Amos and the Women of Samaria

Women in the Bible

The Old Testament prophets told it like it was. In Amos 4 the prophet Amos addresses the women of Samaria.

“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,

who are on the mountain of Samaria,

who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,

who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’

The Lord God has sworn by his holiness

that, behold, the days are coming upon you,

when they shall take you away with hooks,

even the last of you with fishhooks.

And you shall go out through the breaches,

each one straight ahead;

and you shall be cast out into Harmon,”

declares the Lord. (Amos 4:1-3)

Amos begins by calling the women cows of Bashan. Now, while we would certainly take offense with that, he’s not referring to their weight, like we would assume. No, Bashan was known for its rich pasture-lands. And the word he uses for cows means they were living the good life, a life of luxury while those around them were suffering.

He points out they were oppressing the poor and crushing the needy, all while inviting their husbands to join them in their revelry.

Then Amos warns the women what’s going to happen to them. God had had enough of their behavior. Samaria was going to be captured, and these pleasure-seeking women would be taken captive.

Though we don’t know what is meant by Harmon, it’s usually associated with death.

God gives us free will and allows us to seek our own pleasures. But there comes a time when we must face the consequences for our self-serving behaviors.