Amos 4

Amos delivers three prophetic messages to Israel, criticizing their mistaken belief about being God's chosen people. The messages show a progression toward judgment.

you cows of Bashan: Bashan was famous for its fierce, fat bulls (Psalm 22:12; Ezekiel 39:18). Amos uses the feminine form (cows) to describe Israel’s wealthy wives, who ignored the poor. They only cared about taking enough wealth from the needy to support their own lifestyles.

In this message, Amos blames the wives of Samaria for urging their husbands to commit cruel acts to get money for their parties.

• has sworn by His holiness: Holiness means God exists outside and independent of creation; his nature is entirely different from what he has created. The oath is similar to Amos 6:8; 8:7.

• hooks: The Assyrians were known for their cruel treatment of war captives (see 2 Chronicles 33:11; compare 2 Kings 19:28). A stela (a stone pillar with an inscription) found in northern Syria shows the Assyrian king Esarhaddon holding cords that go through the lips of two war captives. A recent scholar has suggested that hooks referred to rings inserted into the noses of cattle to control them.

The wall of Samaria, which these women relied on for safety, failed to protect them.

• Amos sharply criticizes the Israelites’ acts of worship because they did not match how they lived.

• Bethel, where Jacob saw his vision of a ladder with angels going up and down (Genesis 28:11–22), was the southern center of the religion started by Jeroboam I (see Amos 3:14; 1 Kings 12:28–29). Gilgal, Israel's campsite after crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4:19–5:9), had become a popular shrine by the time of Amos and Hosea (Hosea 4:15; 9:15; 12:11).

• sacrifices every morning … tithes every three days: Israelite males were required to appear before the Lord at the sanctuary three times a year (Exodus 23:14–19; 34:23; Deuteronomy 16:16–17). Tithes were usually paid annually (Deuteronomy 14:22–29), with a special tithe every three years (see Deuteronomy 14:28; 26:12). Amos points out that the Israelites were excessively religious, but they resisted true godliness (Amos 5:15; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8; see Luke 11:42).

The prophet uses sharp words to show how far Israel had turned away from God’s ways. Israel practiced many religious acts, but the people did not truly honor God.

Leavened bread (that is, sourdough bread made by wild yeast) was eaten every day. Unleavened bread (made without yeast) became a sacred symbol. It reminded Israel of:

• their suffering as slaves in Egypt (Deuteronomy 16:3),

• the Passover (Exodus 12:17–20), and

• their quick departure from that land (Exodus 12:34, 39).

Because of this meaning, unleavened bread became the bread used on the altar (Leviticus 6:17; 7:12). However, bread made with yeast could still be offered with a thanksgiving peace offering (Leviticus 7:13).

God sent natural disasters to encourage his people to repent, but they did not respond sincerely. Amos ends each disaster account with the phrase: “yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.

God used plagues to convince Egypt to release Israel (Exodus 7:14–12:30; 9:2–3; Psalm 91:6; Habakkuk 3:5). He warned that if Israel continued to worship pagan gods, he would bring the plagues of Egypt upon them (Deuteronomy 28:27, 60).

• Like the plagues on Egypt (Amos 4:10), the plagues on Israel grew stronger and more intense (compare 4:12).

• as I overthrew: The idea that God would treat his own people in the same way he treated Sodom and Gomorrah was very difficult for them to believe, based on what they thought about God (Genesis 19:24–25).

This is one of the two important themes in Amos (the second is Amos 5:24). Since Israel did not repent, it must face God's judgment.

This verse seems to be a hymn fragment, likely sung by worshipers at Bethel (for other hymn fragments, see Amos 5:8–9; 9:5–6). Israel had been treating God like a baal (a local god with limited power). However, the God they claimed to worship and would face in judgment is all-powerful.