. M. Paul (1971:128) translates it as, “you shall be transported in baskets, and the very last one of you, in fisherman’s pots.” Regardless of the exact meaning of the verse, the undignified departure of the wealthy oppressors will be as cruel as their treatment of their poor and needy fellow citizens.
4:4 offer sacrifices. The prophet’s mocking command to engage in worship at the shrines of Bethel and Gilgal suggests a parody or caricature of priestly instruction as part of a call to worship for pilgrims gathered at the sanctuary (cf. Hubbard 1989:157; Smith and Page 1995:87). Paradoxically, in their false worship, the people only multiply their sins.
Gilgal. The site is mentioned in association with Bethel in 5:5 also. The location of Gilgal is uncertain (somewhere on the plain west of Jericho). The town was a worship site and administrative center during the days of Samuel and King Saul (1 Sam 7:15-17; 15:21). This may also have been the case earlier during the days of the Hebrew judges (cf. Judg 2:1; 3:19). The shrine at Gilgal apparently remained an important worship center into the time of Amos—perhaps even becoming a symbol of wickedness and false worship.
tithes every three days. Perhaps a reference to the special tithe collected for the benefit of the Levites every three years (Deut 14:28-29) or another local custom of voluntary tithes for crops given on the third day of a religious pilgrimage to one of the sacred sites.
4:5 bread made with yeast. Both leavened bread and unleavened bread were part of the thank offering (Lev 7:12-15). Though Israelite worship was idolatrous (NLT adds the word “idols” in 4:4), the issue Amos focused on was not wrong practice or the violation of ritual regulations. Rather, he “needles them for doing right acts” (Hubbard 1989:157). The people were doing the right things for the wrong reasons. The motivation for their worship was that they might “brag” about their religiosity—not to proclaim the glory of God. Amos’s indictment of self-serving religion calls to mind Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees who engaged in pious acts of worship for show (Matt 23:5).
offering of thanksgiving. Thank offerings were one type of fellowship offering (Lev 7:12-15; 22:29-30). The offering was presented in response to an unexpected blessing and included an animal sacrifice and was to be accompanied by various kinds of bread. Apparently the priests of Bethel replicated the Mosaic sacrificial system of the Jerusalem Temple (cf. 1 Kgs 12:31).
voluntary offerings. Free-will offerings were sacrifices of general thankfulness made in response to the goodness of God (Lev 7:16-17; 22:18-23).
thing you . . . love to do. The people loved the form and ritual of their worship but had no heart for what God loves—justice, righteousness, kindness, and mercy (5:24; Mic 6:8; cf. Matt 23:23).
4:6 return. In contexts expressing a covenant relationship between God and his people Israel, the word “return” (shub [TH7725, ZH8740]) signifies a change of loyalty by one of the covenant parties. Typically the term is understood as the act of “repentance,” a complete change of direction back to God or a total reorientation toward Yahweh. The hard-heartedness of Amos’s audience is underscored in the five-fold repetition of recalcitrant Israel’s refusal to “return” to God (4:6, 8, 9, 10, 11).
4:10 plagues. Amos catalogs seven plagues (deber [TH1698, ZH1822]) in 4:6-11. The natural disasters and calamities cited by the prophet are past acts of Yahweh that were designed to prompt Israel to return to God in covenant obedience. Each of the plagues is mentioned in the curses for treaty violation attached to the stipulations of the Mosaic covenant: famine (4:6; cf. Lev 26:26), drought (4:7-8; cf. Lev 26:19; Deut 28:22-24), blight and mildew (4:9a; cf. Deut 28:22), locusts (4:9b; cf. Deut 28:38, 42), plagues (4:10a; cf. Lev 26:25; Deut 28:21-22, 27), war (4:10b; cf. Lev 26:25, 33), and destruction (4:11; cf. Deut 29:23). Despite the series of catastrophes used by God to warn and discipline his people, they refused to turn back to him.
4:11 Sodom and Gomorrah. The destruction of these two ancient cities (Gen 19) typified the suddenness and thoroughness of divine judgment in later biblical tradition (so Hubbard 1989:160; cf. Deut 29:23; Isa 1:9; Zeph 2:9; Matt 10:15).
charred sticks pulled from a fire. Later, Amos reveals that God will not completely destroy the nation of Israel (9:8). The “charred sticks” are symbolic of a remnant of Israelites spared destruction by the grace of God (cf. 3:12).
