Deuteronomy 32:14

32:14 butter from the herd

and milk from the flock,

along with the fat of lambs,

rams and goats of Bashan,

along with the best of the kernels of wheat;

and from the juice of grapes you drank wine.

Psalms 22:12

22:12 Many bulls ¹  surround me;

powerful bulls of Bashan ²  hem me in.

Amos 4:1

4:1 Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan ³  who live on Mount Samaria!

You ⁴  oppress the poor;

you crush the needy.

You say to your ⁵  husbands,

“Bring us more to drink!” ⁶ 

[22:12]  ¹ sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.

[22:12]  ² sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.

[4:1]  ³ sn The expression cows of Bashan is used by the prophet to address the wealthy women of Samaria, who demand that their husbands satisfy their cravings. The derogatory language perhaps suggests that they, like the livestock of Bashan, were well fed, ironically in preparation for the coming slaughter. This phrase is sometimes cited to critique the book’s view of women.

[4:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “the ones who” (three times in this verse).

[4:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “their.”

[4:1]  ⁶ sn Some commentators relate this scene to the description of the marzeah feast of 6:3-6, in which drinking played a prominent part (see the note at 6:6).