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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Amos 6:1–7. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The first words of the chapter are the contents of these verses; but they sound very strangely, and contrary to the sentiments of a vain world: Woe to those that are at ease! We are ready to say, Happy are those that are at ease, that neither feel any trouble nor fear any, that lie soft and warm, and lay nothing to heart; and wise we think are those that do so, that bathe themselves in the delights of sense and care not how the world goes. Those are looked upon as doing well for themselves that do well for their bodies and make much of them; but against them this woe is denounced, and we are here told what their ease is, and what the woe is.
I.Here is a description of their pride, security, and sensuality, for which God would reckon with them.
1.They were vainly conceited of their own dignities, and thought those would secure them from the judgments threatened and be their defence against the wrath both of God and man.
(1.)Those that dwelt in Zion thought that was honour and protection enough for them, and they might there be quiet from all fear of evil, because it was a strong city, well fortified both by nature and art (we read of Zion's strong-holds and her bulwarks), and because it was a royal city, where were set the thrones of the house of David (it was the head-city of Judah, and therefore truly great), and especially because it was the holy city, where the temple was, and the testimony of Israel; those that dwelt there doubted not but that God's sanctuary would be a sanctuary to them and would shelter them from his judgments. The temple of the Lord are these, Jer 7:4. They are haughty because of the holy mountain, Zep 3:11. Note, Many are puffed up with pride, and rocked asleep in carnal security, by their church-privileges, and the place they have in Zion.
(2.)Those that dwelt in the mountain of Samaria, though it was not a holy hill, like that of Zion, yet they trusted in it, because it was the metropolis of a potent kingdom, and perhaps, in imitation of Jerusalem, was the head-quarters of its religion; and by lapse of time the hill of Shemer became with them in as good repute as the hill of Zion ever was. They hoped for salvation from these hills and mountains.
(3.)Both these two kingdoms valued themselves upon their relation to Israel, that prince with God, which they looked upon as masking them the chief of the nations, more ancient and honourable than any of them; the first-fruits of the nations (so the word is), dedicated to God and sanctifying the whole harvest. The house of Israel came to them, that is, was divided into those kingdoms, of which Zion and Samaria were the mother cities. Those that were at ease were the princes and rulers, the great men, that were chief of the nations, chief of those two kingdoms, and to whom, having their residence in Zion and Samaria, the whole house of Israel applied for judgment. Note, It is hard to be great and not to be proud. Great nations and great men are apt to overvalue themselves, and to overlook their neighbours, because they think they a little overtop them. But, for a check to their pride and security, the prophet bids them take notice of those cities that were within the compass of their knowledge, that had been as illustrious in their time as ever Zion or Samaria was, and yet were destroyed, Amo 6:2. "Go to Calneh (which was an ancient city built by Nimrod, Gen 10:10), and see what has become of that, it is now in ruins; so is Hamath the great, one of the chief cities of Syria. Sennacherib boasts of destroying the gods of Hamath. Gath was likewise made desolate by Hazael, and not long ago, Kg2 12:17. Now were they better than these kingdoms of Judah and Israel? Yes, they were, and their border greater than your border, so that they had more reason than you to be confident of their own safety; yet you see what has become of them, and dare you be secure? Art thou better than populous No?" Nah 3:8. Note, The examples of others' ruin forbid us to be secure.
2.They persisted in their wicked courses upon a presumption that they should never be called to an account for them (Amo 6:3): "You put far away the evil day, the day of reckoning, as a thing that shall never come, or you look upon it as at such a distance that it makes no impression at all upon you; you put it far away, and think you can still put it yet further, and adjourn it de die in diem - from day to day, and therefore you cause the seat of violence to draw near; you venture upon all acts of injustice and oppression, and have fellowship with the throne of iniquity, which frames mischief by a law, Psa 94:20. You cause that to come near, as if that would be your protection from these judgments which really ripens you for them." Note, Therefore men take sin to be near them, because they take judgment to be far off from them; but those deceive themselves who thus mock God.
