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COMMENTARY ON AMOS, CHAPTER FIVE Hear this word of the Lord that I adopt in lamentation over you: the house of Israel has fallen; it will no longer rise. The virgin of Israel has been cast down on her land; there is no one to raise her up (vv.1–2). N LEARNING in advance of the troubles befalling some people, the blessed prophets were filled with ter- ror at the prospect and grieved bitterly for them as brethren; sometimes they delivered their reproof ardently, as if moved by love to weeping, and prompting them to alertness by prediction of all that had yet to occur. This is the process the prophet follows in this case, too, speaking as if on his own part, not, however, from his own understanding, but on the basis of divine oracles. Consequently he says, Hear this word of the Lord that I adopt in lamentation over you: it is the God of all who has spoken in me, and my lamentation has been composed over you for forsaking him. What in fact is the lamentable song? What the lament? What is my weeping for? The dire and unimaginable disaster: the house of Israel has fallen. While God was honored and loved, in fact, it stood firm, but now it has fallen (454) when he was provoked by the folly of the deceived. Next, who is there to raise up the one fallen by divine decree ? The virgin has been cast down; that is, she has lost her virginity . Who is she? Definitely Israel once more, or the assembly of the Jews, to whom it was said by God, “Did you not refer to me as house, father, master of your virginity?”1 So the one who was given God as master of her virginity has been cast down on her land, that is, she has inexcusably lost her virginity; she lost it in one case in Egypt, but she was not in her own land, being subject to the laws of those in power, perhaps unwillingly forced 66 1. Jer 3.4. to observe their ways, with ancestral piety necessarily forsaken. Now, on the contrary, there is no wantonness brought to bear; she is in her own land where she has the Law as guide, leading her to the one who is by nature and in truth God, and the way to every good pursuit is completely unfettered, free, and blameless . What form of excuse would be available to her in this case, then? In fact, she was unfaithful without being forced. How so? She acted voluntarily. Consequently, she has been cast down; there is no one to raise her up. Let it therefore be clearly said by us as well to God, who is able to do all things, “You are fearsome: who will resist you in your wrath?”2 The mass of the Jews has fallen in another way as well, driven to ruin through their frenzy against Christ, and now left with no one to help them, awaiting only the further grace of the compassionate one—I mean Christ. (455) Even they, in fact, will be called to knowledge through faith in the last days of this age. Thus says the Lord: The city whence a thousand issued forth, a hundred will be left, and whence a hundred issued forth, ten will be left in the house of Israel (v.3). In this he makes very clear the way it will fall: the cities will remain depopulated when war consumes those in them, and their wretchedness reaches such a degree that scarcely a tenth part remains in them. You see, since they provoked God by offering to the unclean demons tithes every three days, scarcely a tenth part of them would be left, as if God were taking compensation for the sin and exacting a penalty commensurate with their impious behavior. It is therefore surely a fearsome thing to be corrected by anger; consequently, the prophet also implores God in the words, “Correct us, O Lord, but with justice, and not in anger, lest you reduce us to a few.”3 Hence the Lord says this to the house of Israel: Seek me out, and you will live. Do not seek out Bethel, do not go off to Gilgal, and do not go up to the well of the oath, because Gilgal will surely be captured, and Bethel will be nonexistent. Seek the Lord and live, (456) lest the house of...

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