Matthew Poole Commentary - Amos 1:5 - 1:5

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Matthew Poole Commentary - Amos 1:5 - 1:5


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:





I, the mighty God, as Amo_1:4,



will break, weaken and shake into pieces,



the bar; literally, the bar with which the city gates were shut, and both fastened and strengthened, Jud_16:3 Neh_7:3 Psa_107:16. Metaphorically it contains all the munitions, fortresses, and strength of a place or people: so here. Damascus: see Amo_1:3. It is put here, as before, for the whole kingdom, of which it was the metropolis.



Cut off, by the judgments of war, pestilence, famine, or diseases, all commissioned to do this. The inhabitant, for inhabitants, the singular used for the plural; and may possibly denote the universal excision and destruction of the Syrians, who shall perish as one man: see the like use of the singular number, Exo_8:6 Jer_8:7.



The plain of Aven: it is possible this may refer to, some peculiar manner which the Syrians observed in their choosing the valley or champaign for the place of worship to their idols; Israel chose high places, the Syrians chose valleys it is likely, and therefore though beaten in the hills, where they thought the gods which Israel worshipped were strongest, yet are confident that in the valleys, where Syrians worshipped their gods, the Syrians would find their gods the stronger, 1Ki_20:23 for this reason the valley or plain hath its name the plain of liven, of iniquity and vanity, because in it they worshipped vain gods, and their religion was highest idolatry; or it may be that Bikath-aven was the name of some city of Syria well known then, but whose memory is perished with it a great while ago.



Him that holdeth the sceptre; a description of the king of Syria. whose royal dignity shall be no security to him.



The house of Eden; some royal seat, where the kings of Syria did think good to build them a house or palace, for pleasure and delights, and therefore gave it this name, Beth-eden, or the house of pleasure; all their pleasant seats, the king’s summer-houses, shall be laid waste.



The people of Syria; the main body of the subjects and people of Syria; this explains Damascus, Amo_1:3, and in this verse.



Kir; Cyrene of Egypt, say some, but without any probability in this place: there was also Kir of Moab, Isa_15:1; but this was not the Kir in the text: this was Kir of Media, Isa_22:6, now under the Assyrian yoke; and thither did Tiglath-pileser carry the conquered Syrians, 2Ki_16:9, and placed them captives in that barren, mountainous country about fifty years after it was foretold by Amos.



Saith the Lord: this gives us an assurance that all here threatened should at last be executed.