Amos 2:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The nature of Israel's offenses is evident: they sold the just for silver and trampled upon the downtrodden. They would not allow truth and justice to be declared, nor did they enforce the law impartially. If a righteous, pure, and humble man, perhaps a poor individual or one of a meek spirit, were brought before powerful judges, he was betrayed for the slightest gain, despite the law’s clear commandment, ‘You shall not show partiality in judgment’ and ‘You shall not slay the innocent and just.’ Those entrusted with judgment assume the role of God, who alone possesses the authority to judge, since ‘there is only one lawgiver and judge.’ Therefore, anyone rendering a corrupt judgment upon a righteous individual disgraces divine dignity and offends God, Who commands, ‘Judge with righteous judgment, and practice mercy and compassion towards one another.’

Thus, He holds them accountable for selling a righteous person and a poor man to their enemies, often for meager rewards barely enough to purchase sandals. They should have prioritized justice and sought to honor God, finding joy in the esteem bestowed by Him and obtaining riches through a good reputation, for ‘a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.’ Through the mouth of Isaiah, He also addresses Jerusalem, saying: ‘Your rulers are rebels and companions of thieves; they all love bribes and seek after rewards; they do not defend the orphan, nor does the widow's cause come before them.’ Likewise, Micah declares: ‘Her leaders judge for bribes.’ Therefore, it is always worthy of condemnation if justice is not practiced with fairness and integrity, but instead approaches with animosity and disregard for the truth. They crush the heads of the helpless underfoot.

He chastises them directly for their power-hungry and selfish behavior, condemning their ungodly and merciless actions against those who deserved protection and honor, instead of offering them compassion and support, burdening the impoverished with sorrow and anguish. Yet, what is done to the lowly is ultimately attributed to the Lord Himself. Thus, when we oppress the weak and trample upon the humble, we deeply offend God, for it is written: ‘The hand of the diligent makes rich.’

The disciple of Christ underscores this truth: ‘Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.’ It is manifest that the humble are led astray. This can be interpreted in two ways: first, it may imply that they exhibit extreme pride, detesting those lacking wealth and opulence, or second, that as leaders, they mislead the vulnerable by diverting them from the straight path into falsehoods, convincing them to follow their flawed teachings.

Many among the humble live simply, relying heavily on the guidance of their instructors, adhering closely to what they perceive as good. Thus, the wise and God-fearing among those called to teach illuminate the righteous path, while those distant from divine laws mislead the humble, drawing them away from genuine goodness and truth. They corrupt the path of the humble by enticing those with naive minds to engage in wickedness, and they distort the sound doctrines of the Church, leading the unsuspecting towards falsehoods filled with impiety and ignorance.

Again, He condemns their unbridled and shameful indulgences, showing that they have disregarded all decency. They should strive to combat base desires and rise above shameful passions, exercising self-control over their lusts, yet they neglect this noble virtue in favor of carnal lusts. Is it not wise to choose righteousness even in matters of disgrace? The gravest sin is manifest when a son enters his father's bed, and the father desires the bed of his son, committing an abomination that even nature abhors, condemning it as disgraceful. Hence, Reuben, who defiled his father’s bed, incurred a grave sin. Paul condemned similar wrongdoing among the Corinthians, noting, ‘It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not even named among the Gentiles.’ His indignation led him to hand over the wrongdoer to Satan ‘for the destruction of the flesh.’ Thus, those who engage in such passions bring dishonor to the name of their God, aligning impurity with divine nature.

They act in ways that offend God, presenting Him in a negative light to all mankind. Thus, He declared to the Jews, ‘For your sakes, my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles’; just as the righteous reverently honor God's name through their conduct, it can be seen that those leading unholy lives bring reproach upon Him.

and the way of the humble shall be seduced.’ The impoverished, due to their hunger and lack of clothing, found themselves sold into servitude, while the affluent treated them as if they were mere chattel, similar to how the Tyrians and Sidonians offered their young men as compensation to harlots and for wine. In accordance with the prophet's message, the Hebrews sold their impoverished fellow countrymen for boots, items that are trodden upon, valued at a minimal price, reflecting their lowly worth. If the destitute were traded for boots, the greed with which those boots were then seized when found is even more notable. ‘And the way of the humble were seduced’—this means they were coerced into altering their beliefs or prevented from fulfilling their thoughts and desires. ‘And his son and his father shall go to the whoremonger,’ denoting that on the Sabbath, father and son would exploit the day of rest by visiting the house of ill repute, ‘that they may profane My holy name by their deeds.’ As idol temples sprang up across the cities, filled with prostitutes, the fathers and their sons were drawn into immorality together.

To provide a coherent understanding of the prophetic messages contained in this book, Israel — specifically the ten tribes — is mentioned last because the subsequent warnings primarily concern them. Their foremost transgression, repeated thrice or four times, was selling a righteous man for mere monetary gain. It is particularly astonishing that, despite being impoverished, this man committed no wrongdoing. If they had sold a righteous poor man out of hunger, some justification might exist for their actions. However, they traded a precious soul for a trivial item, a sandal used to tread on filth.

