Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Amos 8:5
Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
5. When will the new moon be gone? ] The new moon, the first of the month, was observed as a popular holiday (2Ki 4:23; cf. 1Sa 20:5; 1Sa 20:24), and marked by religious services Isa 1:13-14; Hos 2:11; and often in later writings: cf. Num 28:11-15). From the present passage, it is apparent that, like the sabbath, it was a day on which trade was suspended, and which accordingly was viewed by the grasping Israelitish merchants with impatience, on account of the interruption which it occasioned in their unjust practices.
making the ephah small &c.] The ephah by which they sold was of short measure, while the shekel, by which the money to be paid by the purchaser was weighed, was unduly heavy. Dr Chaplin found in 1890, on the site of the ancient Samaria, a weight (now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) inscribed (if be rightly explained as an abbreviation for ) “a quarter of full weight.” This weight weighs 39.2 grains, which would give a shekel of 156.8 (or rather more, if something be allowed for wearing). The weight of the so-called ‘light’ shekel (the ‘heavy’ shekel was twice as much) was probably 130 135 grains: whence W. R. Smith very ingeniously conjectured ( P.E.F.Qu.St [191] , 1894, p. 229) that the weight in question was a heavy quarter-shekel, of the kind alluded to here by Amos.
[191] .E.F.Qu.St. Palestine Exploration Fund, Quarterly Statements.
falsifying the balances of deceit ] i.e. tampering with the balances by which the money received by them was weighed, and so gaining a third unjust advantage over the purchaser. See, in condemnation of such commercial dishonesty, Lev 19:35-36; Deu 25:13-15 (“Thou shalt not have in thy bag a weight and a weight, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thy house an ephah and an ephah, a great and a small,” &c.); Pro 20:10 (“A weight and a weight, an ephah and an ephah, both of them alike are Jehovah’s abomination”); Eze 45:9-10. The ephah was probably equal to about eight gallons.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
When will the new moon be gone? – They kept their festivals, though weary and impatient for their close. They kept sabbath and festival with their bodies, not with their minds. The Psalmist said, When shall I come to appear before the presencc of God? Psa 42:2. These said, perhaps in their hearts only which God reads to them, when will this service be over, that we may be our own masters again? They loathed the rest of the sabbath, because they had, thereon, to rest from their frauds. He instances the new moons and sabbaths, because these, recurring weekly or monthly, were a regular hindrance to their covetousness.
The ephah was a measure containing 72 Roman pints or nearly 1 1/10 of an English bushel; the shekel was a fixed weight, by which, up to the time of the captivity 2Sa 18:12; 1Ki 20:39; Jer 32:9, money was still weighed; and that, for the price of bread also Isa 55:2. They increased the price both ways, dishonestly and in hypocrisy, paring down the quantity which they sold, and obtaining more silver by fictitious weights; and weighing in uneven balances. All such dealings had been expressly forbidden by God; and that, as the condition of their remaining in the land which God had given them. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thy house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight; a perfect and just measure shalt thou have, that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Deu 25:13-15.
Sin in wrong measures, once begun is unbroken. All sin perpetuates itself. It is done again, because it has been done before. But sins of a mans daily occupation are continued of necessity, beyond the simple force of habit and the ever-increasing dropsy of covetousness. To interrupt sin is to risk detection. But then how countless the sins, which their poor slaves must needs commit hourly, whenever the occasion comes! And yet, although among us human law recognizes the divine law and annexes punishment to its breach, covetousness sets both at nought. When human law was enforced in a city after a time of negligence, scarcely a weight was found to be honest. Prayer went up to God on the sabbath, and fraud on the poor went up to God in every transaction on the other six days. We admire the denunciations of Amos, and condemn the makebelieve service of God. Amos denounces us, and we condemn ourselves. Righteous dealing in weights and measures was one of the conditions of the existence of Gods former people. What must then be our national condition before God, when, from this one sin, so many thousand, thousand sins go up daily to plead against us to God?
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Amo 8:5
When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn?
and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat.