3.They indulged themselves in all manner of sensual pleasures and delights, Amo 6:4-6. These Israelites were perfect epicures and slaves to their appetites. Their dignities (in consideration of which they ought to have been examples of self-denial and mortification), they thought, would justify them in their sensuality; the gains of their oppression and violence, they thought, would bear the charge of it; and they put the evil day at a distance, that they might give them no disturbance in it. That which they are here charged with is not in itself sinful (these things might be soberly and moderately used), but they placed their happiness in the gratification of their carnal appetites; and though they were men in office, that had business to mind, they gave themselves up to their pleasures, spent their time in them, and threw away their thoughts, and cares, and estates upon them. They were in these enjoyments as in their element. Their hearts were upon them; they exceeded all bounds in them, and this at a time when God in his providence was calling them to weeping and mourning, Isa 22:12, Isa 22:13. When they were under guilt and wrath, and the judgments of God were ready to break in upon them, they called for wine and strong drink, presuming that tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant (Isa 56:12), thus walking contrary to God and setting his justice at defiance.
(1.)They were extravagant in their furniture. Nothing would serve them but beds of ivory to sleep upon, or to sit on at their meat, when sackcloth and ashes would have become them better.
(2.)They were lazy, and humoured themselves in the love of ease. They did not only lie down, but stretched themselves upon their couches, when they should have stirred up themselves to their business; they were willingly slothful, and took a pride in doing nothing; they abound in superfluities (so the margin reads it), when many of their poor brethren wanted necessaries.
(3.)They were nice and curious in their diet, must have every thing of the best and abundance of it: They ate the lambs out of the flock (lambs by wholesale) and the calves out of the midst of the stall, the fattest they could lay their hand on; and these perhaps not out of their own flock and their own stall, but taken by oppression from the poor.
(4.)They were merry and jovial, and diverted themselves at their feasts with music and singing: They chant to the sound of the viol, sing and play in concert, and they invent new-fashioned instruments of music, striving herein, more than in any thing else, to excel their ancestors; they set their wits on work to contrive how to please their fancy. Some men never show their ingenuity but in their luxury; on that they bestow all their faculty of invention and contrivance. They invent instruments of music, like David, entertain themselves with that which formerly used to be the entertainment of kings only. Or it intimates their profaneness in their mirth; they mimicked the temple-music, and made a jest of that, because, it may be, it was old-fashioned, and they took a pride in bantering it as the Babylonians did when they urged the captives to sing to them the songs of Zion; such was Belshazzar's profaneness when he drank wine in temple-bowls, and such is theirs that sing vain and loose songs in psalm-tunes, on purpose to ridicule a divine institution.
(5.)They drank to excess, and never thought they could pour down enough: They drank wink in bowls, not in glasses, or cups (as Jer 35:5); they hate to be stinted, and must have large draughts, and therefore make use of vessels that they can steal a draught out of.
(6.)They affected the strongest perfumes: They anoint themselves with the chief ointments, to please the smell, and to make them more in love with their own bodies, and to guard against those presages of putrefaction which they carry about with them while they live. No ordinary ointments would serve their turn; they must have the chief, such as were far-fetched and dear-bought, when cheaper would have served as well.
4.They had no concern at all for the interests of the church of God, and of the nation, that were sinking and going to decay: They are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph; the church of God, including both the kingdoms of Judah and Israel (which are called Joseph, Psa 80:1), was in distress, invaded, insulted, and broken in upon. As to their own kingdom which they were entrusted with the government of, the affairs of which they were directors of, the peace of which they were the conservators of, great breaches were made upon it, upon its peace and welfare; and they were so besotted that they were not aware of them, so indulgent of their pleasures that they never laid them to heart, and had such an aversion to the thing called business that they were in no care or concern to get them repaired. It is all one to them whether the nation sink or swim, so that they can but lie at ease and live in pleasure. Particular persons that belonged to Joseph were in affliction, and they took no cognizance of their case of the wrongs and hardships they sustained and the troubles they were in, nor took any care to relieve them, and right them, contrary to the temper of holy Job, who, when he was in prosperity, wept with him that was in misery and his soul was grieved for the poor, Job 30:25. Some think that, in calling the afflicted church Joseph, there is an allusion to the story of Pharaoh's butler, who, when he preferred to give the cup again into his master's hand, remembered not Joseph, but forgot him, Gen 40:21, Gen 40:23. Thus they drank wine in bowls, but were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Note, Those are commonly careless of the troubles of others who are set upon their own pleasures; and it is a great offence to God when his church is in affliction and we are not grieved for it, nor lay it to heart.
