Amos 4:1-10

``Yet You Have Not Returned to Me"

1 Hear this word, you cows of ¹Bashan who are on the ²mountain of Samaria, Who ³oppress the poor, who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, "Bring now, that we may ⁴drink!"

2 The Lord GOD has ⁵sworn by His ⁶holiness, "Behold, the days are coming upon you When they will take you away with ⁷meat hooks, And the last of you with ⁸fish hooks.

3 "You will ⁹go out through breaches in the walls, Each one straight before her, And you will be cast to Harmon," declares the LORD.

4 "Enter Bethel and transgress; In Gilgal multiply transgression! ¹⁰Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days.

5 "Offer a ¹¹thank offering also from that which is leavened, And proclaim ¹²freewill offerings, make them known. For so you ¹³love to do, you sons of Israel," Declares the Lord GOD.

6 "But I gave you also ¹⁴cleanness of teeth in all your cities And lack of bread in all your places, Yet you have ¹⁵not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

7 "Furthermore, I ¹⁶withheld the rain from you While there were still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city And on ¹⁷another city I would not send rain; One part would be rained on, While the part not rained on would dry up.

8 "So two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink ¹⁸water, But would ¹⁹not be satisfied; Yet you have ²⁰not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

9 "I ²¹smote you with scorching wind and mildew; And the ²²caterpillar was devouring Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees; Yet you have ²³not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

10 "I sent a ²⁴plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I ²⁵slew your young men by the sword along with your ²⁶captured horses, And I made the ²⁷stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; Yet you have ²⁸not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

Read Chapter Compare

Amos 4:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 4

In this chapter, the great ones, or the people of Israel, are threatened with calamities for their oppression of the poor, Am 4:1-3; and in an ironic manner are reproved for their idolatry, Am 4:4,5; then follows an enumeration of several judgments that had been upon them, yet had had no effect on them, to bring them to repentance, nor even mercies, Am 4:6-11; and notwithstanding all this, in a wonderful gracious manner, they are called upon to prepare to meet their God, who is described by his power, greatness, and goodness, Am 4:12,13.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 28

1. Psalms 22:12; Ezekiel 39:18
2. Amos 3:9; Amos 6:1
3. Amos 5:11; Amos 8:6
4. Amos 2:8; Amos 6:6
5. Amos 6:8; Amos 8:7
6. Psalms 89:35
7. Isaiah 37:29; Ezekiel 38:4
8. Jeremiah 16:16; Ezekiel 29:4; Habakkuk 1:15
9. Jeremiah 52:7
10. Numbers 28:3; Amos 5:21, 22
11. Leviticus 7:13
12. Leviticus 22:18-21
13. Jeremiah 7:9, 10; Hosea 9:1, 10
14. Isaiah 3:1; Jeremiah 14:18
15. Isaiah 9:13; Jeremiah 5:3; Haggai 2:17
16. Deuteronomy 11:17; 2 Chronicles 7:13; Isaiah 5:6
17. Exodus 9:4, 26; Exodus 10:22, 23
18. 1 Kings 18:5; Jeremiah 14:4
19. Ezekiel 4:16, 17; Haggai 1:6
20. Jeremiah 3:7
21. Deuteronomy 28:22; Haggai 2:17
22. Joel 1:4, 7; Amos 7:1, 2
23. Jeremiah 3:10
24. Exodus 9:3; Leviticus 26:25; Deuteronomy 28:27, 60; Psalms 78:50
25. Jeremiah 11:22; Jeremiah 18:21; Jeremiah 48:15
26. 2 Kings 13:3, 7
27. Joel 2:20
28. Isaiah 9:13

Footnotes 5

[a]. Lit "their lords"
[b]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD, and so throughout the ch
[c]. Lit "he"
[d]. So Gr; M.T. reads "will cast"
[e]. Lit "Offer up in smoke"