Honouring the Lords day
The physical wants of man demand a day of rest; and it is a gracious appointment of the all-wise One, which has secured it to him. No constitution, however robust, can endure the wear and tear of unceasing labour. An experiment was once tried in England on a grand scale. Two thousand men were employed for years, seven days in a week. To make them contented to give up the blessed privilege of resting on Sundays, they received double wages for that day; or eight days wages for seven days work. It was found, however, utterly impossible to keep them healthy or moral. Things went on so badly that the old custom of resting on the Lords day was revived, and that, too, with immediate results. More work was accomplished in six days than in seven, and the labourers were more sober and honest. Yet there are headstrong and worldly-minded people to be found, so oaten by covetousness that they are disposed to cry out, in the complaining language of the text, When will the Sabbath be past, that we may sell wheat? The same physical law which requires that man should have his day of rest applies also to the brute creation. In making the land route to California, the companies which rest on Sunday invariably reach their destinations before those which journey forward without regard to Gods appointment. While man and beasts are decidedly the gainers from observing the beneficent appointment of their Creator, can we be expected to listen with patience while the despisers of Gods law ask in words of cool contempt, When will the Sabbath be past, that we may sell wheat? Besides the actual benefits secured by those who honour the Lords day, they are saved from many evils which naturally grow out of a disregard for it. The chaplain of Newgate prison, who hears the confessions of those sentenced to death, once remarked that, in almost every instance they ascribed their ruin to their desertion of the House of God, and to their violation of the day of rest. A distinguished merchant, long accustomed to extensive observation of men, was often heard to say, When I discover one of my clerks to be a wilful neglecter of the Lords day, I forthwith dismiss him. Such persons cannot be trusted. Sabbath-breaking is the sure forerunner of other sins. Moreover, we all need stated times when we can devote ourselves more unreservedly to the great work of preparing for death and the final judgment. Few are the spiritual blessings of earth, and few the joys of heaven, that have not a nearer or remoter connection with the Lords day. How ought the Lords day to be kept? Mere cessation from worldly employments will not come up to the demands of Gods law. Attendance upon public worship is the great duty of Sunday, and one which will be strictly regarded by all who desire Gods favour. A portion of the time should be spent in such reading as will tend to our spiritual improvement. (John N. Norton.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 5. When will the new moon be gone] This was kept as a kind of holy day, not by Divine command, but by custom. The Sabbath was strictly holy; and yet so covetous were they that they grudged to give to God and their own souls this seventh portion of time! But bad and execrable as they were, they neither set forth their corn, nor their wheat, nor any other kind of merchandise, on the Sabbath. They were saints then, when compared to multitudes called Christians, who keep their shops either partially or entirely open on the Lord’s day, and buy and sell without any scruples of conscience. Conscience! alas! they have none; it is seared as with a hot iron. The strong man armed, in them, is quiet, for all his goods are in peace.
Making the ephah small, and the shekel great] Giving short measure, and taking full price; or, buying with a heavy weight, and selling with one that was light.
Falsifying the balances] Having one scale light, and the other weighty; one end of the beam long, and the other short. A few months ago I detected a knave with such balances; with a slip of his finger along the beam he altered the centre, which made three ounces short weight in every pound. He did it so dexterously, that though I knew he was cheating, or, as the prophet expresses it, was falsifying the balances by deceit, it was some time before I could detect the fraud, and not till I had been several times cheated by this accomplished knave. So we find that though the knaves of ancient Israel are dead, they have left their successors behind them.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
When will the new moon be gone? ye that could wish there were nothing to interrupt your marketing, your irreligious impatience, and your eagerness after the world, look on solemn times of Divine worship as very burdensome; such was the first day of every month, and the weekly sabbath.
That we may sell corn: no servile work might be done on new moons, no markets kept, or corn brought forth publicly to be sold.
And the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat? they were also bound very religiously to observe the sabbath, and on that day they might not buy or sell; now they are weary of the sabbath, as of the new moon, and on the same account wish it over: here was irreligious gaping after gain.
Making the ephah small; the ephah was a measure for dry things, and contained about half a bushel and one pottle English measure. Now these covetous corn-merchants measured the corn they sold by an ephah that was too little, the poor buyer had not his due.
And the shekel great: they weighed the money which they received, and these rich men had no more pity and justice, than to make their shekel weight greater than the standard; so the poor were twice oppressed in the same way, had less than was their right, and paid more than they ought to pay; and thus they undid the poor, and ate him up.
