Amos 4:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The famine in Samaria was so severe that a donkey's head was sold for exorbitant prices (4 Kings 6:25). Similarly, during the time of the prophet Jeremiah, the Sovereign God withheld rain, leading Him to observe that Judah wept, her gates were in ruin, and the cry of Jerusalem was heard. Their nobles sent out commoners to find water; they went to the storehouses but found none (Jeremiah 14:2, et al.). The Israelites’ great wickedness resulted in God withholding rain, giving them sharpened teeth and a lack of sustenance in all their towns. Furthermore, as I have mentioned, they also endured spiritual suffering. The physical nourishment of the body derives from earthly produce and water, yet the soul is enriched by divine and heavenly truths. The spiritual stream that provides this nourishment is the God-inspired Scripture that reveals the mystery of Christ. Just as teeth lose their ability to chew when splintered, the human mind, weakened and afflicted by the disease of apathy, becomes unable to grasp spiritual wisdom or digest profound truths. Consequently, the heart of Israel was hardened; they did not comprehend even a fraction of the mystery of Christ. This is why they find themselves lacking spiritual sustenance and thirsting for water – they are absent the life-giving Word, who descended from heaven to give life to the world (John 6:33), quenching the souls with the grace of the Spirit. They do not possess a living Source, the Son from God the Father, or the comfort provided by the law and the prophets; for, as the prophet Isaiah stated, He commanded the cloud, so that no rain would fall upon it (Isaiah 5:6).

Not only have I made the teeth of your cities sharp with hunger and famine but during the three months leading up to the harvest, I withheld the vital late rains needed for the drought-prone lands of Palestine. This time corresponds to spring at the end of April, leading into May, June, and July—the months culminating in the grain harvest. The LXX translate ‘harvest’ as ‘the gathering of grapes,’ which is not feasible concerning all the eastern areas, as it is uncommon to see rain in July, especially in Judah. The accounts in the books of Kings (1 Samuel 12) affirm that rain fell, through the prayers of Samuel, during the summer months—a remarkable miracle. Thus, threatening a drought in July would be unnecessary, for no rain typically falls then. The rain was withheld not solely to create hunger but also to instill a parching thirst. In our current regions, save for a few springs, all water is stored in cisterns, and if divine judgment halts rainfall, thirst poses a greater threat than hunger. This situation mirrored that during the days of the prophet Elijah, when there was famine for three years and six months (3 Kings 17). To prevent the belief that such occurrences were merely natural phenomena driven by celestial movements and seasonal changes, He states He will send rain to one city and withhold it from another. Thus, two or three towns will journey to a neighboring city yet still find no relief from thirst. This act was intended not as punishment but for correction, as He admonishes them for their continued obstinacy: ‘but even then you did not turn to Me,’ says the Lord. The Lord also denies heretical groups the spiritual nourishment of wisdom and all heavenly dew, commanding His clouds to cease their rain until three months before the harvest, hindering their access to the fruits of the mystery of the Trinity. Just as the sun completes its annual path, returning to its previous position in twelve months, each consisting of thirty days, and the moon, which in Hebrew is called ‘jare’ and in Greek shares its name with ‘months,’ shines by reflecting light from the sun based on seasonal variations; so too, the church is clothed with the brilliance of the true Sun and comprises the full assembly of the twelve apostles. This ties to the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve stones taken from the riverbed of Jordan as symbols of eternal remembrance during the second circumcision (Num. 4). The Lord showers rain upon the city of true confession, the church, while withholding it from heretical assemblies. The former is continually nourished with rain, while the latter suffers from relentless dryness, compelling the thirsty to seek refuge in the city of the Lord, from which flows a rich spring that nourishes the land (Joel 3:18). This is the fountain of living water, as Jeremiah lamented: ‘They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and have dug out for themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water’ (Jeremiah 2:13). This fountain, springing from one Source, flows in a triune unity, echoing the Psalmist's yearning, ‘As the deer longs for the streams of water, so my soul longs for You, O God’ (Ps. 41:2). Yet when two or three cities converge on the city overflowing with the waters of hope, faith, and love, they will not find their thirst quenched, as those who seek divine grace out of necessity rather than desire.

Under the guidance of divine wisdom, to demonstrate that these events occur not by mere chance but under His command, He continues: I will send rain to one city while withholding it from another, ensuring the land remains only partially refreshed. Thus, there will be a shortage of water, prompting two or three cities to converge on the one that possesses it, thirsty for drink yet failing to find satisfaction. Even amidst these tribulations, your afflictions remain unhealed, despite the new calamities you've faced. As the healer of souls, I have employed various methods to treat you, inflicting different ailments, followed by pestilence and the trials of goldsmiths; yet wickedness has not left your heart. Following this discipline, you suffered from locusts that ruin all that is delightful in vineyards, oil crops, and gardens; yet this did not lead you to acknowledge Him who sent these trials. God adds that He allowed those fleeing from the Assyrian king, eagerly seeking refuge in Egypt, to fall victim to the Assyrian sword, as if scorched by His fierce anger; yet they were unwilling to comprehend the lesson from this. Hence, He says: