14 16<\/strong>. A disaster, in which neither the swiftest nor the best equipped warrior will be able to escape, brings the kingdom of Israel to its end.<\/p>\n Therefore<\/em> ] simply And<\/strong> (as R.V.).<\/p>\n the flight shall perish from the swift<\/em> ] rather place of flight, refuge<\/strong>; for perish from<\/em> we should say fail<\/em> (R.V. marg<\/em>.). The idiom used occurs elsewhere, viz. Jer 25:35<\/span>; Job 11:20<\/span> (see R.V. marg<\/em>.); Psa 142:4<\/span> (A.V. “refuge failed me”).<\/p>\n the strong shall not strengthen his force<\/em> ] i.e. not collect his powers; he will be unmanned in presence of the foe.<\/p>\n the mighty<\/em> ] or the<\/em> warrior.<\/strong> The word means specifically one mighty in war: see Isa 3:2<\/span>; Jer 46:6<\/span>; Jer 46:12<\/span>; Isa 42:13<\/span>; Nah 2:4<\/span> (noticing in each case the context): in the plural it is the term used to denote David’s select band of warriors, 2Sa 16:6<\/span>; 2Sa 23:8<\/span>, &c.<\/p>\n Israel relied, against God, on his own strength. Have we not, they said, taken to us horns by our own strength? Amo 6:13<\/span>. Amos tells them then, that every means of strength, resistance, flight, swiftness of foot, of horse, place of refuge, should fail them. Three times he repeats, as a sort of dirge, he shall not deliver himself.<\/P> Therefore the flight shall perish – <\/B>(Probably place of flight Job 11:20<\/span>; Psa 142:5<\/span>; Jer 25:35<\/span>). They had despised God, as their place of refuge , so the place of refuge, should perish from the swift, as though it were not. He should flee amain, but there would be no place to flee unto. God alone renews strength; therefore the strong man should not strengthen his force or might, should not be able to gather or collect his strength as we say. Fear should disable him. The handler of the bow (as in Jer 46:9<\/span>), and who by habit is a skilled archer, although himself out of the immediate reach of the enemy, and able, unharmed, to annoy him and protect the fugitives, shall not stand (as in Jer 46:21<\/span>; Nah 2:8<\/span>). Panic should overtake him. The mighty man, the fleet of foot should not deliver, yea, the horseman should not deliver himself; yea, he who, among the mighty, was strongest of his heart, firm-souled among those of mightiest prowess, shall flee away naked, that is, bared of all, armor or dress, which might encumber his flight in that day which the Lord made a day of terror His own day.<\/P> Saith the Lord – <\/B>Probably literally, the secret utterance of the Lord. Amos, more than Hosea, uses this special authentication of his words , which is so common in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. He claims a knowledge, which those around him had not, and ratifies it by the express appeal to the direct, though secret, revelation of God; what those who were not of God, would deny; what they who were of God, would believe.<\/P> <\/p>\n Amo 2:14-16<\/span><\/p>\n Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Effect of sin on the sinner<\/strong><\/p>\n We have here the supplement to the former verse: <\/strong>the sin which wearies God reacts on those who walk in it.<\/p>\n Prosperity and ruin<\/strong><\/p>\n It may sound strange to say that adversity is not half so dangerous to a man as prosperity run mad, but it is true. I have read somewhere that the south wall of Whitby Abbey is more dilapidated than the north wall, thus proving that the light of the sun has been more destructive than that angry tempest that swept in from the North Sea. And the bright sunshine of prosperity has often proved more ruinous to individuals and nations than the wintry tempests of adversity. (J. Ossian Davies.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Verse 14<\/span>. The flight shall perish from the swift<\/B><\/I>] The swiftest shall not be able to save himself from a swifter destruction. None, by might, by counsel, or by fleetness, shall be able to escape from the impending ruin. In a word, God has so fully determined to avenge the quarrel of his broken covenant, that all attempts to escape from his judgments shall be useless.<\/P> <\/p>\n Therefore; <\/B>because they first loaded God with their sins, and now he loads them with punishments, no way of escape shall be left. <\/P> The flight shall perish from the swift; <\/B>not by swiftness of foot fleeing from the judgments, for their enemies shall be swifter than they, Isa 30:16<\/span>. <\/P> The strong shall not strengthen his force; <\/B>natural strength of body shall not deliver; such, though they might do more than weaker men, yet shall not save themselves, for they shall not know how to use their strength they shall want courage to do it. <\/P> The mighty, <\/B>the valiant, and man of greatest courage, shall not be able to deliver himself, his courage shall fail. <\/P> <\/p>\n 14. flight shall perish from . . .swift<\/B>Even the swift shall not be able to escape. <\/P> strong shall not strengthenhis force<\/B>that is, shall not be able to use his strength. <\/P> himself<\/B>literally, “hislife.”