Amos 5:11-21

11 Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And exact a tribute of grain from them, Though you have built ¹houses of well-hewn stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will ²not drink their wine.

12 For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, You who ³distress the righteous and accept bribes And turn aside the poor in the gate.

13 Therefore at such a time the prudent person ⁴keeps silent, for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you, ⁵Just as you have said!

15 ⁶Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts ⁷May be gracious to the ⁸remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the Lord, "There is ⁹wailing in all the plazas, And in all the streets they say, 'Alas! Alas!' They also call the ¹⁰farmer to mourning And ¹¹professional mourners to lamentation.

17 "And in all the ¹²vineyards there is wailing, Because I will pass through the midst of you," says the LORD.

18 Alas, you who are longing for the ¹³day of the LORD, For what purpose will the day of the LORD be to you? It will be ¹⁴darkness and not light;

19 As when a man ¹⁵flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him.

20 Will not the day of the LORD be ¹⁶darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it?

21 "I hate, I ¹⁷reject your festivals, Nor do I ¹⁸delight in your solemn assemblies.

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Amos 5:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 5

In this chapter the prophet exhorts Israel to hear his lamentation over them for their impending ruin, Am 5:1-3; nevertheless to seek the Lord, and all that is good; to forsake their idols, and repent of their sins, in hopes of finding mercy, and living comfortably; or otherwise they must expect the wrath of God for their iniquities, especially their oppression of the poor, Am 5:4-15; otherwise it would be a time of weeping and wailing, of darkness and distress, however they might harden or flatter themselves, or make a jest of it, Am 5:16-20; for all their sacrifices and ceremonial worship would signify nothing, so long as they continued their idolatry with them Am 5:21-26; and therefore should surely go into captivity, Am 5:27.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 18

1. Amos 3:15; Amos 6:11
2. Micah 6:15
3. Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 5:23; Amos 2:6
4. Ecclesiastes 3:7; Hosea 4:4
5. Micah 3:11
6. Psalms 97:10; Romans 12:9
7. Joel 2:14
8. Mic 5:3, 7, 8
9. Jer 9:10, 18-20; Amos 8:3
10. Joel 1:11
11. 2 Chronicles 35:25; Jeremiah 9:17
12. Isaiah 16:10; Jeremiah 48:33
13. Isaiah 5:19; Jeremiah 30:7; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1, 11, 31
14. Isaiah 5:30; Joel 2:2
15. Job 20:24; Isaiah 24:17, 18; Jeremiah 15:2, 3; Jeremiah 48:44
16. Isaiah 13:10; Zephaniah 1:15
17. Isaiah 1:11-16; Isaiah 66:3; Amos 4:4, 5; Amos 8:10
18. Leviticus 26:31; Jeremiah 14:12; Hosea 5:6

Footnotes 8

[a]. Another reading is "trample upon"
[b]. Lit "they turn"
[c]. I.e. the place where court was held
[d]. Lit "that time"
[e]. I.e. the place where court was held
[f]. Lit "those who know lamentation"
[g]. Or "Then"
[h]. Lit "like to smell"

Amos 5:11-21

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Amos 5:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 5

Cross References 18

Footnotes 8