II.Here is the doom passed upon them (Amo 6:7):
Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and shall fall into all the miseries that attend captives; and the banquet of those that stretched themselves upon their couches shall be removed. Their plenty shall be taken from them, and they from it, because they made it the food and fuel of their lusts.
1.Those who lived in luxury shall lose even their liberty; and by being brought into servitude shall be justly punished for the abuse of their dignity and dominion.
2.Those who trusted in the delights and pleasures of their own land shall be carried away into a strange land, and so made ashamed of their pride and confidence; they shall go captive.
3.Those who placed their happiness in the pleasures of sense, and set their hearts upon them, shall be deprived of those pleasures; their banquet shall be removed, and they shall know what it is to fare hard.
4.Those who stretched themselves shall be made to contract themselves, and to come into a less compass.
5.Those who put the evil day far from them shall find it nearer to them than it is to others; those shall go captive with the first who flattered themselves with hopes that if trouble did come they should be the last who should be seized by it. Those are ripening apace for trouble themselves who lay not to heart the trouble of others and of the church of God. Those who give themselves to mirth, when God calls them to mourning, will find it a sin that shall not go unpunished, Isa 22:14.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Vers. 7 seqq.) Therefore now they will migrate to the head of the transmigrants, and the faction of the revelers will be removed. The Lord God has sworn by his own soul, says the Lord God of hosts: I detest the pride of Jacob, and I hate his houses, and I will deliver the city with its inhabitants: and if there are ten men left in one house, they shall die; and their close relative shall take them, and burn them, to carry out the bones from the house; and he who is in the innermost chambers of the house shall say: Is there still anyone with you? And he will answer: It is the end; and he will say to him: Be silent, and do not remember the name of the Lord. LXX: Therefore now the strong ones will be captives from the beginning, and the noise of horses will be taken away from Ephraim; because the Lord has sworn by himself, says the Lord God of hosts: because I will abhor all the reproach of Jacob, and I will hate his regions, and I will take away the city with all its inhabitants. And it shall come to pass, if ten men remain in one house, and they die; and the household members shall take them, and they shall make an effort to remove their bones from the house; and those who are in charge of the house shall say: Are there still any with you? And he shall say, by no means; and he shall say, Be silent, and do not mention the name of the Lord. Because of the higher causes that the prophetic discourse describes (of those who sleep on ivory beds, and revel on couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the midst of the herd, and sing to the sound of the harp and drink from bowls, and are anointed with the finest ointment, and yet suffer nothing in the destruction of their people, who are descended from Joseph), now the Lord threatens, and says: Because they have done these things and these things, now they shall migrate at the head of the exiles. And the meaning is this: Punishment is never delayed for the future, nor is it prophesied for long centuries to come. What is now imminent, is now coming, my words predict, that they will go in the beginning of the transmigration, namely the rulers and the powerful, of whom he said above: Hear this word, you fat cows, who are in the mountain of Samaria (Above, IV, 1). And again: Woe to you who are wealthy in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria: you nobles, heads of the people, who enter pompously into the house of Israel. You who are the first in wealth, will be the first to endure the yoke of captivity, according to what is written in Ezekiel: 'Begin from my sanctuary' (Ezek. IX, 6). Not from the saints, as many think; but from the destruction of the temple, which was holy. For the powerful will endure torments powerfully (Wisdom VI), and to whom much is entrusted, much will be demanded from him (Luke XII). And as it is said, the faction of the indulgent will be taken away, those who had one consent in taking pleasure and engaging in feasts and revelry: they will be taken away together, so that for those whose unity was in luxury, their punishment will also be united. As for why the LXX translated it, the neighing of the horse of Ephraim shall be taken away: which is not found in the Hebrew, and will be discussed by us as unnecessary when we begin to weave the tropology. The Lord has sworn by himself, or as we read in Hebrew, by his soul, according to what is written in Isaiah: My soul hates your new moons and your Sabbaths and your feast days (Isa. I, 13): not that God has a soul, but in order to speak in human terms. It is not surprising if it is said to have a soul, since even the other parts, which are less valuable than the soul, such as the feet, hands, stomach, and other organs, attest to having themselves. But if those who deny that Christ had a human soul oppose us, saying that God was in the human body instead of a soul, let them hear that in Christ the substance of the soul is demonstrated: just as the members of his body had substance. In God the Father, however, the head, feet, and other things that are said to be, are not members, but the diversity of efficient acts is indicated by the words used to describe them: similarly, the soul is not substantial, but the seat of the inner mind and the place where thoughts reside, through which God reveals His will. Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, that is, Sabaoth (which the Seventy translated as powers), swore that he detests the pride of Jacob and hates his dwellings. This is Jacob according to the previous chapter, where it is written: And they allowed nothing to prevail over the affliction of Joseph, or the ten tribes, or certainly the entire house of the twelve tribes. And he will deliver the city with its inhabitants; either Samaria, or certainly Jerusalem, or both in common. As for the time of the Lord Savior, after whose coming and passion God detested all the pride and injury of Jacob, because they cried out against him, the son of a carpenter and a Samaritan and possessed by a demon (Matthew 13; John 8): therefore Jerusalem was handed over to the Roman armies with its inhabitants. And to such an extent did the wrath of God rage against them, that even if ten men were to remain in one house, they would also die, and the neighbor or neighbor would burn the corpses of the dead to remove the bones from his house, because they are not able to remove the whole bodies due to the crowds of the dying. And when he has become tired from carrying [the body], let him ask the person who is in the innermost part of the house if there are any bodies left for him to hand over, and let that person respond: It is over, I no longer have anyone to give to you for burial; and before he swears that he does not have [any bodies], let that person, who asked the question and was outside, and did not know [that there were no bodies], order him and say: Be silent, and do not remember the name of the Lord. But he mentions this in order to show that even those who are not compelled by the weight and necessity of evil do not want to confess the name of the Lord, and that the name of God has come into such great oblivion among the people of Israel that it does not even deign to be heard in a simple oath. We have drawn fine lines of history, now let us imprint the hand of allegory. The leaders of heretics, who devoured my people because of their pleasures, and allowed nothing to stand in the way of Joseph's torment, will be led first to punishment, and the neighing of the horse will be taken away from Ephraim: which is understood in holy scriptures in two ways, either in the pride and power of those who neigh, or in the magnitude of lust. In the pride and consent of evil people, as it is written: Some trust in chariots and some in horses (Psalm 20:7). And: A deceitful horse for salvation (Ps. XXXII, 17). And to the kings of Israel, it is commanded that they not multiply horses for themselves (Deut. XVII). And in the book of Job, the voice of the horse is compared to the sound of the trumpet (Job. XXXIX). In Zachariah also we read, which is confirmed by the testimony of the Gospel, and it is referred to the presence of the Savior: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion: proclaim, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your King comes to you righteous and Savior: He is gentle, and riding on a donkey and the foal of a donkey: and he will destroy the chariots from Ephraim, and the horses from Jerusalem (Zach. IX, 9). But the magnitude of lust and unrestrained desire for sexual intercourse, as Jeremiah, describing the luxurious adulterers, declared: Each one neighs over the wife of his neighbor (Jer. V, 8). The coming of Christ subdues such horses, as does the wrath of God. And the Lord swears by Himself (since He has no one greater to swear by) that He abhors all heretical blasphemies and hates all their regions (Heb. VI). For whatever they speak is injustice, and worthy of God's hatred. And He will take away their city and their assemblies with those who dwell in it, and the people indeed, and the leaders, even if there were ten men left (for if they had been in Sodom and Gomorrah, no fire would have come down upon them), they will all die the same death that leads to Tartarus, of which Ezekiel writes: The soul that sins, it shall die. Their relatives and domestics bury the bones of these people, of whom it is said: Let the dead bury their own dead (Luke 9:60). And the one who is outside and does not enter the house of the dead; but rather casts out the dead outside, the one who burns the dead gives orders, and reduces them to ashes, and breaks their bones, so that he may remain silent; and the most pure name of God not be defiled by the mouth of the dead. For to the sinner, God says: Why do you declare my righteousness, and take my covenant in your mouth? (Psalm 50). Wherefore, we also must provide, that we may not bury the dead dead, but rather, that as living, we may bring forth to life those who are dead. And if we do not do this, it is commanded to us and it is said: Be silent, for we are judged unworthy of the name of God.
