The Bible

 

Amos 8

Study

   

1 Hæc ostendit mihi Dominus Deus : et ecce uncinus pomorum.

2 Et dixit : Quid tu vides, Amos ? Et dixi : Uncinum pomorum. Et dixit Dominus ad me : Venit finis super populum meum Israël ; non adjiciam ultra ut pertranseam eum.

3 Et stridebunt cardines templi in die illa, dicit Dominus Deus : multi morientur ; in omni loco projicietur silentium.

4 Audite hoc, qui conteritis pauperem, et deficere facitis egenos terræ,

5 dicentes : Quando transibit mensis, et venundabimus merces ? et sabbatum, et aperiemus frumentum, ut imminuamus mensuram, et augeamus siclum, et supponamus stateras dolosas,

6 ut possideamus in argento egenos et pauperes pro calceamentis, et quisquilias frumenti vendamus ?

7 Juravit Dominus in superbiam Jacob : Si oblitus fuero usque ad finem omnia opera eorum.

8 Numquid super isto non commovebitur terra, et lugebit omnis habitator ejus, et ascendet quasi fluvius universus, et ejicicetur, et defluet, quasi rivus Ægypti ?

9 Et erit in die illa, dicit Dominus Deus : occidet sol in meridie, et tenebrescere faciam terram in die luminis :

10 et convertam festivitates vestras in luctum, et omnia cantica vestra in planctum, et inducam super omne dorsum vestrum saccum, et super omne caput calvitium : et ponam eam quasi luctum unigeniti, et novissima ejus quasi diem amarum.

11 Ecce dies veniunt, dicet Dominus, et mittam famem in terram : non famem panis, neque sitim aquæ, sed audiendi verbum Domini.

12 Et commovebuntur a mari usque ad mare, et ab aquilone usque ad orientem : circuibunt quærentes verbum Domini, et non invenient.

13 In die illa deficient virgines pulchræ et adolescentes in siti,

14 qui jurant in delicto Samariæ, et dicunt : Vivit Deus tuus, Dan, et vivit via Bersabee ; et cadent, et non resurgent ultra.

   

Commentary

 

Sea

  

Water generally represents “natural truth,” or true concepts about day-to-day matters and physical things. Since all water ultimately flows into the seas, then, it follows that a sea represents a huge agglomeration of such natural truths -- usually all of the natural truth a person has, or all the natural truth a church has. Water in the sea mixes freely, and is easily stirred up by winds and currents. This is also true of the concepts we hold about natural things -- they are not all related to each other, and when relationships do exist they usually can change without damaging the concepts themselves. Many of the concepts are easily disputed, and arguments can arise like waves on the ocean -- generally with little effect other than a mixing of waters. But the sea also offers great bounty. We draw fish from it (spiritual food), float ships (doctrinal systems) on it, bathe in it (using true concepts to purify ourselves), and the water that evaporates from it and falls as rain (purer forms of truth that can attach to desires for good) makes life possible.