Amos 2:8

“And they laid [themselves] down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, etc.] That is, the clothes they took in pledge of poor people, which they should have restored before sun setting, (<022226>Exodus 22:26,27); these they spread by every altar, of which they had many erected to their idols, and on these as on carpets they slept by them, as was usual with the Gentiles; who not only in common used to lie and sleep on garments, or carpets, or skins spread on the floorf90, but upon such in the temples of their idols, in order to obtain good dreams; so in the temple of Amphiaraus in Greece, after purgations and sacrifices to him, and to the gods whose names were engraven on the same altar,…”

“lay themselves . . . upon clothes laid to pledge--the outer garment, which Exo 22:25-27 ordered to be restored to the poor man before sunset, as being his only covering. It aggravated the crime that they lay on these clothes in an idol temple. by every altar--They partook in a recumbent posture of their idolatrous feasts; the ancients being in the habit of reclining at full length in eating, the upper part of the body resting on the left elbow, not sitting as we do. drink . . . wine of the condemned--that is, wine bought with the money of those whom they unjustly fined.”

“They lay themselves down - They condensed sin. By a sort of economy in the toil of sinning, they blended many sins in one; idolatry, sensuality, cruelty, and, in all, the express breach of God’s commandments. The “clothes” here are doubtless the same as the “raiment” in the law, the large enfolding cloak, which by day was wrapped over the long loose shirt , the poor man’s only dress besides, and by night was his only bedding Exodus 22:26-27. God had expressly commanded, “If the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge” Deuteronomy 24:12-13; in any case “thou shalt deliver him the pledge again, when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee; and it…”

“Lay down - The Jews of old did not sit upright at their meals, but leaned on one side. Upon clothes - Of which the law had expressly said, none should detain them all night, Deu 24:12-13. Every altar - Of their idols. Drink the wine - They offer their drink - offerings in wine, which they bought with the fines laid on the innocent. Amos 2:9”

“2:8 The irony is that the oppressors of the poor flaunted their sins at religious festivals. • The Torah allowed a lender to take a poor man’s cloak as security for a debt, but it was not to be kept overnight, because the nights were cold (Exod 22:26-27; Deut 24:12-13). A widow’s clothing was never to be taken as security for a debt (Deut 24:17). • unjust fines: The wealthy bribed judges and used their influence to keep the poor, who could not defend themselves, from obtaining a fair hearing (Amos 5:12).”

“laid: Exo 22:26, Exo 22:27; Deu 24:12-17; Eze 18:7, Eze 18:12 by: Amo 6:4; Isa 57:7; Eze 23:41; Co1 8:10, Co1 10:7, Co1 10:21 they drink: Amo 6:6; Jdg 9:27; Hos 4:8 the condemned: or, such as have fined, or, mulcted Amos 2:9”