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We have here the supplement to the former verse: the sin which wearies God reacts on those who walk in it.

I. A PICTURE OF THE DECAY OF NATIONAL PROWESS. It is a painful remembrance of departed power, like some castle once the seat of a nation's strength, now in ruins. The swift are there, but their swiftness is gone; the strong remain, but only as a wreck of their former selves, unable to gather up their strength. Danger found them, like Samson in the lap of Delilah, shorn of all their boasted power. He who handles the bow dare not stand to pour his shafts on the enemy; the fleet of foot, and even the mounted soldier, should fall into the hands of the enemy, and the mighty man, once full of courage, should be glad to escape, stripped of arms and clothing, in the day of visitation. Every sentence increases the effect of this picture. What they had been and what they were forms a terrible contrast.

II. THE REASON FOR SUCH A DECAY OF PROWESS. Sin had borne this deadly fruit. All their national valour sprang from confidence in God. They knew that "the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." What foe could stand before men who leaned on the arm of God? Lord Bacon says, that "man, when he resteth and assureth himself upon Divine protection and favour, gathereth a force and faith which human nature in itself could not obtain." All their victories are proof of these words. Confidence in God had brought David off victorious in his conflict with Goliath (Deuteronomy 32:30). All was changed now. Sin had sapped their confidence in heaven, and the whole fabric of their national life was tottering to its foundations. They felt the truth of the old words, "He that offends against heaven has none to whom he can pray." History presents many parallels to this declension. Injustice and sin have shorn great men of their strength, and left them weak in the hour of danger.

III. THE EFFECTS OF THIS DECAY OF VALOUR WERE SOON EVIDENT. For them, as for us, peace depended on prowess; prowess was born of confidence in God. Foes, who were only held in check by fear, soon discovered their declension, — for such decay has many tokens, — and quickly overran their land. The floodgates were opened, and a tide of vengeance poured itself over their land. Three times Amos repeats, — the reiteration marking the certainty of their doom, — "He shall not deliver himself." Application. Sin is ruin. He who would have victory must be loyal to heaven, then God will surely fulfil to him the great promise to Joshua (Joshua 1:5).

(J. Telford, B. A.)

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KJV: Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

WEB: Flight will perish from the swift; and the strong won't strengthen his force; neither shall the mighty deliver himself;