Amos 5:8-18

8 He who made the ¹Pleiades and Orion And ²changes deep darkness into morning, Who also ³darkens day into night, Who ⁴calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the surface of the earth, The ⁵LORD is His name.

9 It is He who ⁶flashes forth with destruction upon the strong, So that ⁷destruction comes upon the fortress.

10 They hate him who ⁸reproves in the gate, And they ⁹abhor him who speaks with integrity.

11 Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And exact a tribute of grain from them, Though you have built ¹⁰houses of well-hewn stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will ¹¹not drink their wine.

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

13 Therefore at such a time the prudent person ¹³keeps 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, ¹⁴Just as you have said!

15 ¹⁵Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts ¹⁶May be gracious to the ¹⁷remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the Lord, "There is ¹⁸wailing in all the plazas, And in all the streets they say, 'Alas! Alas!' They also call the ¹⁹farmer to mourning And ²⁰professional mourners to lamentation.

17 "And in all the ²¹vineyards there is wailing, Because I will pass through the midst of you," says the LORD.

18 Alas, you who are longing for the ²²day of the LORD, For what purpose will the day of the LORD be to you? It will be ²³darkness and not light;

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Amos 5:8-18 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 23

1. Job 9:9; Job 38:31
2. Job 12:22; Job 38:12; Isaiah 42:16
3. Psalms 104:20
4. Psalms 104:6-9; Amos 9:6
5. Amos 4:13
6. Isaiah 29:5; Amos 2:14
7. Micah 5:11
8. Isaiah 29:21; Amos 5:15
9. 1 Kings 22:8; Isaiah 59:15; Jeremiah 17:16-18
10. Amos 3:15; Amos 6:11
11. Micah 6:15
12. Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 5:23; Amos 2:6
13. Ecclesiastes 3:7; Hosea 4:4
14. Micah 3:11
15. Psalms 97:10; Romans 12:9
16. Joel 2:14
17. Mic 5:3, 7, 8
18. Jer 9:10, 18-20; Amos 8:3
19. Joel 1:11
20. 2 Chronicles 35:25; Jeremiah 9:17
21. Isaiah 16:10; Jeremiah 48:33
22. Isaiah 5:19; Jeremiah 30:7; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1, 11, 31
23. Isaiah 5:30; Joel 2:2

Footnotes 8

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