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Summary
Amos 6:7 delivers a stark prophecy of divine judgment against the self-indulgent elite of Israel, specifically those in Samaria, who, despite their lavish lifestyles and false sense of security, have ignored God's covenant and the widespread social injustice. It declares that those who were "first" in prominence and luxury will be the "first" to experience the ignominy of exile, and their extravagant revelry will be abruptly silenced by divine intervention, marking a severe reversal of their privileged status.
Context
Literary Context
Amos 6:7 serves as the climactic pronouncement of judgment within a broader oracle against the complacent and arrogant elite of Israel, particularly those in Samaria. The preceding verses (Amos 6:1-6) meticulously detail their luxurious and self-absorbed lifestyle: reclining on ivory beds, feasting on the finest lambs and calves, composing songs, drinking wine by the bowlful, and anointing themselves with costly oils, all while remaining utterly indifferent to the "ruin of Joseph" (Amos 6:6). This verse directly links their excessive indulgence and spiritual apathy to their impending doom, acting as the divinely declared consequence for their unbridled hedonism and neglect of justice.
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophet Amos ministered to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the 8th century BC, a period of relative prosperity under King Jeroboam II. This economic boom, however, led to widespread social stratification, with a wealthy elite benefiting at the expense of the poor and vulnerable. Culturally, the "stretching themselves" refers to the common practice of reclining on couches during banquets, a symbol of leisure and luxury. The "banquet" (Hebrew: mirzach) was often a boisterous feast, sometimes associated with excessive drinking and revelry. The judgment of "going captive" directly foreshadows the historical reality of the Assyrian conquest and exile of the Northern Kingdom, which occurred in 722 BC, where the leading citizens were indeed among the first to be deported to break the nation's spirit and leadership.
Key Themes
Amos 6:7 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Amos. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Divine Judgment against injustice and spiritual apathy, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to hold even the most powerful accountable for their actions. Secondly, it highlights the Consequences of Complacency and Materialism, showing how a false sense of security derived from wealth and status can blind people to impending divine wrath, as seen in the indictment against those "at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1). Finally, the verse vividly illustrates the Reversal of Fortune, where those who were "first" in privilege and self-indulgence will be "first" in suffering and exile, a stark reminder of God's justice that "brings down the proud and exalts the humble" (Luke 1:52).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word signifies not merely a physical relocation but often implies a stripping away of dignity and status, a disgraceful denuding. It speaks to the forced removal from one's homeland, a profound loss of identity and security, and the public shame associated with being exiled.
Literally meaning "head" or "chief," this term emphasizes the prominence and leadership of those being addressed. It highlights the biting irony that those who were at the pinnacle of society, leading in luxury, would also lead the way into exile, experiencing the judgment first and most severely.
Derived from an unused root meaning "to scream," mirzach refers to a noisy feast or revelry. It captures the essence of the Israelites' unrestrained, often excessive, and self-indulgent celebrations, highlighting the loud, boisterous nature of their luxury that would soon be replaced by the cries of lament and the silence of desolation.
Verse Breakdown
"Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive"
This clause pronounces the immediate and inevitable judgment. The "they" refers to the complacent elite previously described in Amos 6:1-6. The phrase "with the first that go captive" is highly significant, indicating that those who were "first" in social standing and luxury would be the very first to experience the humiliation and suffering of exile, leading the procession of captives. This is a direct, ironic reversal of their privileged status, emphasizing the severity and certainty of God's judgment.
