[1a] Alas for those who are at ease in Zion, and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.
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[4] Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall;
[5] who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,
and like David improvise on instruments of music;
[6] who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
[7] Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,
and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away. פ
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In verse one, the ‘name’ that appear need to be read as the meaning of the words, from which the names are formed. The word “zion” (“tsiyyon”) comes from the root noun “sayon,” which means “dry place or sign post.” The Arabic root verb means “to defend.” This means the word written by Amos, sent to him through divine inspiration, bears an everlasting meaning that makes the statement: “Alas for those who are at ease in a dry place or standing individually as a fortress against evil, let those be sign posts that warn where not to go.”
When the first half of verse one then speaks of “Mount Samaria,” there is no such place. Further, Hebrew as a written language does not have capital letters, as do other languages, so that written says “the hill country of shomrom.” The place “shomrom” was the capital of the Northern Kingdom (after the splits), which is typically called “Samaria.” Still, the word behind that ‘name’ bears the meaning (from the root Hebrew word “shamar”) “place of watch keeping,” as the root verb means “to keep or guard.” Thus, the continuation of Amos’ warning in verse one says, “and for those who feel secure on higher ground keeping watch over their souls.” Because Amos was a prophet of Yahweh and spoke what Yahweh told him to speak (or write), the only concern Yahweh has for “those in a dry place” and “those who pretend to be vigilant from higher positions in life (the rich and famous), the material that relates to places and bodies of flesh is nothing. Yahweh spoke spiritually to a prophet, about the souls of those who pretended to serve Yahweh spiritually, when they only served themselves (self-egos).
Verse 4: “those lying down on beds of ivory , and those unrestrained on your couches ; and eat lambs from the flock , and calves from the midst of the stall –“
The symbolism of “lying down on beds” is sleep; and, sleep is metaphor for death. This makes the warning posed by Yahweh, through His prophet Amos, be those who find comfort and wealth (symbolism of “ivory”) from the material realm, where the soul is imprisoned in a body of flesh that is bound to die, releasing the soul for Judgement. To then be “unrestrained on your couches” is a symbolic statement about the Jews who only reclined to eat the Passover meal, because eating while lounging on a “couch” is a sign of the opulent royals of the world. To be “unrestrained” to pretend to be of royal blood (as children said to be of Yahweh, through His Law given to them by Moses) are further positioning their bodies of flesh in the ‘bound to die’ position. To then “eat lambs from the flock” is not only a statement of the Paschal lamb that spreads the blood of the Son on the doorway to one’s spiritual dwelling, saving the soul within its flesh, the statement by Yahweh is to devour the innocent “lambs of the flock” by teaching them nothing of value, while pretending to be rich in the Word of God (like Amos was as a prophet of Yahweh). The element of eating “calves from the midst of the stall” is then a statement about veal, where young calves are fed in cages, not allowed to exercise and strengthen their muscles. There is doubt about the slaughter of calves as being ‘kosher’ food for Jews; but the metaphor must be seen here as the calves reflecting the children of the Norther Kingdom, the leaders of which Amos preached. They kept the children in stalls, not allowing their souls to exercise the truth of Scripture, while being fed fattening falsehoods and half-truths, which weakened their ability to be ‘beasts of burden’ for Yahweh.
Verse 5: “those who chant upon the mouth a psaltery , like beloved – they will account for their souls vessels of song .”
In this verse, Yahweh led Amos to write the Hebrew construct “kə·ḏā·wîḏ,” which is typically read as “like David,” as if a proper name is the implication. Again, the meaning behind the name is “beloved one.” This means “those who chant upon the mouth” are those who sing the psalms of David, which all Israelites and Judeans (people of the two kingdoms, not the truth behind the meaning of those names) did. After the fall of those two kingdoms and the speaking of the prophets were recorded on scrolls, the Jews would read some of each every Sabbath, much like Christians in branches that are catholic or universal read Old Testament, Psalm, Epistle and Gospel. To simply “chant upon the mouth” those most divine words does not make one’s soul be in close relationship with Yahweh (His wife). The use of “psaltery” or “instrument like a harp,” the pretense of singing the psalms of David makes them spear (to each other) as “like beloveds” of Yahweh – when they are not. The reason Yahweh chose His prophet Amos to warn the pretenders was they endangered their souls, because “they will account for their souls” as if singing the words (or repeating them in unison, wholly or by alternate verses) makes them as if they are the “vessels of song,” like David or Amos. The danger is pretending to be a prophet (or saint), when one’s soul if filthy dirty from sins; and, singing psalms of David does nothing to wash away sins.
Verse 6: “those drinking from bowls wine , and with the choicest oils they anoint themselves ; but not they are sickened over the breaking of the increaser .”
Once again there is what appears to be a proper name written, which is “Joseph” (from “yō·w·sêp̄”). The word behind the name means “increaser,” from the verb “yasap” meaning “to add, increase, or repeat.” The Biblical character known as “Joseph” was the most spiritually elevated of the sons of Jacob, who had “supplanted” his brother’s birthright and then fought his soul to be pronounced “Israel,” a word that means “who retains the elohim” of Yahweh as his Lord. Because the sons of Jacob were all far from being spiritually elevated souls, they were those who “broke the addition” of the soul of Yahweh’s Son from being their personal Lord (each reborn as the truth of the word Israel). When this is seen, the Amos was led to write about the audacity of lost souls pretending to be the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob “drinking from bowls,” supposedly filled with the “wine” that is the blood of a Messiah or a Christ – the blood painted on the doorway of their dwellings, saving their souls from the pass over of death. Instead, they drink themselves drunk on the thought that they can do as they wish, never to be punished and forbidden life eternal with Yahweh. Likewise, they heap spoonfulls of oil – deemed holy by a false shepherd or hired hand – in the same way Christian employees of religious organizations use the finest olive oil to pretend to bless as holy. Meanwhile, none of these false shepherds “are sickened over the breaking of the increaser,” where the whole point of a holy lineage is spiritual salvation, requiring teachers of the truth of Scripture that leads the lost to be found and saved.
Verse 7: “thus now they will go uncovered as the head of those removed ; and those turned aside , banquet those who go free .”
The use of the Hebrew construct “bə·rōš,” as a form of the word “rosh,” is translated as “the head,” where the saying goes, “as the head goes, the body will follow.” In between is two uses of “galah,” meaning “to uncover, remove.” Here, the dual meaning says the “heads” that lead the body wrongly will be “uncovered,” such that the result is that all who follow them (the body of those claiming bloodlines to Jacob) will be “removed” from that distinction. The segment that then places focus of “those turned aside” means the “head uncovered” will be as false shepherds and hired hands, whose profitability as religious leaders is all about turning the people away from Yahweh and to their control. Still, the reward for those who will turn away from those false leaders will find the wedding “banquet” as the celebration of their own soul’s union with the Spirit of Yahweh and being possessed divinely by His Son’s soul. Those will be the souls that “go free” to eternal life, no longer imprisoned by the beds and couches of bodies of flesh that lead to the sleep of mortal death.