4:12 Prepare to meet your God. The prophet’s declaration “was neither a call to repentance nor an invitation to covenant renewal; rather, it was a summons to judgment” (Smith and Page 1995:93). The outcome of the divine “visitation” or “inspection” forecast earlier (3:2, 14) would result in God’s punishment of Israel’s sins of idolatry and social injustice.
4:13 Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. This compound name for God (with variations) is prominent in OT prophetic literature (used nine times in Amos: 3:13; 4:13; 5:14, 15, 16, 27; 6:8, 14; 9:5). The term “armies” (tseba’oth [TH6635, ZH7372]) has military connotations and refers to the angelic armies at God’s disposal. The epithet emphasizes the invincible power that stands behind the commands of God.
COMMENTARY [Text]
Amos served a God who demands to be heard in all ages and places, whether pre-exilic Israel or postmodern North America. Three times in this section (chs 3–6), the prophet calls the people to attention to “listen” to what God has to say (3:1; 4:1; 5:1). “What they hear is that they have neglected the privileges inherent in being God’s chosen people. By rejecting revelation they forget how to do right and are thereby turned over to the same sort of devastation all sinful groups receive (3:1-15)” (House 1998:360). Listening to God (with a view toward obeying his voice) is still the watchword according to the teaching of the New Testament: Those who listen to the voice of the Son of God will live (John 5:24-25; cf. Rom 10:17; Heb 2:1; Jas 1:19).
Amos’s message to the nation of Israel anticipates the later teaching of Jesus—“When someone has been given much, much will be required in return” (Luke 12:48). The prophet’s audience had assumed they were somehow exempt from divine judgment for their sin because they were God’s elect—his chosen people (3:2). In fact, Amos chided those who wished for the arrival of the day of Lord because they had no idea that they were asking for judgment—not deliverance (5:18). They failed to realize that the privilege of covenant relationship with Yahweh also carried heavy responsibilities, including the imitation of the holiness of God, so that the Hebrews might be his light to the nations (Exod 19:6; Lev 11:44; Isa 42:6; 49:6). For this reason, when divine judgment comes “it must begin with God’s household” (1 Pet 4:17).
The proper worship of God is an important theme in the message of Amos. The prophet boldly announced divine judgment against those engaged in the false worship of idolatry (e.g., 5:26; 8:14). The reference to “idols” (4:4), however, is an interpretive addition by the NLT (also “your gods” in 5:6). That idolatry was associated with the shrines at Bethel and Gilgal is not in question (1 Kgs 12:28-30; 14:9). But Amos’s sarcastic call to sacrificial worship (4:4) is not so much about the false worship of idolatry as it is about the insincere worship of right acts of ritual offered with improper motivation (4:5). The Old Testament repeatedly rebukes those who perform the prescribed rituals of worship with the wrong motives—God rejects such worship (5:21-23; cf. Isa 1:10-14; Jer 6:20; Mal 1:10). Likewise, the Old Testament offers much instruction on the motives informing the appropriate worship of God, including obedience to the commands of God (1 Sam 15:21-22), a broken spirit and a contrite heart (Ps 51:16-17), blameless living (Pss 19:7, 11-14; 20:3, 7), and a lifestyle of social justice and merciful service to humanity (Mic 6:6-8). Again, the message of Amos serves as a forerunner to the instruction of Jesus who taught that acceptable worship of God must be done in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This may be what David had in mind when he said that those who worship God must do so with a “pure heart” and “pure hands” (Ps 24:3-4). That means the spirit of the worshiper is in union with the Holy Spirit, and the worship exhibits a behavior pattern of conformity to God’s directions for righteous living (cf. Ps 15; Isa 56:1-2; Rom 12:1-2; Jas 1:27).
The prophet Amos knew God as the shaper of mountains, the creator of winds, the revealer of thoughts, the maker of the dawn, and the one who treads the heights of the earth (4:13). The series of participles identifies this verse as a hymn fragment extolling God’s sovereignty, perhaps from a catechetical poem or temple hymn (on the doxologies of Amos, see Paul 1971:152-156). Since God has made the world and everything in it, he wields all power in heaven and on earth. A God of such majesty and might easily executes the punishment he has decreed for those in rebellion against him. For this reason, “Israel should be shaken to their senses” by the summons to judgment announced in the previous verse—“prepare to meet your God” (4:12; Smith and Page 1995:93). Our God is still a “devouring fire” (Heb 12:29; cf. Amos 5:6).