Amos 5:11

11 Therefore for that that ye robbed a poor man, and took from him the chosen prey, ye shall build houses with square stone, and ye shall not dwell in them; ye shall plant most loved vineyards, and ye shall not drink the wine of them. (And so for ye robbed the poor, and took away the chosen prey from them, ye shall build houses with square stones, but ye shall not live in them; ye shall plant the most beautiful vineyards, but ye shall not drink their wine.)

Amos 5:11 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 5:11

Forasmuch therefore as your treading [is] upon the poor
This seems to be spoken to the princes, judges, and civil magistrates, as Kimchi observes; who oppressed the poor and needy, and crushed them to the ground, trampled upon them, stripped them of the little substance they had, and left them destitute; exercising a cruel and tyrannical power over them, they having none to stand by them, and deliver them: and ye take from him burdens of wheat;
which perhaps he had been gleaning in the field, and was carrying home for the support of his family; or which he had gotten with great labour, and was all he had in the world: this they took away from him, for the payment of pretended debts, or lawsuits; or as not in right belonging to him, but taken out of fields where he should not have entered: ye have built houses of hewn stones;
in a very grand and pompous manner for themselves and their children, with money they had extorted from the poor, and got by oppression and injustice: but ye shall not dwell in them;
at least but a very short time; for quickly and suddenly the enemy will come and turn you out of them, and destroy them, which would be a just retaliation for their spoiling the houses of the poor: ye have planted pleasant vineyards:
well situated, and filled with the choicest vines, which promise a large produce of the best wine: but ye shall not drink wine of them;
for before the grapes are fully ripe they should be either taken away by death, or be carried captive, and others should dwell in their houses, and drink the wine of their vineyards.

Amos 5:11 In-Context

9 Which scorneth destroying on the strong, and bringeth robbing on the mighty. (Who bringeth destruction and destitution, to the strong and the mighty.)
10 They hated a man reproving in the gate, and they loathed a man speaking perfectly. (They hated the man who rebuked them in the court, and they loathed the man who spoke truthfully.)
11 Therefore for that that ye robbed a poor man, and took from him the chosen prey, ye shall build houses with square stone, and ye shall not dwell in them; ye shall plant most loved vineyards, and ye shall not drink the wine of them. (And so for ye robbed the poor, and took away the chosen prey from them, ye shall build houses with square stones, but ye shall not live in them; ye shall plant the most beautiful vineyards, but ye shall not drink their wine.)
12 For I knew your great trespasses many, and your strong sins; enemies of the rightwise man, taking a gift, and bearing down poor men in the gate. (For I know of your great many trespasses, and of your strong, or your mighty, sins; ye, the enemies of the righteous, taking bribes, and oppressing the poor in the courts.)
13 Therefore a prudent man shall be still in that time, for the time is evil. (And so the prudent shall be silent at that time, for the time is evil.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.