Amos 4:6-11

Israel Has Not Returned to the Lord

6 "I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and ¹lack of bread in all your places, ²yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.

7 "I also ³withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; ⁴I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither;

8 so two or three cities ⁵would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; ⁶yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.

9 ⁷"I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees ⁸the locust devoured; ⁹yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.

10 "I sent among you a pestilence ¹⁰after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and ¹¹carried away your horses,^[a] and ¹²I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; ¹³yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.

11 "I overthrew some of you, ¹⁴as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were ¹⁵as a brand^[b] plucked out of the burning; ¹⁶yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.

Amos 4:6-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 4

In this chapter, the great ones, or the people of Israel, are threatened with calamities for their oppression of the poor, Am 4:1-3; and in an ironic manner are reproved for their idolatry, Am 4:4,5; then follows an enumeration of several judgments that had been upon them, yet had had no effect on them, to bring them to repentance, nor even mercies, Am 4:6-11; and notwithstanding all this, in a wonderful gracious manner, they are called upon to prepare to meet their God, who is described by his power, greatness, and goodness, Am 4:12,13.

Cross References

• 1. [Deuteronomy 28:57; Lamentations 2:12]
• 2. Jeremiah 15:7; Haggai 2:17
• 3. Jeremiah 3:3; [Joel 2:23]
• 4. [Exodus 9:26]
• 5. [Amos 8:12]
• 6. [See ver. 6 above]
• 7. Deuteronomy 28:22; Haggai 2:17
• 8. Joel 1:4
• 9. [See ver. 6 above]
• 10. Deuteronomy 28:27, 60; [Exodus 12:29; Psalms 78:50; Isaiah 10:24, 26]
• 11. 2 Kings 13:7
• 12. [Joel 2:20]
• 13. [See ver. 6 above]
• 14. [Isaiah 13:19]
• 15. Zechariah 3:2; [Jude 23]
• 16. [See ver. 6 above]

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew along with the captivity of your horses
• [b]. That is, a burning stick