They therefore struck the poor upon the head and, in accord with the Hebrew text, brutally smashed their heads into the earth’s dust. Their arrogance led them to ignore the plight of the humble. This offense, albeit seemingly minor, was further exemplified when a father and son sought to disgrace the holy name of God. Thus, every shameful act brings offense to God, who warns, “My name is blasphemed among the Gentiles” (Rom. 2:24). The apostle Paul admonished the Corinthians for the same: “It has been reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that a man has his father’s wife. And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you” (1 Cor. 5:1-2).

It is sadly common for a father to bring shame upon his son’s wife, a son upon his father-in-law, acts forbidden by the law: “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor shall you uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law” (Lev. 18:7, 15). Thus, following the law fulfills its purpose, yet every dishonorable act outside the bounds of decency adds layer upon layer of sin, leading to further degradation. The ten tribes reclined on pledged garments at every altar, and the Hebrew tradition explains this act as reclining upon garments forcibly taken from those they compelled to reject idol worship.

Their contempt for God was so great that they hung their soiled garments at the altar and created screens to hide those engaged in debauchery in the temple, indulging in drunkenness, even consuming wine obtained through slander. They did this in their god's house, seeking to honor their abominations while dishonoring what they claimed to worship. This interpretation rests on a straightforward historical perspective. However, we acknowledge, as seen in the interpretation of Hosea, that the name Israel also signifies those in rebellion, such as Samaria, Ephraim, and the sons of Joseph, who turned the people away from the true kingdom.

Now, post-Jerusalem and the church, this prophetic message sheds light on heretics who sell a holy and upright yet impoverished member of the church for financial gain. The poor and upright church member is one who may lack scriptural knowledge but who, content in simplicity, adheres to Christ’s commands, as depicted in the proverb, “The poor is hated even by his own neighbor, but the rich has many friends” (Prov. 14:20), and in the epistle to the Galatians, “Only they asked us to remember the poor” (Gal. 2:10).

Heretics act in pursuit of wealth, valuing material possessions that allow them to tread on the sacred ground they cannot approach bare-footed — a holy ground where, as Moses and Joshua did, they could walk unshod (Ex. 3; Josh. 5). Thus, they strike at the poor, even while they have deviated from the path of humility. The humble path is that which declares, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) and invites us with the assurance, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

All heretics are proud, and the Apostle warns against their arrogance: “Not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride, he fall into the same condemnation as the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6). The arrogant declare, “I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God...I will be like the Most High” (Isa. 14:13-14). Hence, God stands against the proud but grants grace to the humble (James 4).

Additionally, a father and son dishonored the holy name of God by their actions. Our father is considered to be the Jewish nation, as Paul states, “I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Cor. 10:1-2), and in another place, “Ask your fathers, and they will show you; your elders, and they will tell you” (Deut. 32:7).

Thus, the church, having emerged from the Gentiles, asserts, “The sons of my mother fought against me” (Song of Solomon 1:5). We are identified as sons alongside a lineage that includes our Jewish forefathers, leading us into sin when we, alongside them, abide by the rituals of the law — including circumcision — which has been rendered obsolete through Christ. Paul warns, “If you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing” (Gal. 5:2), and again, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4).

Thus, anyone who joins the church with the intention of adhering to both the law and the Gospel is guilty of spiritual infidelity, thereby dishonoring the name of the Lord. Those who believe it acceptable for the Jews to observe the commandments of the law after the arrival of the Lord are similarly entangled in moral failings, bringing shame upon both father and son.

They bind their garments with cords, constructing coverings at the altar to veil the truth of Christ. For all who have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27), whereas they, having encumbered their garments with the cords of sin, seek to hide their depravity from onlookers, hoping to obscure their iniquities from those observing the altar.

This is mirrored in the apostles who laid their cloaks over a young donkey (Matt. 21:7), softening the burden for the Lord as He trod the path marked by the law and the prophetic words. In contrast, heretics do not place their garments under the Savior's feet but choose instead to bind them at the altar, seeking refuge in the wine of slander — the drink of the condemned, who face judgment for having abandoned the church. This wine symbolizes the fury and despair of wickedness, which proves harmful to all who partake. And yet, they indulge not in the true house of God, represented by His temple and Jerusalem, but in the house of the god they have forged for themselves through deceptive teachings.

They did all this while uttering slander against the name of the Lord; for the surrounding nations, upon witnessing these actions, reviled the Sovereign of all, either seeing Him as one who endorsed such behavior or as one who permitted the sins of the people.

The sum and the outcome of the money that, after Judas’s remorse, was used to purchase the potter's field signify the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy as noted in Matthew's account: And they took thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him who was valued, and gave them for the potter's field (Matt. 27:9).