Israel’s Crimes and Doom (Chs. 3-6). 

        Amos’ second message begins by stressing that not merely is God’s justice even-handed — the inference from the first — but also that from him to whom much has been given, much is expected. Privilege implies responsibility. This is im­plicit in passages like Deut. 7:6-11; 10:12-17. Later prophetic passages repeat it, e.g. Isa. 40:2b.

        The passage 3:3-8 is primarily a vindication of Amos’ right to prophesy, but it is far more. It affirms that God’s dealings with men follow consistent principles, which at least in general outline are understandable by men. The R.V. mg. in ver. 3 is correct.

        The kine of Bashan (4:1) are of course the rich women, living in luxury, who by their demands on their husbands encourage them in their oppression of the poor (cf. Isa. 3:16-4:1; 32:9ff).

        Since by the Deuteronomic legislation the third year was of special importance in tithing (Deut. 14:28; 26:12) and Elkanah’s practice (ISam. 1:3, 21) suggests that the average Israelite concentrated on an annual visit to the sanctuary, which could be entirely independent of the three pilgrim feasts, it is reasonable to assume that 4:4 represents the prophet’s exaggeration of normal custom. If so the use of leaven on the altar (4:5 mg.) will not be a reference to a new custom in Bethel, but a con­tinuation of this exaggeration. According to Lev. 7:13 leavened cakes were part of the sacrifice of thanks­giving, but they were not brought on the altar. If we have rightly understood the passage, 4:4f is not a condemnation of the form of the Bethel ritual, but its rejection because for all its elaboration it was mere outward ceremonial. 4:6-11 shows how empty it all was. The worshippers had not realized that the repeated calamities that had overtaken them were the best evidence that God had rejected their offerings.

        Beer-sheba (5:5; 8:14) owing to its association with the Patriarchs had maintained its importance as a sacred place. For an Israelite to pass by Jerusalem to visit the unofficial sanctuary in the extreme south of Judah was an extreme example of will worship.

        The judgment of this Day cannot be averted by any ritual (5:2Iff) — the songs of ver. 23 are the psalms which even at this date ac­companied the sacrifices, “the melody of thy viols” the musical accompaniment. The only thing that could avail was moral reformation (ver. 24).

        The concluding verses of the chapter (5:25ff) present major difficulties of interpretation. Harper is probably correct in rendering ver. 25, “Was it only sacrifices and offerings that ye brought me in the wilderness during forty years” (Amos and Hosea (I.C.C.), p. 136.). Loving obedience was far more important than the sacrifices the people brought (cf. Jer. 7:2Iff and p. 85). In the next verse either the present or the future is preferable to the past. Siccuth and Chiun (R.V). are generally taken to refer to the Assyrian star-worship, which was becoming popular. If we take the verb as future, it means that the people and their idols would go into exile together.