And falsifying the balances by deceit; deceitfully pervert the balances, that the money or shekel weighed, though of full weight, yet appeared too light on the balance, and they who paid it were forced to add more silver to it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. So greedy are they of unjustgain that they cannot spare a single day, however sacred, frompursuing it. They are strangers to God and enemies to themselves, wholove market days better than sabbath days; and they who have lostpiety will not long keep honesty. The new moons (Nu10:10) and sabbaths were to be kept without working or trading(Ne 10:31).
set forth wheatliterally,”open out” stores of wheat for sale.
ephahcontaining threeseahs, or above three pecks.
making . . . smallmakingit below the just weight to purchasers.
shekel greattakingfrom purchasers a greater weight of money than was due. Shekels usedto be weighed out in payments (Ge23:16). Thus they committed a double fraud against the law(Deu 25:13; Deu 25:14).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Saying, when will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn?…. The first day of every month, on which it was forbid to sell any thing, or do any worldly business, being appointed and used for religious service; see 2Ki 4:23; and which these carnal earthly minded men were weary of, and wanted to have over, that they might be selling their grain, and getting money, which they preferred to the worship of God. Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it of the month of harvest, when the poor found what to eat in the fields; when they gleaned there, and got a sufficiency of bread, and so had no need to buy corn; and hence these rich misers, that hoarded up the grain, are represented as wishing the harvest month over, that they might sell their grain to the poor, having had, during that month, no demand for it; and so the Targum renders it the month of grain: or the month of intercalation, as Jarchi understands it; every three years a month was intercalated, to bring their feasts right to the season of the year; and that year was a month longer than the rest, and made provision dearer; and then the sense is, when will the year of intercalation come, that we may have a better price for our grain? but the first sense seems best;
and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat; in the shops or markets, for sale: or “open wheat” b; the granaries and treasures of it, to be seen and sold. Now the sabbath, or seventh day of the week, as no servile work was to be done on it, so no trade or commerce was to be carried on on that day; which made it a long and wearisome one to worldly men, who wished it over, that they might be about their worldly business. Kimchi and Ben Melech, by “sabbath”, understand a “week”, which these men put off the poor unto, when the price of grain would rise; and so from week to week refused to sell, and longed till the week came when it would be dearer. The Targum and Jarchi interpret it of the seventh year Sabbath, when there was no ploughing, nor sowing, nor reaping, and so no selling of grain, but the people lived upon what the earth brought forth of itself. But the first sense here is also best;
making the ephah small; a dry measure, that held three scabs, or about a bushel of ours, with which they measured their grain and their wheat; so that, besides the exorbitant price they required, they did not give due measure:
and the shekel great; that is, the weight, or shekel stone, with which they weighed the money the poor gave for their grain and wheat; this was made heavier than it should be, and so of course the money weighed against it was too light, and the poor were obliged to make it up with more; and thus they cheated them, both in their measure, and in their money:
and falsifying the balances by deceit? contrary to the law in
De 25:13.
b “et apericmus frumentam”, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; “ut aperiamus frumenti [horrea]”, Junius Tremellius “ut aperiamus frumentum”, Piscator, Cocceius; “quo far aperiamus”, Castalio.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet goes on here with the same subject; for this could not apply to the whole people, but only to the plunderers who were able to oppress the miserable and the poor among the common people, and who had a great abundance of corn: the same we see at this day, — a few men in time of want have provisions hoarded up, so that they as it were put to death miserable men by reducing them to want. Since then the few rich held the whole people in a state of famine, the Prophet says here, “Do you think that God deals too rigidly or too cruelly with your inasmuch as ye have hitherto been killing men with misery and want?” Were any one to object, and say, that the slaughter which the Prophet has already threatened was to be common to the whole people, and that therefore it is now improperly stated, that the wrongs done to the people were brought on them by a few men: to this I answer, that there were other vices among the people which required to be corrected, and this we have already seen, and shall see again in other parts; but it was necessary to make a beginning with the proud men, who, relying on their own dignity, thought themselves exempt and free from the common lot. Hence it was necessary to close their mouths: and further, the Prophet did not spare others in their turn. But we see to what extent of mad folly haughty men, and such as possess worldly riches and powers would run, were not the Lord to restrain and check them. This is the reason why the Prophet now especially addresses them.
