“Hear this word
That I take up
Over you,
In lamentation!
O house of Israel!
She has fallen.
She will rise no more.
This is the maiden Israel.
She is forsaken
On her land.
There is none
To raise her up.”
Now Amos set out a lamentation for the house of Israel. He wanted them to hear his crying words. The virgin maiden Israel had fallen, but she was not going to get up anymore. She had been forsaken in her own land. There was no one to help her get back on her feet.
“Then I bathed you
With water.
I washed off
The blood from you.
I anointed you
With oil.
I clothed you also
With embroidered cloth.
I gave you sandals
Of fine leather.
I bound you
In fine linen.
I covered you
With a rich fabric.”
Yahweh continued to take care of this young girl Jerusalem. He gave her a bath. He washed off her blood. He anointed her with fine oil. He clothed her with hand crafted clothes. He gave her leather sandals for her feet. He gave her linen and rich fabric clothes to wear. She seemed to get only the best available items and care.
Female lover
“I slept.
But my heart was awake.
Listen!
My beloved is knocking.
‘Open to me!
My sister!
My love!
My dove!
My perfect one!
My head is wet
With dew.
My locks are wet
With the drops of the night.’
‘I had put off my garment.
How could I put it on again?
I had bathed my feet.
How could I soil them?’
My beloved thrust his hand
Into the opening.
My innermost being
Yearned for him.
I arose
To open to my beloved.
My hands dripped
With myrrh.
My fingers dripped
With liquid myrrh,
Upon the handles of the bolt.”
The female lover was sleeping, but her heart was awake. Then she heard her lover knocking at the door. He wanted her to open the door. He called her sister, lover, dove, and the perfect one. His head was wet with dew. His hair was wet with night rain drops. She had taken off her garments. Was she naked? She had washed her feet. He then put his hand into the opening. Meanwhile the female lover yearned for him. She got up to open the door to her beloved. Her hands and fingers were dripping with liquid myrrh as she reached the bolt on the door. She was anticipating a rendezvous with her lover.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 