Amos 4:2

The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness,.... That is, by himself, holiness being his nature, and an essential attribute of his; this is done to ascertain the truth of what is after said, and that men

The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. The Lord - the same Hebrew [ 'Adonaay (H136)] as "masters" (Amos 4:1).

I have often told you that God had spoken, now I assure you that the mighty and eternal God hath sworn the thing, and you must therefore needs conclude it sure and certain. He hath sworn by his holiness, by himself, as he is the holy God, and cannot lie: see . The days of darkness, slaughter, famine, desolation, and captivity, threatened against you, shall come upon you, oppressors that crush the poor. He will take; God by the Assyrian army under Shalmaneser, nay, before that time you shall be taken, as fish are taken with the hook, during the intestine wars that are coming upon you. You, who now live, and hear the word of Amos and Hoses, but notwithstanding do continue to act the same violence still. With hooks, or thorns, as the Hebrew, with which they did pierce the greater fish, before they had the skill of making iron darts, as some observe. Your posterity; the children of these oppressors. With fish-hooks; shall be taken as silly fish, and as easily carried away; the enemy shall with delight insnare and destroy them.

Amos 4:2 The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.Ver. 2. The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness] He hath sworn for more assurance, Hebrews 6:16-18, it being hard to persuade secure sinners of the certainty and infallibility of the threatenings; which yet will as surely befall them without repentance, as the coat is on their back, or the heart in their bodies. And, "by his holiness," he hath sworn; that is, by himself (as having none greater to swear by); confer Genesis 22:16 Jeremiah 51:14 Isaiah 45:23; Isaiah 62:8, where God swears by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength. Exodus 17:16, he is brought in laying his hand upon his throne, and swearing to root out Amalek. And so some in this place think, that by God’ s holiness is meant heaven, the habitation of his holiness, and of his glory, Isaiah 63:15. But Drusius dislikes that, because swearing by heaven is condemned by Christ, Matthew 5:34. If God be holiness itself, let him be sanctified in righteousness, Isaiah 5:16, and let men swear (when called to it, and not till then; the Hebrew word Neshbang here used is passive, and signifieth to be sworn, rather than to swear) "in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness," Jeremiah 4:2. Behold, the days come] Certo et cito, surely and suddenly: even those dismal days of blackness and darkness, of greatest calamities; see Amos 5:18; Amos 5:20. And let this prediction be to you as the knuckles of a man’ s hand, to write you your destiny; or as a prophet, to read it unto you. That he will take you away] i.e. Ye shall be taken away, and hurried into another country; like as Isaiah 8:4, He shall take away the spoil of Samaria, i.e. It shall be surely taken away; so Luke 12:20, They do require thy soul (απαιτουσι), that is, it shall be required of thee. With hooks] Heb. with thorns, which were wont to be used in fishing, till iron hooks were more frequent. See Job 40:24 Ezekiel 29:4; Ezekiel 19:4, They brought him with hooks, that is, with chains, into the land of Egypt. Those that were overcome were wont to be linked and langold together; and so led captive by their conquerors. And your posterity with fishhooks] Heb. that which is last of you; your children, and nephews, as Daniel 11:4. It is foretold of Alexander the Great that none of his race shall succeed him, but strangers. See enemies compared to fishers, Jeremiah 16:16 Habakkuk 1:16; and note, that hereby is intimated, that these insolent dames shall be no more like fat kine, that abide in their pastures; but as fishes hanging on the hook, that are easily pulled up, and quickly carried away with little labour, but much delight to the fisher.

(2) Fishhooks.—Descriptive of the suddenness and irresistible character of the seizure, whereby, as a punishment for their wanton selfishness, the nobles were to be carried away as captives from their condition of fancied security. The strangeness of the imagery has led to a variety of interpretations. Döderlein translates “ye shall be driven into thorny districts, and among thorn bushes.”

Verse 2. He will take you away with hooks] Two modes of fishing are here alluded to: 1. Angling with rod, line, and baited hook. 2. That with the gaff, eel-spear, harpoon, or such like; the first used in catching small fish, by which the common people may be here represented; the second, for catching large fish, such as leave the sea, and come up the rivers to deposit their spawn; or such as are caught in the sea, as sharks, whales, dolphins, and even the hippopotamus, to which the more powerful and opulent inhabitants may be likened. But as the words in the text are generally feminine, it has been supposed that the prophecy is against the proud, powerful, voluptuous women. I rather think that the prophet speaks catachrestically; and means men of effeminate manners and idle lives. They are not the bulls of Bashan, but the cows; having little of the manly character remaining. Some understand the latter word as meaning a sort of basket or wicker fish-nets.

2. Jehovah’s indignation is aroused; and He swears (cf. Amos 6:8, Amos 8:7), that retribution will overtake them for such selfishness and cruelty. hath sworn by his holiness] God’s holiness is made the pledge of the validity of the oath: so Psalms 89:35; cf. Jeremiah 44:26. behold, days are coming &c.] The expression implies a sudden and unexpected reversal of what at present prevails: it occurs besides, Amos 8:11, Amos 9:13; 1 Samuel 2:31; 2 Kings 20:17 (= Isaiah 39:6), and fifteen times in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:32; Jeremiah 9:24; Jeremiah 16:14; Jeremiah 19:6; Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 23:7; Jeremiah 30:3, &c.). he will take you away with hooks &c.] rather, ye shall be taken &c. The image is one partly of ignominy, partly of helplessness. The women of Samaria are no longer like fat cattle, proudly disdainful of all who may approach them: they are dragged violently by the foe out of the ease and luxury of their palaces, like fishes out of their native element, the water. your posterity] your residue (R.V.),—any of you who happen to escape the ‘hooks’ of the preceding clause. It is a total destruction which the prophet contemplates.

The Lord God hath sworn by His holiness - They had sinned to profane His “Holy Name” (see the note at Amos 2:7).

2. This shameful conduct has aroused the anger of Jehovah. Hath sworn — An anthropomorphism.