"and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed"
This second clause details the cessation of their opulent lifestyle. "The banquet" (mirzach) symbolizes their lavish feasts and unrestrained revelry, while "them that stretched themselves" (sarach) vividly depicts their lounging, self-indulgent posture on couches, a clear sign of their excessive comfort and apathy. The declaration that this banquet "shall be removed" signifies a complete and abrupt end to their comfort, luxury, and false sense of security, replaced by the harsh realities of captivity and deprivation.
Literary Devices
Amos 6:7 employs powerful Irony by declaring that those who were "first" in social prominence and self-indulgence would be the "first" to suffer the ignominy of exile. This reversal of fortune serves as a biting critique of their misplaced priorities and a demonstration of divine justice. The "banquet" and the act of "stretching themselves" function as potent Symbolism, representing the Israelites' excessive luxury, spiritual complacency, and utter disregard for justice. The mirzach, a noisy revelry, symbolizes their unrestrained hedonism, while the sarach, depicting a sprawling posture, highlights their comfortable apathy. The removal of the banquet thus symbolizes the complete cessation of their privileged existence. The verse also serves as Foreshadowing, grimly predicting the historical reality of the Assyrian deportation of the Northern Kingdom's elite.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Amos 6:7 profoundly illustrates God's unwavering commitment to justice and His judgment against spiritual apathy and social injustice. It reveals that privilege and prosperity, when divorced from righteousness and compassion, become a snare leading to divine wrath. This verse underscores the theological principle that God does not tolerate a false sense of security built on material wealth or human strength, especially when it leads to the oppression of the vulnerable. It serves as a powerful reminder that true security and blessing come from faithfulness to God's covenant and a life lived in accordance with His righteous standards, rather than from worldly indulgence.
Reflection and Application
Amos 6:7 stands as a timeless warning for all generations, especially for those living in societies of abundance. It compels us to critically examine our own lives for any signs of spiritual complacency, materialism, or indifference to the suffering of others. Are we, like the elite of Samaria, "at ease" in our comforts, oblivious to the needs around us or the spiritual decay within? This verse challenges us to prioritize God's kingdom and His righteousness above personal indulgence and worldly security. It calls us to cultivate a heart of empathy, to be vigilant against the deceptive allure of wealth, and to remember that true fulfillment and lasting joy are found not in accumulating possessions or pursuing fleeting pleasures, but in a humble, obedient, and compassionate walk with God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who are "the first that go captive" referred to in Amos 6:7?
"The first that go captive" refers to the prominent, wealthy, and influential elite of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly those in Samaria, who were the primary targets of Amos's condemnation. These were the individuals who were "at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1), indulging in lavish banquets and luxurious living while ignoring God's covenant and the widespread social injustice. The prophecy implies a bitter irony: those who were "first" in status and privilege would be the very first to experience the humiliation and suffering of forced exile, leading the procession of captives into Assyrian bondage. This fulfilled the principle that "to whom much is given, much will be required" (Luke 12:48).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Amos 6:7, with its stark pronouncement of judgment against the self-indulgent and complacent, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in a direct prophecy of Jesus, but in the profound contrast between the condemned elite and the person and mission of Christ, as well as in His role as the righteous Judge. While the Israelites pursued earthly banquets and false security, Jesus embodied radical self-denial and compassion, declaring that His kingdom is "not of this world" (John 18:36). He consistently warned against the dangers of wealth and materialism, urging His followers to store up "treasures in heaven" rather than on earth (Matthew 6:19-21). Furthermore, the judgment declared in Amos 6:7 foreshadows the ultimate judgment that Christ, as the Son of Man, will execute at the end of the age, separating those who lived for themselves from those who served Him by caring for "the least of these" (Matthew 25:31-46). In Christ, the reversal of fortunes is fully realized: the "first" in this world's eyes are humbled, and those who humble themselves are exalted, finding their true banquet in the eternal fellowship of God's kingdom (Matthew 23:12).