Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Amos 5:11
Forasmuch therefore as your treading [is] upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
11. The penalty for such unjust oppression of the poor is the oppressors’ own disappointment and spoliation: the houses and vineyards on which they lavished their money, and from which they expected much enjoyment, will be violently taken from them.
Therefore, because ye trample upon the poor, and take from him exactions of wheat ] The allusion is not specially to bribes exacted of the poor as the price of justice, but to the presents which the poor fellahin had to offer to the grasping aristocrats, out of the hard-won produce of their toil.
ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them, &c.] For the form of the threat, comp. Deu 28:30; Deu 28:38-39; Mic 6:15; Zep 1:13; and contrast the promise of Amo 9:14. Houses of ‘hewn stone’ are houses of exceptional solidity and beauty, such as might be built by the wealthy (cf. Isa 9:10).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Forasmuch therefore – (Since they rejected reproof, he pronounces the sentence of God upon them,) as your treading is upon the poor. This expresses more habitual trampling on the poor, than if he had said, ye tread upon the poor. They were ever trampling on those who were already of low and depressed condition. And ye take from him burdens of wheat, presents of wheat. The word always signifies presents, voluntary , or involuntary , what was carried, offered to anyone. They received wheat from the poor, cleansed, winnowed, and sold the refuse Amo 8:6, requiring what it was wrong to receive, and selling what at the least it was disgraceful not to give. God had expressly forbidden to lend food for interest Lev 25:37; Deu 23:19. It may be that, in order to evade the law, the interest was called a present.
Ye have built house of hewn stone – The houses of Israel were, perhaps most commonly, built of brick dried in the sun only. As least, houses built of hewn stone, like most of ours, are proverbially contrasted with them, as the more solid with the more ordinary building. The white bricks are fallen down, and we will build with hewn, stones Isa 9:10. And Ezekiel is bidden to dig through the wall of his house Eze 12:5, Eze 12:7. Houses of stone there were, as appears from the directions as to the unhealthy accretions, called the leprosy of the house Lev 14:34-48. It may be, however, that their houses of hewn stone, had a smoothed surface, like our ashlar. Anyhow, the sin of luxury is not simply measured by the things themselves, but by their relation to ourselves and our condition also; and wrong is not estimated by the extent of the gain and loss of the two parties only, but by the injury inflicted.
These men, who built houses, luxurious for them, had wrung from the poor their living, as those do, who beat down the wages of the poor. Therefore they were not to take possession of what was their own; as Ahab, who by murder possessed himself of Naboths vineyard, forfeited his throne and his life. God, in the law, consulted for the feeling which desires to enter into the fruit of a mans toil. When they should go to war they were to proclaim, what man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard and hath not eaten of it? let him go. and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it Deu 20:5-6. Now God reversed all this, and withdrew the tender love, whereby He had provided it. The words, from their proverbial character, express a principle of Gods judgments, that wrong dealing, whereby a man would secure himself or enlarge his inheritance, destroys both. Who poorer than our Lord, bared of all upon the Cross, of whom it had been written, They persecuted the poor helpless man, that they might slay him who was vexed at the heart Psa 109:15, and of whom the Jews said, Come let us kill Him, that the inheritance may be ours? Mat 21:38. They killed Him, they said, lest the Romans take away our place and nation Joh 11:48. The vineyard was taken from them; their place destroyed, their nation dispersed.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. Your treading is upon the poor] You tread them under your feet; they form the road on which ye walk; and yet it was by oppressing and improverishing them that ye gained your riches.
Ye take from him burdens of wheat] Ye will have his bread for doing him justice.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Your treading; their oppression was more than ordinarily proud and tyrannous, expressed here by treading. It was very heavy on the poor, an effect of fraud, and executed with tyrannical insolence, as the word and its paraphrase imports.
Is upon the poor, who have not power to withstand your violence, nor money to buy your friendship.
Ye take from him, receive when offered, and ye force them to offer, you extort from the poor,
burdens of wheat; great quantities of best wheat, on which the poor should live, either making bread of it to feed them, or else making money of it to serve other occasions. It is not said what burden, but probably as much as the poor man was able to carry.
Ye have built houses; perhaps these corrupt judges had built for their children; so one greedy and ravenous judge might build as many houses as he had sons, or these judges being many, had built many houses.
Of hewn stone; intimating the greatness, beauty, and strength of them, and they flatter themselves that they and their posterity shall long dwell at ease and multiply in these goodly houses.
