Amos 5:18-20

18 Alas, you who are longing for the ¹day of the LORD, For what purpose will the day of the LORD be to you? It will be ²darkness and not light;

19 As when a man ³flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him.

20 Will not the day of the LORD be ⁴darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it?

Amos 5:18-20 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. Isaiah 5:19; Jeremiah 30:7; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1, 11, 31
• 2. Isaiah 5:30; Joel 2:2
• 3. Job 20:24; Isaiah 24:17, 18; Jeremiah 15:2, 3; Jeremiah 48:44
• 4. Isaiah 13:10; Zephaniah 1:15

Footnotes

• [a] Or "Then"