Amos 8:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

However, anyone who fully distances themselves from the commandments of love and is unreceptive to its benefits is indeed unfit and may rightly be seen as deficient in virtues, for where there is a lack of concern for goodness, sin will surely thrive.

We observe how the entire message unfolds: initially, he rebukes Ephraim, or Israel, for ungodliness, depicting them as idolaters worshipping calves and devoid of love for the one true God, fixated instead on their own crafted works. He proceeds to illustrate their neglect of love towards their fellow human beings. The condemnation is general yet unmistakably clear, and though briefly stated, he itemizes their transgressions. "Hear ye," he says, addressing those who oppress the vulnerable in the morning light, intent on exploiting the poor. Pious souls, when the day dawns, express their gratitude to God, bow in prayer, and dedicate their efforts to what is honorable. Conversely, those consumed with a desire to inflict harm or driven by greed seek no higher purpose than to continue their malicious practices from the moment morning arrives, lamenting to themselves that time is insufficient for their ambitions as they yearn for the month's end.

This represents the longing of unscrupulous lenders and those who profit from trifling matters, who eagerly anticipate the end of the month to increase their gains by gradually imposing further burdens upon the hapless. The law explicitly states, "If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury" (Exodus 22:25), yet they argue, "When will the month have passed and our debts settled?" Those similarly afflicted, driven by shameful demands, audibly ask, "When shall the sabbaths pass, that we may trade our wares, and lessen the measure while increasing the price and using false scales?" It must be clarified what it means to desire the passing of these sabbaths and the means by which they seek to manipulate their blessings.

As it is documented in Deuteronomy, "At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release" and "This is the manner of the release: every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor or of his brother; because it is called the Lord's release" (Deuteronomy 15:1-3). Later, it warns against harboring a wicked thought, "The seventh year, the year of release, draweth nigh; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him naught; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee" (Deuteronomy 15:9). Though the law mandates the cessation of debts every seventh year, storing up riches and waiting for this sabbath to lend only to avoid forgiving debts is the work of those who neglect kindness.

These individuals complain, "When will the Sabbaths pass so we can exploit our resources?" The malevolence continues unabated, with a heartless disregard for those in need, as they measure out little while receiving back far more than they gave. Despite God's command through Moses, "Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small" (Deuteronomy 25:13), such people disregard justice for the sake of greed. They suffer the poor as if solidifying their own power, as it is written, "The pastures of the rich are hard" (Sirach 13:23).

The Preacher instructs us well, saying, "For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He pondereth all his goings" (Proverbs 5:21). Thus, if the Lord observes our every deed, individuals committed to genuine goodness and discernment must tread carefully and ensure their path remains faithful to love—love for God, which is sincere and unwavering in faith, and love for one another, which embodies justice. True love does no harm to its neighbor (Romans 13:10). Therefore, those zealous for holiness who seek to live aligned with divine commandments should wrap themselves in compassion (Colossians 3:12), triumphing over insatiable greed, and sharing their belongings with those in need, for he who keeps the law of love shall be honored in the eyes of God and humanity. It is affirmed, "He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth forever" (Psalms 111:9).

“…and the beggar for boots,” denotes the meager price at which they engaged in transactions, similar to how, as previously noted, the Tyrians exchanged young men for the favors of harlots (Joel 3:5). The prophet may also indicate that the hungry poor willingly sold themselves into bondage.

As stated in the LXX, listen, you who harm the destitute and subdue the weak in the land, saying, "When the month is over, we will trade, and when the Sabbath comes, we will unlock the granary." You diminish the measures used in sales, inflate the weights received, and distort the scales to acquire the wealth of the needy, treating them as inconsequential and fulfilling the prophecy: "they sold the righteous for silver and the needy for sandals" (Amos 2:6). Your relentless pursuit of profit has led you to not sell bread, which nourishes the body, but to offer only trash and debris to the hungry, mixing wheat with dust and refuse.

Often, similar behaviors are exhibited by corrupt leaders and false teachers, who lack the reverence for God in their governance over the faithful. Jeremiah laments, "their possessions will not be beneficial to them" (Jeremiah 12:10-13); they exploit piety for personal gain, occupying the temple like merchants who sell pigeons, but instead of selling from cages, they proclaim from pulpits as if they were instructors, marketing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They manipulate measures by offering little to the poor while delivering lengthy orations to the wealthy from whom they seek favors. For the lure of wealth, they crush the heads of the needy and trample them down, failing to provide the Bread of Life that nourishes the human spirit, instead giving worthless debris to those who thirst. They sell that which holds no value, in defiance of the Lord's command to the apostles: "You have received freely; give freely" (Matthew 10:8).