But ye shall not dwell in them; you by oppression build, but God will by his just hand, and by the Assyrians violence, turn you out of those houses, and make you captives in a land where your enemies please to carry you, you shall find that, Deu 28:30, fulfilled on you.
Pleasant vineyards; most desirable for situation, for fruitfulness, for sweetness and goodness of the grape; every way delightful.
But ye shall not drink wine of them; either they shall not bear, or the enemy shall devour, or you shall be carried away into captivity. The threat, Deu 28:39, shall be executed.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. burdens of wheatburdensometaxes levied in kind from the wheat of the needy, topamper the lusts of the great [HENDERSON].Or wheat advanced in time of scarcity, and exacted again at aburdensome interest [RABBISALOMON].
built houses . . . but notdwell in them . . . vineyards, . . . but not drink wine ofthemaccording to the original prophecy of Moses (Deu 28:30;Deu 28:38; Deu 28:39).The converse shall be true in restored Israel (Amo 9:14;Isa 65:21; Isa 65:22).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Forasmuch therefore as your treading [is] upon the poor,…. This seems to be spoken to the princes, judges, and civil magistrates, as Kimchi observes; who oppressed the poor and needy, and crushed them to the ground, trampled upon them, stripped them of the little substance they had, and left them destitute; exercising a cruel and tyrannical power over them, they having none to stand by them, and deliver them:
and ye take from him burdens of wheat; which perhaps he had been gleaning in the field, and was carrying home for the support of his family; or which he had gotten with great labour, and was all he had in the world: this they took away from him, for the payment of pretended debts, or lawsuits; or as not in right belonging to him, but taken out of fields where he should not have entered:
ye have built houses of hewn stones; in a very grand and pompous manner for themselves and their children, with money they had extorted from the poor, and got by oppression and injustice:
but ye shall not dwell in them; at least but a very short time; for quickly and suddenly the enemy will come and turn you out of them, and destroy them, which would be a just retaliation for their spoiling the houses of the poor:
ye have planted pleasant vineyards: well situated, and filled with the choicest vines, which promise a large produce of the best wine:
but ye shall not drink wine of them; for before the grapes are fully ripe they should be either taken away by death, or be carried captive, and others should dwell in their houses, and drink the wine of their vineyards.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet here declares, that though the judges enriched themselves by plunder, yet God would not allow them to enjoy their booty, but that he would deprive them of the great wealth they had accumulated. This is the import of the whole. We hence see that the Prophet contends not here with the common people, but professedly attacks the chief men, inasmuch as from them did proceed all the prevailing evil.
The first thing is, they imposed burdens on the poor, and then, they took away corn from them He says first, “A burden have you laid”, or, “ye have trodden on the poor;” for the verb may be taken in either sense, and it matters not which as to the import of the passage. It is not indeed often that we meet with a verb of four letters; (34) but interpreters explain this as meaning to tread under foot or to lay a burden. The Prophet, I doubt not, accuses here the judges of not sparing miserable men, but of burdening them with tributes and exactions; for this is to burden the poor. Then he adds, “Ye have taken a load of corn”. The Prophet had doubtless fixed here on a species of cruelty in robbing others, the most detestable. When judges take money, or any other gift, it is less odious than when the poor are compelled to carry corn to them on their shoulders. It was the same as though they surrendered their very life to their plunderers; for when judges constrained loads of corn to be brought to them, it was as though they strangled the poor, or drew blood from their veins, inasmuch as they robbed them of their food and support. We now perceive what the Prophet meant: You have, he says, oppressed the poor, and taken from them a load of corn. Some render בר, ber, chosen, but improperly.
Ye shall therefore build, etc. He declares here that they would not realize their hope, though they plundered on all sides to build palaces, and though they got great possessions to enrich themselves and their heirs: “This self-love,” he says, “will deceive you; defraud, rob, plunder; but the Lord will at length strip you of all your robberies: for after having been venal, and prostituted not only your souls but your shame for gain, and after having spent much labor and expense in building, ye shall not dwell in your palaces; and when ye shall have planted vineyards with great expense and care, ye shall not drink their wine.” Isaiah also speaks in the same strain,
‘
O plunderer, thou shalt be exposed to plunders’ (Isa 33:1)
Experience also teaches the same thing; for we see how the Lord transfers from one to another the possessions of this world: he who seems to provide riches after his death for his heirs for ever, passes his whole life, as we see, without enjoying his own property; for he is hungry in the midst of the greatest abundance, and even famishes himself. This is very frequently the case. And then when his abundance comes to his heirs, it falls into the hands of prodigals, who soon dissipate the whole. And sometimes the Lord allows not that such vast wealth should have heirs, and it is scattered here and there, and the very name is extinguished, though the name to such haughty and wealthy men is a great object, as they commonly wish it to be eminent in the world for some hundred ages after their death.
