"Festivals" and "assemblies" refer quite clearly to religious celebration.
Prize beasts - "Cow eye contact" by Michel
Lalonde
The three sorts of sacrifice mentioned:
The bulk of these three verses reads like the judgment from a judgment oracle, with its list of what God will do. This is preceded, not by an accusation, but by the simple statement "I hate, I reject your festivals".
However this is read, it is abrupt and shocking. Yet, if Adonai's day was a religious festival, it is not also a change of subject.
"Festivals" and "assemblies" refer quite clearly to religious celebration.
Prize beasts - "Cow eye contact" by Michel
Lalonde
The three sorts of sacrifice mentioned:
are the first three discussed in Leviticus, and in the same order.
In addition, the music of their songs and "guitars" is rejected too.
This sounds like a blanket condemnation of Israel's cult. Other prophets contain similar passages, so some scholars used to claim that the prophetic movement fought for true interior worship against a debased public religion (cf. John 4:21-23).
The next verse suggests that Amos' aim is less radical and more politically dangerous...
This page is part of the Hypertext Bible Commentary - Amos , if you have reached it as a standalone
page, to view it in context, go to www.bible.gen.nz
© Tim Bulkeley, 1996-2005, Tim
Bulkeley. All rights reserved.