Amos 8:3-13

3 "The ¹songs of the palace will turn to ²wailing in that day," declares the Lord GOD. "Many will be the ³corpses; in every place they will cast them forth in silence."

4 Hear this, you who ⁴trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land,

5 saying, "When will the ⁵new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the ⁶sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to ⁷cheat with dishonest scales,

6 So as to ⁸buy the helpless for money And the needy for a pair of sandals, And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?"

7 The LORD has ⁹sworn by the ¹⁰pride of Jacob, "Indeed, I will ¹¹never * forget any of their deeds.

8 "Because of this will not the land ¹²quake And everyone who dwells in it ¹³mourn? Indeed, all of it will ¹⁴rise up like the Nile, And it will be tossed about And subside like the Nile of Egypt.

9 "It will come about in that day," declares the Lord GOD, "That I will make the ¹⁵sun go down at noon And ¹⁶make the earth dark in broad daylight *.

10 "Then I will ¹⁷turn your festivals into mourning And all your songs into lamentation; And I will bring ¹⁸sackcloth on everyone's loins And baldness on every head. And I will make it ¹⁹like a time of mourning for an only son, And the end of it will be like a bitter day.

11 "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather * ²⁰for hearing the words of the LORD.

12 "People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to ²¹seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it.

13 "In that day the beautiful ²²virgins And the young men will ²³faint from thirst.

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Amos 8:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 8

In this chapter a fourth vision is delivered, the vision of a "basket of summer fruit"; signifying the destruction of the ten tribes, for which they were ripe, and which would quickly come upon them, Am 8:1-3; the rich are reproved for their oppression of the poor, their covetousness and earthly mindedness, Am 8:4-6; for which they are threatened with entire ruin, sudden calamities, and very mournful times, instead of light, joy, and gladness, Am 8:7-10; and particularly with a famine of hearing the word of God, Am 8:11,12; the consequence of which would be, a fainting of the young men and virgins for thirst, and the utter and irrecoverable ruin of all idolaters, Am 8:13,14.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 23

1. Amos 5:23; Amos 6:4, 5; Amos 8:10
2. Amos 5:16
3. Amos 6:8-10
4. Psalms 14:4; Proverbs 30:14; Amos 2:7; Amos 5:11, 12
5. Numbers 28:11; 2 Kings 4:23
6. Exodus 31:13-17; Nehemiah 13:15
7. Hosea 12:7; Micah 6:11
8. Amos 2:6
9. Amos 4:2
10. Deuteronomy 33:26, 29; Psalms 68:34; Amos 6:8
11. Psalms 10:11; Hosea 7:2; Hosea 8:13
12. Psalms 18:7; Psalms 60:2; Isaiah 5:25
13. Hosea 4:3
14. Jeremiah 46:7, 8; Amos 9:5
15. Job 5:14; Isaiah 13:10; Jeremiah 15:9; Micah 3:6
16. Isaiah 59:9, 10; Amos 4:13; Amos 5:8
17. Job 20:23; Amos 5:21
18. Isaiah 15:2, 3; Jeremiah 48:37; Ezekiel 7:18; Ezekiel 27:31
19. Jeremiah 6:26; Zechariah 12:10
20. 1 Samuel 3:1; 2 Chronicles 15:3; Psalms 74:9; Ezekiel 7:26; Micah 3:6
21. Ezekiel 20:3, 31
22. Lamentations 1:18; Lamentations 2:21
23. Isaiah 41:17; Hosea 2:3

Footnotes 10

[a]. Or "They will howl the palace songs"
[b]. Lit "he has thrown"
[c]. Or "hush!"
[d]. Or "snap at"
[e]. Lit "pass by"
[f]. Lit "ephah"
[g]. Lit "balances of deception"
[h]. Lit "silver"
[i]. Lit "a day of light"
[j]. Or "a dirge"

Amos 8:3-13

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Amos 8:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 8

Cross References 23

Footnotes 10