The phrase 'you cows of Bashan' referred to

Explanation

The phrase 'you cows of Bashan' is mentioned in the Bible and it refers to a specific group of people. The question is asking us to identify who this group of people is. We have four options to choose from. Option A tells us that 'you cows of Bashan' refers to cows in the land of Bashan. This option is incorrect as the phrase is not referring to actual cows. Option B states that the phrase refers to the fat and greedy men of Israel who oppress the priests. This option is also incorrect as the phrase is not referring to men only, but to a group of people. Option C suggests that 'you cows of Bashan' refers to the fat and greedy women of Israel who oppress the poor. This option is also incorrect.

Option D is the correct answer. It tells us that 'you cows of Bashan' refers to the fat rich women of Samaria who oppress the poor. This option correctly identifies the group of people that the phrase is referring to. The phrase is used in Amos 4:1 where the prophet Amos is rebuking the wealthy women of Samaria for oppressing the poor and needy.

It is important to note that the phrase 'you cows of Bashan' is a metaphor and is not meant to be taken literally. The use of the metaphor is meant to emphasize the extravagance and excess of the wealthy women of Samaria.

In conclusion, the correct answer to the question is option D, which tells us that the phrase 'you cows of Bashan' refers to the fat rich women of Samaria who oppress the poor.