Ye therefore say, When will pass the month, that we may sell corn? Some take חדש, chedash, month, for the new-moon; and it is sometimes so taken and this interpretation is probable; for immediately follows the word, Sabbath. When then will pass the month, and when will pass Sabbath, that we may be able to sell our corn? As it was not lawful to carry on business either on the Sabbath or on the new-moon, whenever they rested but one day, they thought that so much time was lost to them; for we see that the avaricious grow weary, as their cupidity ever excites them, for they are like an oven: and since they are thus hot, if an hour is lost they think that a whole year has passed away; they calculate the very moments of time. “How is it,” they say, “there is no merchant coming? I have now rested one day, and I have not gained a farthing.” As then the avaricious are so extremely careful, it is probable that the Prophet here refers to this disease of the mind, as though he said, “You have no rest, no relaxation. God has commanded his people to rest on every new-moon; and his will also is, that you should abstain from every work on the seventh day: ye think it is time as lost, for ye get no gain.” But another exposition is equally probable, which is this, — that they expected corn to be every month dearer; as those robbers in our day gape for gain, who from every quarter heap together corn, and thus reduce us to want; they look forward, month after month, and think that some calamity may happen to increase the price of corn; frost or rain may come, some disaster may take place; when the spring passes away, there may come some hail or mildew; in short, they are, as it were, laying in wait for some evil. This meaning does not ill suit this place; at the same time they refer it to the intercalary month, which being an addition, prolongs time, so that the year becomes longer: and what follows, respecting the Sabbath corresponds well with this view; as the word is to be taken in another sense than of the seventh day, for we know that on every seventh year there was no sloughing, no cultivation of the land, among the Jews; and the corn was then dearer, when there was no crop. Thus then there was a prey as it were provided for the avaricious and the extortioners.
When then will pass the Sabbath, that we may open our storehouses? They closed their storehouses, until the whole year, without cultivation or produce or harvest, had passed away; and then they opened their storehouses, or at least it was the time when they in a great measure opened them. Since then they so cruelly dealt with the people, the Prophet justly reproves them, and shows that God did not too rigidly treat theme but recompensed them with such a reward as they merited. Other matters we shall defer to the next Lecture.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) When . . . gone.They desired that the festivals of the New Moon and Sabbath should be over, when they might not only return to their secular employments, but pursue their search for ill-gotten gainsa proof that these festivals were observed in the northern nation, even if they were disliked.
Set forth wheat.The original signifies the opening of the sacks, or granaries, where the wheat was stored. The greedy mercantile class is referred to. The ephah, which was a dry measure (= three English pecks), was made small, so that a smaller quantity might be sold. The shekel was the weight against which the precious metal was weighed. If this were fraudulently augmented, more of the gold or silver than was due was demanded for the impoverished ephah.
Falsifying the balances . . .More accurately, falsifying the deceitful balances, so that the very symbol of justice became the implement of committing injustice. This is frequently condemned in the Law and Prophets (Lev. 19:35-36; Deu. 25:15; Pro. 11:1; Mic. 6:11).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Amo 8:5. The new moon, &c. Of that month wherein the fruits of the year were used first to be sold. By the sabbath the Chaldee understands the sabbatical year; for, as Grotius observes, that year being past, they who had not money enough to provide for themselves before the year, were compelled to buy the necessaries of life at a very high price from those who had laid up stores.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Amo 8:5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Ver. 5. Saying, When will the new moon be gone, &c. ] “O, what a weariness it is! and ye have snuffed at it,” Mal 1:13 . See the note there. This ye have said, or thought at least; and God knoweth the language of your hearts. He presseth upon no man; neither will he accept that service that is pressed out of people, as verjuice out of a crab. All his saints are free hearted, Psa 110:3 , all his soldiers volunteers; they welcome the sabbath, as that holy man did, who went forth to meet and salute it with Veni sponsa mea, Come, my sweet spouse, I have dearly longed for thee. The sabbath they call Desiderium dierum a day of delight. They also pass it over with singular delight, Isa 58:13 , walking into Christ’s garden of spiritual duties, whereof there is so great variety for the good soul to breathe itself in and not be sated; and then are taken into Christ’s wine cellar, and (after a holy manner) inebriated with Divine consolations, Son 2:4-5 2Co 1:5 , such as the cock on the dunghill knows not, such as pass all carnal men’s understanding. They find no more relish in holy days and duties than they do in the white of an egg or in a dry chip; the work they do at such times, for fashion-sake or fear of law, &c., is dead work, as the apostle calleth it; they sit in the stocks when they are at prayers, and come out of the church when the tedious sermon runs somewhat beyond the hour, as prisoners do out of a jail, &c.; they cannot tell how to wear out the sabbath, which therefore they wish over, and constantly violate, either by corporal labour or else (which is as bad, or worse) by spiritual idleness. Full ill would these men, addere de profano ad sacrum (as the Jews say we should do), pronouncing those happy that begin the sabbath with those of Tiberias, and end it with those of Tsepphore; the former began it sooner than others, the latter continued it longer (Buxtorf. Synag. Jud.). Full ill would they have liked our King Edgar’s law, that Sunday should be solemnized from Saturday, nine o’clock, till Monday morning. Full loth would these men be to beg David’s office out of his hand, of being a doorkeeper in God’s house; that is, to be first in and last out. And what would they do to keep an everlasting sabbath in heaven that are so troubled and even tired out with so short an attendance on the Lord’s day; not without a world of wilful distractions, such as spoil and corrupt their performances, so that they stink in the nostrils of the Almighty?
