Amos 5:20

20 Won't the Day of ADONAI be darkness, not light, completely dark, with no brightness at all?

Amos 5:20 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 5:20

[Shall] not the day of the Lord [be] darkness, and not light?
&c.] The design of such a question is strongly to affirm, that, in this day of the Lord spoken of, there should be nothing but misery and distress, and no prosperity and happiness, at least to the wicked Israelites, or the unbelieving Jews: even very dark, and no brightness in it?
signifying that there should be no deliverance, nor the least glimmering view or hope of it; that the calamity should be so very great, and the destruction so entire, that there should be no mixture of mercy, nor the least appearance of relief.

Amos 5:20 In-Context

18 Woe to you who want the Day of ADONAI! Why do you want it, this Day of ADONAI? It is darkness, not light;

19 as if someone were to run from a lion, just to be met by a bear; as if he entered a house, put his hand on the wall, just to be bitten by a snake.

20 Won't the Day of ADONAI be darkness, not light, completely dark, with no brightness at all?

21 "I hate, I utterly loathe your festivals; I take no pleasure in your solemn assemblies.

22 If you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; nor will I consider the peace offerings of your stall-fed cattle.