Amos 8:4 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Though the prophet had several times told them what were the sins for which God would thus punish Israel, yet on a repeated threat he repeateth the rehearsal of the sins which draw down these judgments on their heads. Hear this, attend, and consider it, O ye that swallow up, greedily and cruelly devour, that do, like the greater fish, swallow up the lesser fry: in this one word the prophet includeth all the methods of their cruel oppression, wasting tho poor. The needy; such as were objects of your mercy, had you been just and honest, as well as rich and great. Even to make the poor of the land to fail; either to root them out, or to enslave them, while their necessities force them to sell themselves for bread.