Amo 4:2 | JFB | STEP | 2. The Lord —the same Hebrew as "masters" ( ). Israel's nobles say to their master or lord, Bring us drink: but "the Lord" of him and them "hath sworn," &c. by his holiness —which binds Him to punish the guilty ( ). he will take yon away —that is God by the instrumentality of the enemy. with hooks —literally, "thorns" (compare ). As fish are taken out of the water by hooks, so the Israelites are to be taken out of their cities by the enemy ( ; compare ). The image is the more appropriate, as anciently captives were led by their conquerors by a hook made to pass through the nose ( ), as is to be seen in the Assyrian remains.

Amos 4:2

2. The Lord—the same Hebrew as "masters" (Am 4:1). Israel's nobles say to their master or lord, Bring us drink: but "the Lord" of him and them "hath sworn," &c.

by his holiness—which binds Him to punish the guilty (Ps 89:35).

he will take yon away—that is God by the instrumentality of the enemy.

with hooks—literally, "thorns" (compare 2Ch 33:11). As fish are taken out of the water by hooks, so the Israelites are to be taken out of their cities by the enemy (Eze 29:4; compare Job 41:1, 2; Jer 16:16; Hab 1:15). The image is the more appropriate, as anciently captives were led by their conquerors by a hook made to pass through the nose (2Ki 19:28), as is to be seen in the Assyrian remains.