Amos 8:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The prophecy indicates that Israel will experience not only a lack of the illuminating word of God delivered by His prophets but also an absence of deceitful words from sorcerers or demons, which they communicated through these maidens and youths. This is illustrated when it says: "in that day will run out of good virgins." The implication here suggests that not only will the wicked perish, but also the virtuous. Alongside the virgins, the text seems to scorn the young men who take oaths by the idols of the Samaritans. It appears to have become a custom for them to invoke the gods of Samaria, mocking the true God by attributing His qualities to mere statues. They assert, "Thy God liveth unto Dan, and thy God unto Bathsheba," referencing the cities of Judah on the far edges of the land, effectively setting a boundary for territory from south to sea. Therefore, it’s akin to those swearing proclaiming, "The God of the land of Judah liveth," in reference to the golden calf, thereby encompassing the entirety of the land. The text continues, stating that the virgins and young men will grow parched, as they will cease to convey false demonic revelations, becoming prey to foreign powers or facing death in battle, ultimately enduring dishonorable captivity.

After Christ was crucified and concealed from the Jews, they lost not only the material light but also the spiritual illumination that comes from the Holy Spirit. Consequently, those virtuous souls, represented by the virgins and the young men—whose innocence is depicted by virginity and whose vitality by youth—were deprived of God's word and profound comfort. Indeed, who can be deemed holy if the law fails to lead anyone to perfection and does not suffice for justification? Who possesses spiritual fortitude and sound judgment, if they are unaware of the magnificent achievements of the gospel life? Are they not all languid in their transgressions? Can there be any doubt about this? Thus, they became thirsty, and no one spoke to them: ‘drink water from the fountain of salvation’ (Is. 12:3); rather, it was commanded that even the clouds ‘not rain’ upon them (Is. 5:6) due to their disobedience to Christ, who called out: ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink’ (Jn. 7:37). Yet, turning away from Him, the source of life, they abandoned the broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jer. 2:13) and leaned towards human teachings and traditions (Is. 29:13), which can neither provide true sustenance for life nor preserve them for salvation.

This is indeed a time that foreshadows a dire spiritual famine, one that severely hinders the understanding of the Lord's suffering and resurrection. They roam the world seeking the word of God, but they cannot find it, having turned away from the divine truth that was proclaimed through all the prophets, which was with the Father from the beginning and became flesh to dwell among us (John 1).

In that time, the beautiful virgins—representative of the synagogues—and the elect, symbolizing the teachers of the people, will experience a great emptiness. This emptiness fulfills the curses outlined in the book of Deuteronomy regarding the people of Judah. These leaders and teachers swore by the false idols of Samaria, saying, “Your God lives, Dan,” within the land of Judah, the place historically associated with the service of the golden calf, and claimed “the way to Bathsheba lives,” acknowledging a rare journey due to the varied kings of Judah, both righteous and unrighteous. As a result of their actions, they will fall and never regain their former state.

The Lord sends this famine not for physical nourishment but for spiritual enlightenment, resulting from the sins of the people, leading to a scarcity of sound doctrine within the churches. They traverse from one bitter sea to another, failing to approach the refreshing waters of truth. Instead, they wander off on crooked paths, not following the royal road but getting lost in impassable ways.

At this time, pure souls, which the apostle describes as undefiled, will become scarce. As he wrote to the Corinthians, "For I am betrothing you to one man, to present a pure virgin to Christ. But I fear that as the serpent deceived Eve, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2-3). If all virgins were virtuous, it would not be said, “the good virgins shall wither away.” Rather, the good virgins are those holy in body and spirit, contrasted with the empty ones, akin to the five foolish virgins without oil for their lamps (Matthew 25). The latter will diminish in number as they fail to seek the word of the Lord.

When teaching is absent in the churches, virtue decays, and all goodness fades, since the faithful lack the sustenance found in the word of the Lord. Those who partake of this spiritual nourishment are reminded of Solomon’s wisdom: “The righteous eater satisfies his soul, but the souls of the wicked go hungry” (Proverbs 13:26). David too proclaimed, “I was young, and now I am old; yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor their seed begging bread” (Psalms 36:25). Yet how many martyrs have starved during persecutions, needing bread and physical sustenance!

Thus, we see that the true Bread from heaven satisfies all hunger and quenches all thirst. When the beautiful maidens are spiritually famished, the young men—once victorious over the world—will also face this famine, as they have turned to the idols of Samaria, which symbolizes heretical beliefs. As the prophet lamented, "Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria" (Amos 6:1), for heretics reject the true church and cling to their false doctrines. In claiming, “We have no portion in David, nor inheritance in the son of Jesse” (2 Samuel 20:1), they will ultimately face ruin.

Thus, those who swear by the sin of Samaria, declaring, “Your God lives, Dan, and the way to Bathsheba lives,” will fall and remain unable to rise again. The tribe of Dan, in search of an inheritance, is a reminder of the judgment that awaits those who drift from the path of righteousness. The word Bathsheba, with its various interpretations, signifies either "the well of oaths" or "the well of satisfaction," conveying that those who turn from God's judgment will experience spiritual thirst while seeking after worldly imitations of fulfillment.

In their quest to replicate the Church's sacred ordinances, heretics will find themselves unquenched, despite their beliefs of having been filled. Paul aptly reproves such attitudes, declaring, “Behold, you are already filled, you are already rich” (1 Corinthians 4:8). They may swear by the Lord, but once they fall, they will not rise again, as they recognize false gods before them. However, those who genuinely seek repentance and do not utter, “Your God lives, Dan, and the way to Bathsheba lives,” might recall Jeremiah’s sobering words, “The one who falls will not rise, nor will he who turns away be restored” (Jeremiah 8:4).