Amos 2:8

Verse

They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. And in the house of their God, they drink wine obtained through fines.

American Standard Version (1901)

and they lay themselves down beside every altar upon clothes taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of such as have been fined.

Bible in Basic English

By every altar they are stretched on clothing taken from those who are in their debt, drinking in the house of their god the wine of those who have made payment for wrongdoing.

Free Bible Version

At every altar they stretch themselves out in clothes taken from debtors as collateral, in the temple of their god they drink wine taken from the people they fined.

Geneva Bible 1599

And they lye downe vpon clothes layde to pledge by euery altar: and they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God.

King James (Authorized) Version

And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

Translation for Translators

When poor people borrow money, the lenders force those people to give to them a piece of clothing for them to keep until he can pay back the money. But at the end of each day, instead of returning that garment as Yahweh had commanded them to, they lie down on that garment at the places where they worship their gods! They fine people, and with that money they buy wine and drink it in the temples of their gods!

Unlocked Literal Bible

They lie down beside every altar on clothes taken as pledges, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who were fined.

Noah Webster Bible

And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

World English Bible

They lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge. In the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

Young's Literal Translation

And on pledged garments they stretch themselves near every altar, And the wine of fined ones they drink [in] the house of their gods.

Context

Judgment on Moab, Judah, and Israel

⁷They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the earth; they push the needy out of their way. A man and his father have relations with the same girl and so profane My holy name. ⁸They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. And in the house of their God, they drink wine obtained through fines.

Summary

Amos 2:8 condemns the people of Israel for their unjust and immoral behavior, particularly for their mistreatment of the poor and needy. The verse highlights the severity of God's judgment against those who oppress the vulnerable in society, emphasizing His concern for justice and righteousness. By neglecting the marginalized and exploiting the weak, the Israelites have provoked the anger of the Lord, who will not overlook their sins. This passage serves as a warning against social injustice and a call to repentance, reminding believers of the importance of compassion and fairness in their interactions with others.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

lay themselves . . . upon clothes laid to pledge--the outer garment, which Exo 22:25-27 ordered to be restored to the poor man before sunset, as being his only covering. It aggravated the crime that they lay on these clothes in an idol temple. by every altar--They partook in a recumbent posture of their idolatrous feasts; the ancients being in the habit of reclining at full length in eating, the upper part of the body resting on the left elbow, not sitting as we do. drink . . . wine of the condemned--that is, wine bought with the money of those whom they unjustly fined.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And they laid themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar,.... That is, the clothes they took in pledge of poor people, which they should have restored before sun setting, Exo 22:26; these they spread by every altar, of which they had many erected to their idols, and on these as on carpets they slept by them, as was usual with the Gentiles; who not only in common used to lie and sleep on garments, or carpets, or skins spread on the floor (s), but upon such in the temples of their idols, in order to obtain good dreams; so in the temple of Amphiaraus in Greece, after purgations and sacrifices to him, and to the gods whose names were engraven on the same altar, they slew a ram, and spread the skin, on which they laid themselves down, and had dreams, the signification and events of which they presently interpreted (t); and Jerom says (u), they used to spread the skins of the sacrifices, and lie upon them, that they might by dreams know things to come, which custom in the temple of Aesculapius continued to his times; and this custom might be imitated by the Jews; and so they are described by such, "who sleep in the temples of idols", in the Vulgate Latin version of Isa 65:4; See Gill on Isa 65:4; but very false it is what Strabo (w) says, that the Jews were taught this custom by Moses; telling them that such as lived soberly and righteously ought to sleep in the temple, where they might expect good dreams for themselves and others, as good gifts and signs from God, which others might not expect: or else the sense is, they laid themselves down on these clothes, and feasted on them; it being their custom at meals not to sit upright, but to recline on couches; or as the manner of the Turks and other eastern nations to sit on carpets; and it was also the custom of the Heathens to feast in their temples, and by their altars, in honour of their gods. So Herodotus relates (x), that at a festival of June with the Argives, the mother of Cleobis and Biton prayed the goddess, whom they had drawn to the temple, oxen not being ready, that she would give to them what was best for men; after which prayer, it is said, they sacrificed and "feasted"; and the young men falling asleep in the temple, never rose more, but finished this life: the deity judging it better for a man to die than to live; and this custom of feasting in idols' temples obtained, in the times of the apostles, as appears from Co1 8:10; and which was now observed by the Israelites, with this aggravation of their sin, that they laid themselves on the garments of the poor they had taken for a pawn, when they were performing their idolatrous rites; which must be very provoking to God: and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god: either wine which used to be given to condemned malefactors to cheer and refresh them; which custom among the Jews was founded on Pro 31:6; See Gill on Pro 31:6; See Gill on Pro 31:7; The manner was to put a grain of frankincense into a cup of wine, which they gave to the malefactor just as he was going to be executed, that his mind might be disturbed and become insensible; and which was usually the free gift of honourable women, out of compassion to the sufferer; and if they did it not, it was provided at the expense of the public (y); but this seems to be done rather to intoxicate and stupefy them, that they might not feel their pain and misery, than to cheer; and is thought to be the potion which was offered to Christ, and he refused, Mar 15:23; but whether such a custom obtained in the times of the prophet is a question; nor does it seem very likely that these men would choose such sort of wine; wherefore rather wine bought with the money they received by the fines and amercements of those they unjustly condemned is intended. The Targum renders it the wine of rapine; and this they were not content to drink only in their own houses, but drank it at their festivals in the temples of their idols, such as were built for the calves of Dan and Bethel, and other idols. (s) Vid. Gloss in Aristophan. Plutum, p. 55. & Nubes, p. 125. (t) Pausanias, Attica, sive l. 1. p. 65. Vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 6. c. 2. (u) Comment. in Isa. lxv. 4. (w) Geograph. l. 16. p. 523. (x) Clio, sive l. 1. c. 31. (y) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 43. 1. Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 10. fol. 198. 4. Maimon. Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 13. sect. 2, 3.

Amos 2:8

Judgment on Moab, Judah, and Israel

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. And in the house of their God, they drink wine obtained through fines.

American Standard Version (1901)

and they lay themselves down beside every altar upon clothes taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of such as have been fined.

Bible in Basic English

By every altar they are stretched on clothing taken from those who are in their debt, drinking in the house of their god the wine of those who have made payment for wrongdoing.

Free Bible Version

At every altar they stretch themselves out in clothes taken from debtors as collateral, in the temple of their god they drink wine taken from the people they fined.

Geneva Bible 1599

And they lye downe vpon clothes layde to pledge by euery altar: and they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God.

King James (Authorized) Version

And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

They lie down beside every altar on clothes taken as pledges, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who were fined.

Noah Webster Bible

And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

World English Bible

They lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge. In the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

Young's Literal Translation

And on pledged garments they stretch themselves near every altar, And the wine of fined ones they drink [in] the house of their gods.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Amos 2:8

Verse

Context

Judgment on Moab, Judah, and Israel

Summary

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Amos 2:8

Judgment on Moab, Judah, and Israel

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes