Naught: in your idols, which are nothing, (1 Corinthians viii. 4.) or in your own strength, fortifications, or allies. --- Horns: glory and power. (Calmet) --- Pa rata tollo cornua. (Horace, epod. 6.) Nation; the Assyrians. --- Desert, commonly called Bezor, (Calmet) between Damietta and Rhinocorura. (St. Jerome) --- The whole territory of Israel, reaching so far, (ver. 2.) shall be laid waste. (Calmet) CHAPTER VI. The locust, &c. These judgments by locusts and fire, which by the prophet's intercession were moderated, signify the former invasions of the Assyrians under Phul and Theglathphalassar, before the utter desolation of Israel by Salmanasar. (Challoner) --- Locusts denoted the Assyrian invaders, 4 Kings xviii. (Worthington) --- Formed. Literally, "the maker of the locust, in the beginning of the herbs shooting," &c., (Haydock) in spring. (St. Jerome) --- They pasture in our January: yet the grass of autumn may be meant. The king took the best which grows in summer. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "and lo, a swarm of locusts coming in the morning; and lo, one bruchus, Gog, the king," (Haydock) or "against king Gog." (Calmet) --- Aquila has, "of the king of Gaza." He probably left the original term, (St. Jerome) gizze. (Haydock) --- The invasion of the Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Scythians is insinuated. (Theodoret) --- The latter came the year after the earthquake, chap. i. (Pezron.) --- This was the first vision of Amos. (Calmet) --- He saw the first and last inroads of the Assyrians, as well as the prosperity of Jeroboam. (Menochius) When. Septuagint, "If it shall eat up," &c. (Haydock) --- Little. After Jeroboam II, the kingdom fell to decay, when Manahem called in the Assyrians. (Calmet) The. Septuagint, "Repent, O Lord, on this head, and this shall," &c. --- Not be: the grass shall not be totally devoured. (Haydock) --- The king of the Assyrians invaded Juda in vain, 4 Kings xix. (Worthington) Part of the land, if the prophet had not interposed; (ver. 6.; Calmet) or rather civil wars desolated a great part of the kingdom, before the Lord was appeased. (Haydock) --- The fire foreshewed the captivity of the two tribes, 4 Kings xxiv. (Worthington) The. Septuagint, as ver. 3. (Haydock) --- We read not of locusts being sent, ver. 1. But fire of war certainly raged before the final catastrophe of Jehu's family, when Sellum slew Zacharias, 4 Kings xv. 8. (Calmet) Plastered. Hebrew, "wall, made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand." (Protestants) (Haydock) --- But Septuagint, Syriac, &c., seem more literal, (Calmet) "on a wall of adamant, and a diamond in his hand." Hebrew anac, (Haydock) whence a diamond was called anactites, (Orpheus) or anachites. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xxxvii. 4.) --- Saturn had a scythe of adamant, and walls of this kind were deemed impervious even to the inhabitants of heaven. Thus Virgil describes the gates of hell:Porta adversa ingens solidoque adamante column\'e6, Vis ut nulla virum non ipsi exscindere ferro C\'9clicol\'e6 valeant. ----- (\'c6neid vi.) --- God appearing on such a wall, intimated that the separation between him and his people was complete. (Calmet) --- Hic murus aheneus esto. (Horace, i. ep. 1.) Plaster. Septuagint, "I will no more pass over it," the adamantine wall. I will hide their faults no longer. (Haydock) --- this third vision alluded to the distress of the ten tribes, 4 Kings xv. 20. (Worthington) Idol. Hebrew, "Isaac." (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "laughter." (Haydock) --- Isaac had resided for some time at Bersabee, which was place frequented by idolaters, chap. v. 5., and viii. 14. Josias overthrew (4 Kings xxiii. 8.; Calmet) the profane "altars." (Haydock) --- Sword. His son Zacharias was slain after six months reign, ver. 6, 11. Words. Nothing could be more unfounded. Amos had indeed denounced many judgments; but he was not wanting in respect to the king. (Calmet) Sword. the prophet did not say this, but that the Lord would rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword; which was verified when Zacharias, the son and successor of Jeroboam, was slain by the sword, 4 Kings xv. 10. (Challoner) --- The false prophet was therefore guilty of a lie. They accuse the preachers of truth as traitors. (Worthington) --- Thus many missionary priests have been traduced in England. (Haydock) Seer. This was the ancient title of prophets; (1 Kings ix. 9.; Calmet) but it is here used contumeliously. (Haydock) --- We know not whether Amasias acted by the king's order or not. He was less afraid of the predictions than of losing his employment. (Calmet) Sanctuary, or "palace." (Kimchi) --- The kings resided commonly in Samaria; but they came hither to practise their religion, and had a palace. (Calmet) --- The king's choice was all that Amasias regarded, as many seem still to do, without examining whether the religion be true or false! Will the king screen them from the indignation of the just Judge at the hour of death? (Haydock) I am not a prophet. That is, I am not a prophet by education: nor is prophesying my calling or profession: but I am a herdsman, whom God was pleased to send hither to prophesy to Israel. (Challoner) --- He speaks with the like humility as [John] the baptist, John i. 21., and Luke vii. 26. It seems the prophets usually left their trade, and applied to meditation, Zacharias viii. 5. Septuagint, "I was not a prophet, nor," &c. --- Plucking. Septuagint (Theodotion), "pricking." (Calmet) --- This was requisite to make the fruit ripen in four days' time. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xiii. 7., and xvi. 27. --- Wild fig-trees have three sorts of fruits. The flies which proceed from some of them, prick the sweet figs, and make them ripen. (Tourefort i. let. 8.) --- Amos probably conveyed such wild figs to be near those of the garden, while at other times he fed his cattle. CHAPTER VII. Drop. menaces, Ezechiel xx. 46. Septuagint, "thou shalt not disturb (Calmet) or threaten the house of Jacob." (St. Jerome) --- Idol; the calf, worshipped in Bethel. (Challoner) --- Hebrew, "Isaac," as [in] ver. 9. (Haydock) Play. Symmachus has better, "shall be treated as a harlot." A "husband would rather hear that his wife had been slain than defiled." (St. Jerome) --- Line, and divided among strangers. --- Land, out of Palestine. All other countries were deemed unclean. Amasias was probably exiled, or led captive by Theglathphalassar, as Salmanasar did not come till sixty-two years after the death of Jeroboam. We know no more of the history of Amasias. The martyrologies say he slew Amos. (Calmet) --- His name means "rigid," and he was a true image of a heretic. "All that he possesses shall fall to the share of devils." (St. Jerome) Hook. Hebrew, "basket of summer fruit." Septuagint, "bird cage or net." (Haydock) --- Israel was ripe for destruction, ver. 2., and chap. vii. 8. (Calmet) --- Not only those who were near, (4 Kings xv. 29.) but the rest also were taken, (4 Kings xvii. 6.) as we pull with a hook the fruit when we cannot reach otherwise. (Worthington) Temple, when God comes like a mighty warrior; or when the profane temples shall be pillaged, chap. ix. 1. Hebrew also, "the canticles of the temple or palace shall be changed into lamentations." --- Place. Hebrew, "a multitude of dead bodies shall be cast in every place. Keep silence." (Calmet) Mouth: the first day was observed as a festival, Numbers x. 10. (Haydock) --- At the expiration of the month usurers demanded their money. (Horace, i. sat. 3.; Aristophanes, Nub. ii. 1.) --- Corn, to sell after the sabbatical year, when it was dearest. Sabbath also denotes all "festivals." These misers think that there are too many. --- Sicle. Having a large measure to buy, and a small one to sell again, Deuteronomy xxv. 13., and Proverbs xx. 10. Shoes, for almost nothing. Thus they forced the poor to serve, or to sell their effects. Jacob, because the rich despise the poor. It may also mean, that he swore by heaven, or the temple, (Leviticus xxvi. 19.) or that he would destroy the high places. (Calmet) Altogether. Septuagint, "its total ruin shall rise as a river." --- Egypt. The whole land shall be visited with misery, as Egypt is by the Nile. (Haydock) --- The enemy shall retire with the booty. The Nile overflows in summer, and covers Egypt for six weeks, carrying much earth with its impetuous waves, Isaias xviii. 2. Light. Usher (the year of the world 3213.) explains this of an eclipse, at Pentecost. The Fathers generally understand that which accompanied the death of Christ; but it only implies great desolation and terror, Jeremias xv. 9., and Joel iii. 11. (St. Jerome, &c.) (Calmet) --- In their greatest prosperity, calamities shall unexpectedly fall upon them. (Worthington) Baldness, the hair being cut in mourning, Job i. 20. --- Son, most afflicted, Zacharias xii. 10., and Jeremias vi. 26. (Calmet) Lord. During the siege provisions were wanting, but instruction still more so. (Worthington) --- Israel had banished Amos. They would be left destitute. We find no prophet among the during the captivity, except Tobias, Tobias xiii. 3. We may apply this to the state of the Jews since the death of Christ. They have no guides. (Calmet) --- They read incessantly, and do not understand (St. Jerome; Mercer.) the Bible, which non will ever penetrate who refuse to receive the key from the Church. (Haydock) Sea to sea: from west to south, or to the ocean; in whatever part of the world they may be. (Calmet) Sin. Septuagint, "propitiation," which the pagans deemed requisite; (Horace, i. ode 2.) or worship (Haydock) of Baal, (4 Kings xvii. 16.; Calmet) and all the other superstitions. (Haydock) --- Way. Septuagint, "thy God," or religion, (Acts ix. 2.) or pilgrimage to Bersabee, chap. v. 5. Perhaps the true God was here adored; but it was in a manner which he condemned. (Calmet) --- In vain do those pretend to honour Him, who follow the traditions of unbelieving men. (Haydock)