Amos 5:7-13

7 O ¹you who turn justice to wormwood^[a] and cast down righteousness to the earth!

8 He who made the ²Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and ³darkens the day into night, who ⁴calls for the waters of the sea ⁵and pours them out on the surface of the earth, ⁶the Lord is his name;

9 ⁷who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

10 ⁸They hate him who reproves ⁹in the gate, and they ¹⁰abhor him who speaks the truth.

11 Therefore because you ¹¹trample on^[b] the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, ¹²you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; ¹³you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.

12 For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who ¹⁴take a bribe, and ¹⁵turn aside the needy ¹⁶in the gate.

13 Therefore he who is prudent will ¹⁷keep silent in such a time, ¹⁸for it is an evil time.

Amos 5:7-13 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.

Cross References

• 1. 5:7 [ch. 6:12]
• 2. 5:8 Job 9:9; 38:31
• 3. 5:8 Ps. 104:20; [ch. 4:13; 8:9]
• 4. 5:8 ch. 9:6; [Gen. 6:17; Ps. 104:6, 7]
• 5. 5:8 ch. 9:6; [Gen. 6:17; Ps. 104:6, 7]
• 6. 5:8 See ch. 4:13
• 7. 5:9 [Jer. 50:32]
• 8. 5:10 Isa. 29:21; [Prov. 15:5, 10]
• 9. 5:10 See Ruth 4:1
• 10. 5:10 [1 Kgs. 22:8]
• 11. 5:11 [James 2:6]
• 12. 5:11 Deut. 28:30, 39; Mic. 6:15; Zeph. 1:13
• 13. 5:11 Deut. 28:30, 39; Mic. 6:15; Zeph. 1:13
• 14. 5:12 1 Sam. 8:3; 12:3; [Ps. 26:10]
• 15. 5:12 ch. 2:7; Isa. 29:21
• 16. 5:12 [See ver. 10 above]
• 17. 5:13 [Eccles. 3:7]
• 18. 5:13 Mic. 2:3

Footnotes

• [a] 5:7 Or 'to bitter fruit'
• [b] 5:11 Or 'you tax'