And the sabbath
Making the Ephah small, and the shekel great
And falsifying the balances by deceit?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the new moon. Reference to Pentateuch (Num 10:10, &c.) the sabbath. Ref to Pentateuch (Exo 20:10). App-92. Stopping their business for a day.
set forth wheat. Hebrew = wheat market: “wheat” being put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6, for the place where it is kept = open granaries, or sell grain. hp
ephah. Measuring the goods. See App-51.
shekel. Weighing the money. See App-51.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
When: Num 10:10, Num 28:11-15, 2Ki 4:23, Psa 81:3, Psa 81:4, Isa 1:13, Col 2:16
new moon: or, month
be gone: Mal 1:13
and the: Exo 20:8-10, Neh 13:15-21, Isa 58:13, Rom 8:6, Rom 8:7
set forth: Heb. open
making: Lev 19:36, Deu 25:13-16, Pro 11:1, Pro 16:11, Pro 20:23, Eze 45:10-12, Mic 6:10, Mic 6:11
falsifying the balances by deceit: Heb. perverting the balances of deceit, Hos 12:7
Reciprocal: Lev 6:2 – deceived Lev 19:35 – in meteyard Deu 25:16 – all that do 1Sa 13:12 – I forced 1Sa 21:7 – detained Hos 2:11 – her feast Amo 8:14 – Beersheba Zec 5:6 – This is an ephah Mat 26:8 – To Joh 12:5 – was 1Th 4:6 – go
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Amo 8:5. The days of new moons were holy days with the Jews (1 Samuel 20: 2427; 1Ch 23:31), and on such days they were not to work or transact any secular business. These covetous men could Dot dismiss from their minds the worldly subject in order to give “undivided attention” to their religious duties, but even while the holy day was being (outwardly) observed, they were thinking of the deals they intended to perform. Their worldlyminded interests were made worse by the unjust means they intended to take for profit. Ephah small, shekel great. They tampered with the scales by causing the balancing weights to show more than they actually contained, then cheated their customers in another way which was to increase the price unjustly.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
8:5 Saying, When will the {d} new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making {e} the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
(d) When the scarcity had come they were so greedy for gain, that they thought the holy day to be a hindrance to them.
(e) That is, the measure small, and the price great.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
These oppressors were eager for the monthly festivals and the weekly Sabbaths to end so they could get back to work cheating their fellow countrymen to make big profits. These holidays were days of rest and worship, but the Israelite workaholics did not enjoy them, though they observed them as good religious people. They were anxious to enslave the needy in their debt so they could control them and use them for their own selfish ends (cf. Amo 2:6). Archaeologists have found at Tirzah the remains of shops from the eighth century that contain two sets of weights, one for buying and one for selling. [Note: Mays, p. 144.] Tirzah was the first capital of Israel (1Ki 14:17; 1Ki 15:21; 1Ki 15:33; et al.).
"These people regarded cereals and human beings equally as stock for sale. Their practices were both dishonest and inhumane." [Note: Andersen and Freedman, p. 804.]
Merchandising was their priority, not worshipping. Profit was their god, and they willingly sacrificed more important things for it. People who focus intently on what they will do after worship is over do not engage in true worship or enter into the spirit of worship. [Note: Wolff, p. 326.]