<\/P><\/p>\n Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift<\/strong>,…. They should be so straitened and cooped up, and be so loaded with pressures, that those, as swift of foot as Asahel, should not be able to make their escape by fleeing:<\/p>\n and the strong shall not strengthen his force<\/strong>; should not increase it, or muster it up, and exert it to such a degree, as to be able to defend and secure himself from the enemy:<\/p>\n neither shall the mighty deliver himself<\/strong>; “his soul” or “life”; a soldier, a man of war, an expert and courageous officer at the head of his troop, or even the general of the army; see Ps 33:16<\/span>.<\/p>\n I explained yesterday the verse, in which the Prophet says, in the name of God, that the people were like a grievous and heavy burden, as though they were a wagon laden with many sheaves. I stated that the Prophet’s words are differently explained by many interpreters, who give this view, — that God compares himself to a loaded wagon, under which the people were to be crushed. But no necessity constrains us to take the same verb in two senses, active and neuter, as they do; and then the comparison seems not quite suitable; and farther, it is better, as I have said, to say, that God complains, that he was loaded and pressed down under the people, than to render תחתיכם, tacheticm, “In your place;” for this is wholly a strained rendering. But most suitable is the Prophet’s meaning, when understood as the complaint of God, that it was a grievous thing to bear the burdens of the people, when he saw that they were men of levity, and, at the same time, burdensome. <\/p>\n Hence the Prophet now denounces vengeance such as they deserved; and he says first, Perish shall flight from the swift, etc., that is, no one will be so swift as to escape by fleeing; and the valiant shall do nothing by fighting; for it is to confirm strength when one resists an adversary and repels assaults. The valiant, therefore, shall fight with no advantage; and then, The strong shall not deliver his own life: he who holds the bow shall not stand; that is, he who is equipped with a bow, and repels his enemy at a distance, shall not be able to stand in his place. He who is swift on foot shall not be able to flee, nor he who mounts a horse; which means that whether footmen or horsemen, they shall not, by their celerity, be able to escape death. And, lastly, he who is stout and intrepid in heart among the valiant shall flee away naked, being content with life alone, and only anxious to provide for his own safety. <\/p>\n The Prophet intimates by all these words, that so grievous would be the slaughter of the people, that it would be a miracle if any should escape. <\/p>\n We now then see how severely the prophet at the very beginning handled this people. He no doubt observed their great obduracy: for he would not have assailed them so sharply at first, had they not been for a long time rebellious and had despised all warnings and threatening. Amos was not the first who addressed them; but the Israelites had hardened themselves against all threatenings before he came to them. It therefore behaved him sharply to reprove them, as God treats men according to their disposition. I come now to the third chapter. <\/p>\n (14) This doom Amos darkly foreshadows to be invasion and military overthrow, with all its attendant calamities.<\/p>\n 14-16<\/strong>. <\/strong> The swiftest and best-equipped warriors cannot escape. <\/p>\n Therefore <\/strong> R.V., better, “and.” <\/p>\n Flight <\/strong> Rather the place of flight or of refuge. <\/p>\n Shall perish <\/strong> Better, R.V. margin, “shall fail.” <\/p>\n Swift <\/strong> He would be expected to be the first to reach a place of safety; but when the divine blow fails the qualities ordinarily of the greatest advantage will profit nothing. <\/p>\n Shall not strengthen his force <\/strong> The strong man will be so terrified that he cannot collect his strength or make use of it. <\/p>\n Mighty <\/strong> The warrior, whose bravery might be expected to save him, cannot save his life (<\/em> margin). <\/p>\n Handleth the bow <\/strong> The armed man. <\/p>\n Shall he stand <\/strong> Stop in his flight (Nah 2:8<\/span>). The swiftness of man (2Sa 1:23<\/span>; 2Sa 2:18<\/span>) or of horse shall avail nothing. <\/p>\n Courageous <\/strong> Literally, the strong in his heart <\/em> (Psa 27:14<\/span>; Psa 31:24<\/span>). <\/p>\n Naked <\/strong> He will throw away everything that might hinder his flight weapons, armor, and superfluous clothing. <\/p>\n In that day <\/strong> The day of judgment. <\/p>\n Saith Jehovah <\/strong> As in Amo 2:11<\/span>.<\/p>\n The judgments announced in chapters 1, 2 are expected by the prophet to take the form of foreign invasions and war. In no case does he call the executioner by name; but it is beyond doubt that throughout he is thinking of the Assyrians, who, beginning with the reign of Ashur-nasir-pal (885-860 B.C.), became an ever-increasing menace to all the nations enumerated. Why Amos does not call them by name is not quite clear. It may be because in his days the Assyrian power was on the decline it revived under Tiglath-pileser III (745-727 B.C.) and therefore the mention of their name would have added no force to his message, but, on the contrary, might have weakened it. It is worthy of note, however, that neither Isaiah nor Jeremiah mention the national enemies by name in their earlier discourses. Wellhausen is undoubtedly right when he calls Amos “the leader of the prophetic choir of the Assyrian period.”<\/p>\n Amo 2:14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:<\/p>\n Ver. 14. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift<\/strong> ] Men are apt to bless themselves when God curseth, Deu 29:19<\/span> , and to bind upon impurity in a common calamity, to make fair weather, when such a tempest is up as shall never be blown over. Or, if worse come, then, as all creatures run to their refuges, Pro 30:25 Psa 104:18 Pro 18:11 Dan 4:12<\/span> ; Dan 4:14<\/span> Jdg 9:50-51<\/span> (the hunted hare runs to the form, to the bushes that she formerly haunted, but now these cannot save her), so men in misery bethink themselves of and betake themselves to creature comforts and refuges, either natural, or artificial, as here, but these all serve them as Absalom’s mule did her master, hanging between heaven and earth, but rejected of both. Let a man be as swift as Asahel, God can easily overtake him; his sin will find him out, and he shall but in running from his death run to it; as the historian speaketh of those Scots defeated by the English at Musselborough field, that they so strained themselves in running for their lives that they fell down breathless and dead. Surely as the coney that flees to the holes in the rocks doth easily avoid the dogs that pursue her, when the hare that trusts in the swiftness of her legs is at length overtaken and torn in pieces; so those that trust in God shall be secured, whereas those that confide in themselves or the creature shall be surprised, and come to an ill end. David ran to God in distress and was relieved; Saul goes to the witch, and from thence to the sword’s point; Judas to the Pharisees, and thence to the halter. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The strong shall not strengthen his force<\/strong> ] But be made weak as water. “None of the men of might have found their hands,” Psa 76:5<\/span> ; their hands are palsied, their sinews cracked and crippled. It is God that both strengtheneth and weakeneth the arms in the day of battle, Eze 30:24<\/span> .<\/p>\n himself = his soul. Hebrew nephesh. App-13. <\/p>\n the flight: Amo 9:1-3, Job 11:20, *marg. Ecc 9:11, Isa 30:16, Jer 9:23 <\/p>\n himself: Heb. his soul, or life <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Jos 8:20 – and they had Jdg 8:12 – took 1Sa 31:3 – went sore 2Sa 2:18 – was as light 1Ki 19:17 – him that escapeth 1Ki 20:30 – a wall 2Ki 7:7 – their horses 2Ki 25:5 – and overtook 1Ch 10:3 – went Job 27:22 – he would fain flee Psa 50:22 – none Isa 9:14 – will cut Isa 40:30 – General Jer 11:11 – which Jer 25:35 – the shepherds Jer 39:4 – when Jer 46:6 – not Jer 48:44 – that fleeth Jer 52:8 – General Lam 4:19 – they pursued Hos 5:14 – none Amo 4:12 – thus Mic 2:3 – from Mic 6:14 – and thou Heb 9:7 – errors<\/p>\n Amo 2:14, The reasoning in this verse justifies the conclusion expressed as to the proper rendering of the preceding one. Because of the pressure the Lord was to put on the shoulders of the unfaithful men of Israel, they would not be able to make any progress In traveling. Being unable to travel as satisfactorily as desired, they would not be able to deliver themselves from the condition that He had in mind to bring upon Israel, namely, the Assyrian captivity.