Isaiah 64:7
7. stirreth—rouseth himself from spiritual drowsiness.
take hold— (Isa 27:5). Jeremiah 29:13
13. (Le 26:40-42, 44, 45).
Hosea 7:14
14. not cried unto me—but unto other gods [MAURER], (Job 35:9, 10). Or, they did indeed cry unto Me, but not "with their heart": answering to "lies," Ho 7:13 (see on Ho 7:13).
when they howled upon their beds—sleepless with anxiety; image of deep affliction. Their cry is termed "howling," as it is the cry of anguish, not the cry of repentance and faith. assemble . . . for corn, &c.—namely in the temples of their idols, to obtain from them a good harvest and vintage, instead of coming to Me, the true Giver of these (Ho 2:5, 8, 12), proving that their cry to God was "not with their heart." rebel against me—literally, "withdraw themselves against Me," that is, not only withdraw from Me, but also rebel against Me. Amos 6:1
1. named chief of the nations—that is, you nobles, so eminent in influence, that your names are celebrated among the chief nations [LUDOVICUS DE DIEU]. Hebrew, "Men designated by name among the first-fruits of the nations," that is, men of note in Israel, the people chosen by God as first of the nations (Ex 19:5; compare Nu 24:20) [PISCATOR].
to whom . . . Israel came—that is, the princes to whom the Israelites used to repair for the decision of controversies, recognizing their authority [MAURER]. I prefer to refer "which" to the antecedent "Zion" and "Samaria"; these were esteemed "chief" strongholds among the heathen nations "to whom . . . Israel came" when it entered Canaan; Am 6:2 accords with this. Amos 6:4
4. (See Am 2:8).
beds of ivory—that is, adorned, or inlaid, with ivory (Am 3:15). stretch themselves—in luxurious self-indulgence. lambs out of the flock—picked out as the choicest, for their owners' selfish gratification.
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