Amos 5:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This situation illustrates that for those who are accustomed to such conduct, yielding to predation is ultimately unprofitable, and being enslaved by disgraceful temptations only leads to grief, capped by punishment. For if they do not experience the fruits of labor cultivated with diligence and devotion, if their toils in the fields yield no success, and if their cherished possessions, for which their greed and desire have flourished, result in unexpected ruin, how can their ways lead to genuine satisfaction? Thus, it is wise to remember, as the Preterist advises, that receiving a small amount through righteousness surpasses gaining abundance through wickedness (Proverbs 15:29). Paul also identifies covetousness as idolatry (Ephesians 5:5), which is fitting, for it constitutes a denial of God. Those who disregard the commandment of loving one another, which fulfills the law (Romans 13:10), are likened to those who are unfamiliar with God; and anyone who disregards the law turns away from the One who established it. Christ Himself urges us to be prudent and to overcome unrighteous greed, stating, "What profit is it to man..." (Matthew 16:26), for it is written that ill-gotten treasures hold no favor, but the truth delivers from death (Proverbs 10:2).

Your many iniquities and your grievous sins are known to Me: you trample the just, take vengeance, and forsake the poor at the gates. Therefore, the prudent will be silent at that time, for it is a time of need.

This is to clarify that Israel should not think they were delivered to enemies solely due to idolatry, but also for their forsaking of true religion. You have harmed the needy and seized what little they had, taking that which was valuable to enrich yourselves. Thus, you have used ill-gotten gains to construct houses of substantial stone. And since you built these not just for basic shelter but for beauty and luxury, you will not reside in them should calamity strike. You have also planted flourishing vineyards for joyful feasts, yet you will not enjoy the fruit of them, for I know all your evil deeds and your heavy sins that anger Me. You stand against righteousness and accept gifts while crushing the poor in judgment. Thus, the poor and wise, seeing the judge compromised, will remain silent in such times of scarcity.

Alternatively, it could be understood this way: what benefit is there in listing your sins as danger approaches when there is no remedy left, and the walls of your cities are besieged? This can also apply to heretics who strip the poor and assault them, as suggested by the Greek word κατεκονδύλιζον, indicating they hit the poor directly. For heretics only target the poor who can withstand their threats, striking at what affects the heart, and undermining true faith. By "the poor," I refer to those satisfied with pure faith who counter the deceptions of heretics. They risk losing the righteous deeds they have prepared as offerings to God if they do not resist adversaries. These enemies, through their clever rhetoric, construct walls for their safety and comfort but will not dwell in them as they face destruction at the hands of the Church.

Moreover, they not only build homes but also tend beautiful vineyards, imitating the laws of Christ, yet they will partake only of bitterness—the wrath of the unhealed. For the Lord sought these vineyards for fruit, yet they bore nothing but thorns and sour grapes, and not the truth, but restless outcries that blaspheme their God. They will not occupy their houses nor enjoy their vineyards, for the Lord is aware of their many iniquities—a knowledge that does not imply mere recognition, but that nothing remains hidden from God; He sees all the secrets of the unrighteous. “I know," He says, "the multitude of your transgressions," which are not only numerous but severe, rooted in injustices and the trampling of truth. "And you take," He states, "a bribe," though many have interpreted this word as “propitiation,” we understand it here as “gift.” The term ἀλλαγμα in Scripture refers to “payment,” as indicated in the Gospel where it asks, “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?” They also "shunned" the poor at the gates, or as translated by Simmachus, "oppressed" them, selling judgments contrary to true justice, justifying themselves with the words of Scripture: “gifts blind the eyes” even of the wise. These offers are seized by heretics to transform the severity of Scripture, which speaks of judgment, into false promises of prosperity, treating the wealthy leniently while being harsh to the poor.

Thus, when a member of the Church, discerning and wise, observes the multitude of transgressions within the house called God's, which not only abound but are grievous and capable of obstructing justice; when they see the passionate frenzy of teachers who take bribes in court and do everything for gain while ignoring the cries of the poor at the gates, then they should remain silent during such times, lest they cast holy things before swine, which may trample them underfoot. Let them emulate Jeremiah, who laments, “I sat alone in sadness,” and the words of the Psalms: “I am but one until I pass away.”