Click
here to show/hide instructions.
Instructions on how to use the page:
The commentary for the selected verse is is displayed below.
All commentary was produced against the King James, so the same verse from that translation may appear as well. Hovering your mouse over a commentary's scripture reference attempts to show those verses.
Use the browser's back button to return to the previous page.
Or you can also select a feature from the Just Verses menu appearing at the top of the page.
Selected Verse: Amos 5:6 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Am 5:6 |
King James |
Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
break out like fire--bursting through everything in His way. God is "a consuming fire" (Deu 4:24; Isa 10:17; Lam 2:3).
the house of Joseph--the kingdom of Israel, of which the tribe of Ephraim, Joseph's son, was the chief tribe (compare Eze 37:16).
none to quench it in Beth-el--that is, none in Beth-el to quench it; none of the Beth-el idols on which Israel so depended, able to remove the divine judgments. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Seek ye the Lord and ye shall live - Literally, "seek the Lord and live;" being united to Him, the Fountain of life. He reimpresses on them the one simple need of the creature, "seek God," the one true God as He revealed Himself, not as worldly people, or the politicians of Jeroboam's court, or the calf-priests, fabled of Him. "Seek Him." For in Him is all; without Him, nothing.
Lest He break out like fire in Bethel - Formerly the Spirit of God came vehemently down upon Sansom Jdg 14:6, Jdg 14:19; Jdg 15:14 and Saul Sa1 10:6; Sa1 11:6 and David Sa1 16:13, to fit them as instruments for God; as did the Evil spirit, when God departed from Saul Sa1 18:10. So now, unless they repented, God Himself would suddenly show His powerful presence among them, but, as He had revealed Himself to be, "the, Lord thy God is a consuming Fire" Deu 4:24. "And devour" it, literally, "and it" (the fire) "shall devor, and" there be "none to quench" it "in" (better, "for") Bethel." Bethel, the center of their idol-hopes, so far from aiding them then, shall not be able to help itself, nor shall there be any to help it. The fire of God kindles around it, and there is none to quench it for her (as in Jer 4:4).
Montanus: "The whole place treateth of mercy and justice. The whole ground of people's punishment, calamities, condemnation is ascribed to their own fault and negligence, who neglect the deliverance often promised and offered them by God, and 'love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil' Joh 3:19. Whoever is not saved, the whole blame lies in their own will and negligence and malice. God, who 'willeth not that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance' Pe2 3:9, Himself unsought, seeks, entreats, ceases not to monish, exhort, set before them their guilt, that they may cease to prepare such evil for themselves. But they neither give Him entrance, nor hear His entreaties, nor admit the warnings of the divine mercy, which if they neglect, they must needs be made over to His justice. The goodness of God is lacking to no one, save those who are wanting to themselves. Wherefore, having often besought them before, He invites them yet again to salvation, putting forth that His Name, so full of mysteries of mercy; 'Seek the Lord and live,'" seek Him who is, the Unchangeable. He who had willed their salvation, still willed it, for He "changes not" Mal 3:6. "He adds threatenings, that those whom He calls to life, He might either allure by promises, or scare from death through fear of the impending evil." |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| The house of Joseph - The kingdom of the ten tribes, the chief whereof was Ephraim, the son of Joseph. In Beth - el - If once this fire breaks out, all your idols in Beth - el shall not be able to quench it. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Seek the Lord, and ye shall live - Repeated from Amo 5:4.
In the house of Joseph - The Israelites of the ten tribes, of whom Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph, were the chief. |
16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
3 He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about.
17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
6 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: