Amos 5:4

4 For the Lord saith these things to the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live;

Amos 5:4 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 5:4

For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel
Or "yet" {a}, notwithstanding all this, though such judgments were threatened and denounced, and such desolations should certainly come, in case of impenitence, and an obstinate continuance in a course of sin; yet hopes are given of finding mercy and kindness upon repentance and reformation, at least to the remnant of them; see ( Amos 5:15 ) ; seek ye me;
seek my fear, as the Targum; fear and reverence, serve and worship, the Lord God; return unto him by repentance; seek to him by prayer and supplication; acknowledge your sins, and humble yourselves before him, and implore his pardoning grace and mercy: and ye shall live;
in your own land, and not be carried out of it; live comfortably, in great plenty of good things; and live spiritually, enjoying the favour of God, and his presence in his ordinances, and live eternally in the world to come.


FOOTNOTES:

F1 (yk) "attamen", Grotius.

Amos 5:4 In-Context

2 The house of Israel fell down, he shall not put to, that it rise again; the virgin of Israel is cast down into her land, none is that shall raise her (up). [The maiden of Israel fell down, she shall not put to, that she rise again; she is cast down into her earth (she is cast down onto the ground), there is not that shall raise her (up again).]
3 For the Lord God saith these things, The city of which a thousand went out, an hundred shall be left therein; and of which an hundred went out, ten shall be left therein, in the house of Israel.
4 For the Lord saith these things to the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live;
5 and do not ye seek (out) Bethel, and do not ye enter into Gilgal, and ye shall not pass to Beersheba; for why Gilgal shall be led (away) captive, and Bethel shall be unprofitable. (and do not ye go to Bethel, and do not ye enter into Gilgal, and ye shall not go on to Beersheba; because Gilgal shall be led away captive, and Bethel shall come to nothing.)
6 Seek ye the Lord, and live ye, lest peradventure the house of Joseph be burnt as fire; and it shall devour Bethel, and there shall none be, that shall quench. (Seek ye the Lord, and live ye, lest perhaps the house of Joseph shall burn like fire; and it shall devour Bethel, and there shall be no one, who shall quench it.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.