Amos 6:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observe how the prophet rebukes luxury and, more importantly, addresses the foolish and unwise Jews who indulged in excess daily.

You were granted the Sabbath to liberate your spirit from vices, yet you exacerbate them. What could be more troubling than the lavishness of resting on beds of ivory? Other sins may provide fleeting pleasure—intoxication, greed, and hedonism—but what joy accompanies slumber on such beds? Does the sumptuousness of the bed truly enhance sleep or make it more soothing? If anything, it renders it burdensome and unpleasant, provided we are discerning; for when you contemplate that your ivory rest may coincide with another's inability to enjoy basic sustenance, will not your conscience rise up in judgment against this contradiction? If sleeping on ivory beds is objectionable, what justification remains for those draped entirely in silver? If you yearn to witness the magnificence of a bed, I shall now present to you the opulence of a bed that belonged not to a common individual or a warrior, but to a king. I am certain that even you, renowned for your self-love, would not desire a bed more splendid than that of a king, and particularly not just any king, but the foremost and most illustrious of all sovereigns, whose praises continue to echo throughout the world; I will reveal to you the bed of blessed David. What was it like? It was not embellished with silver and gold on every side, but adorned with tears and confessions of sins. As he himself expressed: "Every night I wash my bed; I drench my couch with my tears" (Psalm 6:7). Tears like pearls were evident upon him from all directions.

Still more concerning is their perception of these sinful actions as merely stationary rather than ephemeral. Worldly pleasures, after all, are fleeting and lack solidity; they vanish like mere shadows, as the scripture states: “the image of this world passes away” (1 Cor. 7:31), with the cessation of life also marking the end of such pleasures.

For the Samaritans, this warning can be interpreted differently, particularly as they faced imminent captivity. The trivial pursuits they invented for pleasure are akin to a race rather than a firm foundation, as these delights would soon dissipate. They engage in games of spear play and savor aromatic wines, anointing themselves with myrrh for a pleasing appearance, all while disregarding the impending downfall of Joseph. Despite foreknowledge of the calamity about to befall them—the capture of Samaria and the eventual downfall of Joseph—they clung to their hedonistic festivities. Thus, it is indeed detrimental for those in positions of authority over lands or nations to yield to physical indulgence. They ought to diligently pursue virtuous endeavors, direct those under their care towards their responsibilities, and, in all ways possible, seek to placate the wrath of the Almighty. Is it not utterly foolish to drown in pleasures and prioritize base desires above all else? Such individuals earn the reproach of the righteous: “O shepherds who waste and destroy the sheep of the flock” (Jeremiah 23:1). Indeed, the negligence of shepherds endangers their charges, as God speaks clearly elsewhere: “Forasmuch as the shepherds have been foolish, and have not sought the Lord, therefore the flock was scattered and became a prey” (Jeremiah 10:21).

House of Israel, traverse Halan and beyond to Emath Rabbah, and descend to Gef among the Gentiles, the finest cities amidst all these realms: are their borders more expansive than yours? Those who approach the dreadful day, who indulge in deceitful Sabbaths; you lie on ivory beds, deluging yourselves in sensuous pleasures, consuming the choice goats and milk-fed calves; playing instruments not for divine worship but for enjoyment, considering their sound enduring rather than transient—you drink wine not out of thirst, but to satisfy spiritual cravings. You anoint yourselves, not for the easing of toil, but with the most extravagant perfumes. Yet, amidst your indulgences, you turn a blind eye to the suffering of your brethren, regarding them as mere livestock, lost in their own anguish.

This notion is echoed by the prophet Ezekiel, who portrayed the shepherds: they feed on the sheep’s milk, clothed in their wool, devouring the best, yet they do not heal the injured, strengthen the weak, nor search for the lost. Let us recreate all spoken in historical terms and, through the lens of the LXX, apply it to a darker, allegorical interpretation. House of Israel, who have strayed from Me, who place hope in the mountain of Samaria, survey the great walls—this signifies Emath Rabbah—and then quietly descend into the furnace of those who fall drunken, symbolized by Geth and the Philistines.

Examine all, particularly the finest of kingdoms or cities—are their borders greater than yours? In contemplating the philosophies of all nations, Egyptians, Indians, Persians, we notice that their domains echo the limits within Scripture; for their proclamation goes throughout all the earth, and to the ends of the world their messages (Psalm 18:5). Those urged to transition from vices to virtuous paths are described as preparing for themselves a day of hardship—not because a calamity exists, but each individual brings about their own difficulties, as stated in Ecclesiastes: “lest thou say, The former days were better than these, because thou hast not inquired wisely concerning this” (Eccl. 7:11); for it is foolish to refer to times past when one has the power to shape the present.

These individuals approach and touch the Sabbaths of falsehood. Just as there is a physical circumcision and a spiritual circumcision, there exist holy Sabbaths anchored in truth, and other Sabbaths, false and deceptive, rooted in the mere letter. The phrase ‘sleep on ivory beds’ can be interpreted thus: one engaged in the Lord's battles, training for spiritual warfare, sleeps upon the bare earth, emulating Jacob (Gen. 28), using a stone that was rejected as a headrest, but which became the cornerstone (Luke 20:17). However, those who seek pleasure indulge on beds made from the bones of dead creatures, entrapped by ephemeral allure.

They consume not the hard fare suited for holy wrestlers, which strengthens their resolve, but rather indulge in soft, tender foods—the finest lambs and milk-raised calves—therefore delighting in their corporeal desires. They find pleasure solely in satisfying sensual appetites. Nevertheless, a discerning reader should not hastily object to the Scriptures that proclaim “the rivers shall clap their hands” (Psalms 98:7); “all the nations shall shout with their hands” (Psalms 46:2); and “Rejoice in God our helper” (Psalms 80:1); as these do not reference mere applause to instruments but promote harmony in glorifying God.

The addition, “they regarded them as steady, not as fleeing,” differs from the Hebrew text which states, “they thought they possessed instruments of music, as David did.” It is plausible that the translators included this to emphasize the pleasures and to cast judgment on such vices, rather than directly translating the original meaning.