This passage of the Prophet ought therefore to be especially noticed. He tells us that unjust gains were laid up by these robbers and wicked plunderers, in order to amass great riches; but he adds, “The Lord will spoil them, and will not suffer them to enjoy their abundance, however anxiously they had collected it from all quarters.” Let us now proceed —
(34) The verb is בושסכם, from בושם but in ten MSS. Of Kennicott, and in five of D’Rossi, the ו is left out: and then ש is supposed to be put for ס, as Amos in another place, Amo 7:14, puts ס for ש. The verb בס, and in its reduplicate form בסס, occurs in other places, and means to tread or trample under foot. The expression here literally is, “your trampling;” but such a form may often be expressed in our language, “ye trample.” The connection of the whole verse will be better seen by the following version: —
Therefore, as ye trample on the poor, And tribute of corn extort from him, — Houses of hewn stone you may build, But ye shall not dwell in them; Vineyards of delight ye may plant, But ye shall not drink their wine.
—
Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) Burdens of wheat.i.e., Ye take gifts of sifted corn, as a contribution to your own luxury, and which the poor man was not bound to offer, and only would offer to purchase your good will. Therefore your pomp and luxury shall be of no avail. Such is Gods judgment on indifference to the wants and feedings of the poor.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11-13. Israel’s moral depravity demands speedy judgment. The sin which arouses the indignation of the prophet most is the oppression of the poor (Amo 2:6-7). In punishment the unjustly gained possessions will be withdrawn.
Therefore Introduces the sentence, as in Amo 3:11; Amo 4:12.
Your treading is upon the poor R.V., “ye trample upon the poor.” A figure of excessive cruelty (compare Amo 2:7).
Take from him burdens [“exactions”] of wheat This corn tax does not refer to bribes given to corrupt judges, but to “presents which the poor fellahin had to offer to the grasping aristocrats” in order to secure permission to retain at least a part of their products (1Sa 25:7 ff.).
Hewn stone In ancient times the houses of the Israelites were built of baked or sun-dried bricks; the use of hewn stone, a sign of wealth and luxury, may have been introduced during the prosperous eighth century B.C. The means which enabled the rich to build these houses were acquired by oppression (Mic 3:10). But Jehovah will drive them from the magnificent palaces.
Pleasant vineyards The vineyards in the fruit of which they expected to take delight. In these expectations also they will be disappointed (Deu 28:30; Deu 28:38-39; Isa 5:8-10; Zep 1:13; compare Amo 9:14). In order to secure a more perfect parallelism, consisting of three sentences, each having a protasis and an apodosis, Hitzig suggests as a better translation for the first two clauses, “Forasmuch, therefore, as ye trample upon the poor, ye shall take presents from him of wheat”; that is, you will become so poor that you will be compelled to accept alms from him who is now poor.
In justification of this sentence the prophet continues, in Amo 5:12-13, the description of the deplorable condition, the maladministration of justice receiving the severest condemnation. In Amo 5:12 the translation of R.V. is to be preferred: “For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins ye that afflict the just, that take a bribe, and that turn aside the needy in the gate from their right.” The popular idea was that Jehovah took little or no notice of their conduct (Hos 7:2); he assures them that he knows both the magnitude and the multitude of their sins.
Afflict G.A. Smith, “browbeat.”
Just See on righteous (Amo 2:6).
Bribe The Hebrew word so translated is used ordinarily in the sense of ransom, the price paid for a life (Exo 21:30). Num 35:31, forbids the taking of a ransom for the life of a murderer. In the light of this passage the words of Amos are thought by some to be a condemnation of the judges who allow rich murderers to escape capital punishment on the payment of an illegal ransom. It is not impossible, however, that here, as in 1Sa 13:3, the word is used in the more general sense suggested by the English bribe, an illegal gift presented to the judge to secure exemption from merited punishment of any sort. Turn aside the poor [“needy”] Discrimination was shown against the needy, who were unable to offer bribes (Isa 1:23; Isa 10:2; compare Isa 1:17; Exo 23:6, etc.).
In the gate See on Amo 5:10.
