Amos 8:3

“And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God, etc.] Not the songs sung by the Levites in the temple of Jerusalem, this prophecy respects the ten tribes only; but those in imitation of them, sung in the temple at Bethel, and other idol temples; or profane songs in the palaces of princes and nobles; that is, instead of these, there should be howlings for the calamities come upon them. So the Targum, “they shall howl, instead of a song, in their houses then;” particularly because of the slain in them, as follows; (see <300523>Amos 5:23); [there shall be] many dead bodies in every place; in all houses and palaces, in all towns and cities; and especially in…”

“songs of . . . temple-- (Amo 5:23). The joyous hymns in the temple of Judah (or rather, in the Beth-el "royal temple," Amo 7:13; for the allusion is to Israel, not Judah, throughout this chapter) shall be changed into "howlings." GROTIUS translates, "palace"; compare Amo 6:5, as to the songs there. But Amo 5:23, and Amo 7:13, favor English Version. they shall cast them forth with silence--not as the Margin, "be silent." It is an adverb, "silently." There shall be such great slaughter as even to prevent the bodies being buried [CALVIN]. There shall be none of the usual professional mourners (Amo 5:16), but the bodies will be cast out in silence. Perhaps also is meant that terror, both of God…”

“The songs of the temple shall be howlings - Literally, “shall howl.” It shall be, as when mirthful music is suddenly broken in upon, and, through the sudden agony of the singer, ends in a shriek or yell of misery. When sounds of joy are turned into wailing, all must be complete sorrow. They are not hushed only, but are turned into their opposite. Since Amos is speaking to, and of, Israel, “the temple” is, doubtless, here the great idol-temple at Bethel, and “the songs” were the choral music, with which they counterfeited the temple-music, as arranged by David, praising (they could not make up their minds which,) Nature or “the God of nature,” but, in truth, worshiping the creature. The…”

“With silence - So great will be the cruelty of the enemy, that they dare not bury them, or if they do, it must be undiscerned. Amos 8:4”

“the songs: Amo 8:10, Amo 5:23; Hos 10:5, Hos 10:6; Joe 1:5, Joe 1:11, Joe 1:13; Zac 11:1-3 shall be howlings: Heb. shall howl many: Amo 4:10; Isa 37:36; Jer 9:21, Jer 9:22; Nah 3:3 they shall: Amo 6:9, Amo 6:10; Jer 22:18 with silence: Heb. be silent, Lev 10:3; Psa 39:9 Amos 8:4”