<\/p>\n 2:14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the {l} swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:<\/p>\n (l) None will be delivered by any means.<\/p>\n Running fast would not provide escape from His coming judgment, resisting would not enable the Israelites to withstand it, and outstanding leaders could not deliver them from it. Archers opposing God would not be able to prevent Him from advancing against them, quick runners would not be able to flee, and riding a horse could not remove them from the scene of judgment. When Yahweh would judge the Israelites even the bravest among them would prove fearful and ashamed. In the past Israel’s heroes had routed the Canaanites, but in the future they would not even be able to deliver themselves in battle much less win a victory. This sevenfold description of Israel’s panic balances the earlier sevenfold description of Israel’s sin.<\/p>\n The fulfillment of this threatened judgment came when the Assyrians besieged and destroyed Samaria, Israel’s capital, in 722 B.C. and carried many of the people of that land into captivity.<\/p>\n These oracles teach the modern reader that God is sovereign over all nations and holds them accountable for their conduct toward other human beings and for their response to special revelation (cf. Gen 9:5-6). They also teach that God is patient with sinners and will only punish when the measure of human sin has overflowed His predetermined capacity. They also teach that God is impartial in His judgment; He will punish sin in His own people as well as sin in those with whom He has established no special relationship.<\/p>\n Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: 14 16. A disaster, in which neither the swiftest nor the best equipped warrior will be able to escape, brings the kingdom of Israel to its end. Therefore ] simply And (as R.V.). … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Amos 2:14”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22404\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
I. <\/strong>A picture of the decay of national prowess. It is a painful remembrance of departed power, like some castle once the seat of a nations strength, now in ruins. The swift are there, but their swiftness is gone; the strong remain, but only as a wreck of their former selves, unable to gather up their strength. Danger found them, like Samson in the lap of Delilah, shorn of all their boasted power. He who handles the bow dare not stand to pour his shafts on the enemy; the fleet of foot, and even the mounted soldier, should fall into the hands of the enemy, and the mighty man, once full of courage, should be glad to escape, stripped of arms and clothing, in the day of visitation. Every sentence increases the effect of this picture. What they had been and what they were forms a terrible contrast.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>The reason for such a decay of prowess. Sin had borne this deadly fruit. All their national valour sprang from confidence in God. They knew that the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them. What foe could stand before men who leaned on the arm of God? Lord Bacon says, that man, when he resteth and assureth himself upon Divine protection and favour, gathereth a force and faith which human nature in itself could not obtain. All their victories are proof of these words. Confidence in God had brought David off victorious in his conflict with Goliath (Deu 32:30<\/span>). All was changed now. Sin had sapped their confidence in heaven, and the whole fabric of their national life was tottering to its foundations. They felt the truth of the old words, He that offends against heaven has none to whom he can pray. History presents many parallels to this declension. Injustice and sin have shorn great men of their strength, and left them weak in the hour of danger.<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>The effects of this decay of valour were soon evident. For them, as for us, peace depended on prowess; prowess was born of confidence in God. Foes, who were only held in check by fear, soon discovered their declension,–for such decay has many tokens,–and quickly overran their land. The floodgates were opened, and a tide of vengeance poured itself over their land. Three times Amos repeats,–the reiteration marking the certainty of their doom,–He shall not deliver himself. Application. Sin is ruin. He who would have victory must be loyal to heaven, then God will surely fulfil to him the great promise to Joshua (Jos 1:5<\/span>). (J. Telford, B. A.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"