Marti thinks that Amo 5:13 bears every mark of a later interpolation, but without good reason, for the verse fits admirably, not as a reiteration of the announcement of judgment but as an additional indication of the hopelessness of the present situation. No longer are any attempts made to bring about a reformation.
The prudent The worldly wise, who knows when he is well off, and who is interested primarily in his own welfare. There is no indication that Amos approves the attitude of these prudent men; he simply states a fact. He himself, caring first of all for the interests of the people, does not and cannot keep silent (Amo 3:8; Amo 7:15).
Shall keep silence Better, does keep silent; does not lift up his voice in rebuke or exhortation, because he fears the hostility of the powerful.
In that time R.V., “such a time” as described in Amo 5:12.
An evil time Not only because exhortation is futile, but also because personal inconvenience and suffering come to him who attempts to stem the tide.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Amo 5:11. Burdens of wheat Houbigant’s reading is, A pledge, or interest for wheat: “You exact a large and exorbitant interest or price for the necessaries of life.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
the poor an impoverished one. Hebrew. dal, See note on “poverty”, Pro 6:11.
burdens = exaction. Singular.
ye have built, &c. Reference to Deut. (Deu 28:30, Deu 28:39).
pleasant vineyards = vineyards of desire. wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
treading: Amo 4:1, Isa 5:7, Isa 5:8, Isa 59:13, Isa 59:14, Mic 2:2, Mic 3:1-3, Jam 2:6, Rev 11:8-10
ye have built: Deu 28:30, Deu 28:38, Deu 28:39, Isa 65:21, Isa 65:22, Mic 6:15, Zep 1:13, Hag 1:6
pleasant vineyards: Heb. vineyards of desire
Reciprocal: Exo 23:6 – General Lev 25:14 – General Deu 1:17 – ye shall hear Deu 8:12 – and hast built Job 15:34 – the tabernacles Job 24:10 – they take away Job 31:34 – that I Job 33:20 – dainty meat Psa 10:9 – when Pro 22:7 – rich Pro 31:9 – General Isa 5:9 – Of a truth Isa 10:2 – turn aside Isa 16:10 – General Isa 17:10 – shalt thou Isa 29:21 – and turn Jer 8:10 – will I Jer 25:34 – pleasant vessel Eze 16:49 – neither Eze 18:7 – hath spoiled Eze 26:12 – thy pleasant houses Dan 10:3 – pleasant bread Hos 5:11 – oppressed Hos 12:7 – he loveth Amo 2:6 – because Amo 5:7 – turn Amo 6:12 – for Amo 8:4 – swallow Amo 9:14 – plant Mic 6:12 – the rich Zec 7:10 – oppress Joh 3:20 – every
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Amo 5:11. We should remember that the rebuking running through most of these verses is addressed chiefly to the leaders of the nation who took advantage of their standing to oppress the poor. They forced them to furnish unjust portions of their crops so that they could live in luxury. They had also indulged themselves with costly houses and had planted vineyards to suit their own extravagant desires. But God now warns them that it will all be taken from them and their luxurious provisions will he in vain.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Amo 5:11-13. Forasmuch, therefore, as your treading is upon the poor It appears by this, that their acts of oppression were more than ordinarily proud and tyrannical. They were the effect of fraud executed with insolence, as the word treading, and the subsequent clause, added in explanation of it, signify. And ye take from him burdens of wheat This expresses the most grievous inhumanity, implying that they took from the poor their very sustenance by acts of injustice and violence. Ye have built houses of hewn stone, but shall not dwell in them God often threatens to deprive men of the enjoyment of their ill-gotten substance. For I know your manifold transgressions and mighty sins Your daring impieties, your sins of the first magnitude, such as idolatry and oppression, reproved in the foregoing part of this chapter. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time So great is the corruption of manners, and such the insolence of power, that the prudent man, though he be virtuous, and abhor such doings, yet will incline to be silent, perceiving that his speaking by way of reproof or exhortation to others will only bring danger on himself, and be of no real use.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
5:11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading [is] upon the poor, and {g} ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
(g) You take both his money and also his food, with which he should live.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
They imposed high rents and taxes of grain on the poor to keep them tenants on the land (cf. Exo 23:2; Exo 23:6).
"The small farmer no longer owns his own land; he is a tenant of an urban class to whom he must pay a rental for the use of the land, a rental that was often a lion’s share of the grain which the land had produced." [Note: Mays, p. 94.]
The oppressors used this illegally obtained income to build themselves luxurious homes. The Lord promised that He would make it impossible for these evil people to live in their fancy houses and enjoy the fruits of their vineyards.