Amos 5:19-27

19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him!

20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?

21 "I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.

22 Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.

23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.

24 But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.

25 "Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

26 You also carried Sikkuth your king And Chiun, your idols, The star of your gods, Which you made for yourselves.

27 Therefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus," Says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

Amos 5:19-27 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. A pagan deity
• [b]. Septuagint and Vulgate read tabernacle of Moloch.
• [c]. A pagan deity