Amos5
New American Standard
1Hear this word which I am taking up for you as a song of mourning, house of Israel:
2She has fallen, she will not rise again— The virgin Israel. She lies unnoticed on her land; There is no one to raise her up.
3For this is what the Lord God says: “The city which goes forth a thousand strong Will have a hundred left, And the one which goes forth a hundred strong Will have ten left to the house of Israel.”
4For this is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me so that you may live.
5But do not resort to Bethel And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity And Bethel will come to nothing.
6Seek the Lord so that you may live, Or He will break through like a fire, house of Joseph, And it will consume with no one to extinguish it for Bethel,
7For those who turn justice into wormwood, And throw righteousness to the earth.”
8He who made the Pleiades and Orion, And changes deep darkness into morning, Who also darkens day into night, Who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the surface of the earth, The Lord is His name.
9It is He who makes destruction flash upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress.
10They hate him who rebukes in the gate, And they despise him who speaks with integrity.
11Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And take a tribute of grain from them, Though you have built houses of cut stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted beautiful vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine.
12For I know your offenses are many and your sins are great, You who are hostile to the righteous and accept bribes, And turn away the poor from justice at the gate.
13Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps quiet, because it is an evil time.
14Seek good and not evil, so that you may live; And so may the Lord God of armies be with you, Just as you have said!
15Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the Lord God of armies Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
16Therefore this is what the Lord God of armies, the Lord says: “There is mourning in all the public squares, And in all the streets they say, ‘Oh no! Oh no!’ They also call the farmer to mourning And professional mourners to mourning rites.
17And in all the vineyards there is mourning, Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says the Lord.
18Woe to you who are longing for the day of the Lord, For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light;
19As when a man flees from a lion And a bear confronts him, Or he goes home, leans with his hand against the wall, And a snake bites him.
20Will the day of the Lord not be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it?
21“I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your festive assemblies.
22Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fattened oxen.
23Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
24But let justice roll out like waters, And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25“Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, house of Israel?
26You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.
27Therefore I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of armies.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Amos 5.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Israel is called to seek the Lord. (1–6). Earnest exhortations to repentance. (7–17). Threatenings respecting idolatries. (18–27).
vv1-6
The convincing, awakening word must be heard and heeded, as well as words of comfort and peace; for whether we hear or forbear, the word of God shall take effect. The Lord still proclaims mercy to men, but they often expect deliverance from such self-invented forms as make their condemnation sure. While they refuse to come to Christ and to seek mercy in and by him, that they may live, the fire of Divine wrath breaks forth upon them. Men may make an idol of the world, but will find it cannot protect.
vv7-17
The same almighty power can, for repenting sinners, easily turn affliction and sorrow into prosperity and joy, and as easily turn the prosperity of daring sinners into utter darkness. Evil times will not bear plain dealing; that is, evil men will not. And these men were evil men indeed, when wise and good men thought it in vain even to speak to them. Those who will seek and love that which is good, may help to save the land from ruin. It behoves us to plead God's spiritual promises, to beseech him to create in us a clean heart, and to renew a right spirit within us. The Lord is ever ready to be gracious to the souls that seek him; and then piety and every duty will be attended to. But as for sinful Israel, God's judgments had often passed by them, now they shall pass through them.
vv18-27
Woe unto those that desire the day of the Lord's judgments, that wish for times of war and confusion; as some who long for changes, hoping to rise upon the ruins of their country! but this should be so great a desolation, that nobody could gain by it. The day of the Lord will be a dark, dismal, gloomy day to all impenitent sinners. When God makes a day dark, all the world cannot make it light. Those who are not reformed by the judgments of God, will be pursued by them; if they escape one, another stands ready to seize them. A pretence of piety is double iniquity, and so it will be found. The people of Israel copied the crimes of their forefathers. The law of worshipping the Lord our God, is, Him only we must serve. Professors thrive so little, because they have little or no communion with God in their duties. They were led captive by Satan into idolatry, therefore God caused them to go into captivity among idolaters.
Key Words
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
נָשָׂא: to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
קִינָה: a dirge (as accompanied by beating the breasts or on instruments)
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
נָפַל: to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יָסַף: to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)
Cross References
Amos 5Stephen quotes Amos 5:25-27 in his speech to demonstrate Israel's long-standing history of idolatry.
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Amos echoes the exact terminology of Job describing God as the Creator of the Pleiades and Orion.
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Direct thematic and verbal parallel concerning God's sovereign control over the constellations Orion and Pleiades.
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Parallel contemporary prophetic warning against syncretistic worship at Gilgal and Beth-aven (Bethel).
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The curse of building houses and planting vineyards without enjoying them fulfills Moses' covenant sanctions.
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Striklingly parallel divine rejection of formalistic feast days and sacrifices devoid of justice and righteousness.
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Internal repetition emphasizing the central exhortation of the chapter: seek the Lord and live.
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The historical fulfillment of Israel's exile beyond Damascus under Shalmaneser and the Assyrians.
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