Amos 5:1
שִׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֜י נֹשֵׂ֧א עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם קִינָ֖ה בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Hear this word which I am lifting up over you, a lament, oh house of Israel.
Paraphrase: Oh My people, Israel, listen to this word which I am giving you through the prophet Amos. You are the people on whom I have placed My Name (Isaiah 43:7; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Deuteronomy 28:10); but because of your covenant breaking, it is now time for your funeral. Your end has come; My heart breaks for you and for the awful suffering that is about to befall you. Listen to this song I will sing at your funeral.
Comments:
Amos 5:2
נָֽפְלָה֙ לֹֽא־תוֹסִ֣יף ק֔וּם בְּתוּלַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל נִטְּשָׁ֥ה עַל־אַדְמָתָ֖הּ אֵ֥ין מְקִימָֽהּ׃
Virgin Israel has fallen; she will not again rise up. She is abandoned on her land; there is no one causing her to rise.
Paraphrase: My beloved daughter, my dear girl, who was faithful to me for so long, has broken faith; she has had multiple affairs with other men. (Ezekiel 16:32) She has forsaken Me, her faithful Husband. (Jeremiah 31:32; Hosea 2:7) Now look at the terrible wreck she has made of her life. She is in such a pitiful condition. There she lies ruined and destroyed in her own land. There is no one around who will extend his hand to her and help her back on her feet again.
Comments:
Amos 5:3
כִּ֣י כֹ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הָעִ֛יר הַיֹּצֵ֥את אֶ֖לֶף תַּשְׁאִ֣יר מֵאָ֑ה וְהַיּוֹצֵ֥את מֵאָ֛ה תַּשְׁאִ֥יר עֲשָׂרָ֖ה לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ס
For thus says Lord YHWH: the city with a thousand going forth will have a hundred left, and [the city] with a hundred going forth will have ten left, for the house of Israel.
Paraphrase: Right now, you scoff at this word from the Great King, YHWH. You look at your armed regiments; you pride yourself on all your weaponry. Be sure of this, oh Israel. The city which sends out a thousand fighting men will have only one hundred of them return. The town that sends out one hundred, will see only ten men dragging themselves back to their hometown weak and wounded. Yes, your armies will be crushed in those days, and the house of Israel will be left defenseless.
Comments:
Amos 5:4
כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֖ה לְבֵ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל דִּרְשׁ֖וּנִי וִֽחְיֽוּ׃
For thus says YHWH to the house of Israel: “Seek Me, and you will live.”
Paraphrase: Now My dear people, listen to Me. None of this needs to happen; not one of these judgments will fall on you if you heed the word I’m giving you today. Turn to Me without delay and find your life in Me. Call on Me in your day of trouble! (Psalm 50:15) Worship and fear Me, and you will live in peace and safety.
Comments:
The first imperative is followed by another imperative which gives the distinct assurance that a given action will take place as the consequence of a previous action. §2
Amos 5:5
וְאַֽל־תִּדְרְשׁוּ֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל וְהַגִּלְגָּל֙ לֹ֣א תָבֹ֔אוּ וּבְאֵ֥ר שֶׁ֖בַע לֹ֣א תַעֲבֹ֑רוּ כִּ֤י הַגִּלְגָּל֙ גָּלֹ֣ה יִגְלֶ֔ה וּבֵֽית־אֵ֖ל יִהְיֶ֥ה לְאָֽוֶן׃
And do not seek Beth-El, and to Gilgal do not go; and to Beer-Sheba do not cross over for Gilgal will be completely removed and Beth-El will be for trouble.
Paraphrase: But you, oh My people, what do you do? As soon as you have any difficulty, you fly to the shrine at Beth-El which Jeroboam setup as a substitute for Jerusalem. You think that you can call on Me there, but I never placed My Name there. (Deuteronomy 12:5-7) Others run to Gilgal where Joshua first circumcised all the males who were entering Canaan. (Joshua 5:2) What a wonderful act of devotion this was, but when did I ever tell you that this was the place where you were to worship Me? I never said such a thing; you just made this up yourself. (Deuteronomy 12:8) Others think that the place where the fathers called on My Name must surely be a good place. (Genesis 21:33; 26:24; 46:1), so they cross through Judah and make pilgrimage to Beer-sheba. Truly, this is a sacred place and so much has happened there, but did I ever tell you that this was the place where My Name would dwell? On the contrary, My Name dwells in Jerusalem (1 Kings 9:3), and this is the only place where I will receive your worship with pleasure. (1 Chronicles 22:1) You will soon see what will happen to Gilgal; it will be utterly destroyed and all its people carried off to another country. Beth-El too will be a place of unspeakable disaster and atrocities. Then, you will know with certainty that God will not be mocked by your self-made worship.
Comments:
Amos 5:6
דִּרְשׁ֥וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה וִֽחְי֑וּ פֶּן־יִצְלַ֤ח כָּאֵשׁ֙ בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵ֔ף וְאָכְלָ֥ה וְאֵין־מְכַבֶּ֖ה לְבֵֽית־אֵֽל׃
Seek YHWH and live, lest He rush as fire on the house of Joseph and consume, and there is no one quenching for Beth-El.
Paraphrase: Oh My people, this is not the way. Why are you abandoning Me for cracked old cisterns that hold disgusting water? Don’t you know that I am the fountain of pure living water? (Jeremiah 2:13) Come to Me and live! Yes, come and drink, even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk! Why spend your money on food that does not nourish? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. (Isaiah 55:1-2). Otherwise, the fire of my judgments will fall on you and consume you completely. There will be no one to put out this fire, not even the priests of Beth-El. They too will be burned up and destroyed along with all their idolatry.
Comments:
Amos 5:7
הַהֹפְכִ֥ים לְלַעֲנָ֖ה מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה לָאָ֥רֶץ הִנִּֽיחוּ׃
Overturning justice to bitterness, and they cause righteousness to lie on the ground.
Paraphrase: Instead, you turn justice right on its head. What should be a source of joy and security for the poor is instead a source of bitterness, anger, and resentment. Any concept of right and fair, you put on a shelf and disregard it. Your courts are all rigged; there’s no justice to be found anywhere.
Comments:
Amos 5:8
עֹשֵׂ֨ה כִימָ֜ה וּכְסִ֗יל וְהֹפֵ֤ךְ לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ צַלְמָ֔וֶת וְי֖וֹם לַ֣יְלָה הֶחְשִׁ֑יךְ הַקּוֹרֵ֣א לְמֵֽי־הַיָּ֗ם וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכֵ֛ם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ יְהוָ֥ה שְׁמֽוֹ׃ס
Making
Paraphrase:
Comments:
Amos 5:9
הַמַּבְלִ֥יג שֹׁ֖ד עַל־עָ֑ז וְשֹׁ֖ד עַל־מִבְצָ֥ר יָבֽוֹא׃
Amos 5:10
שָׂנְא֥וּ בַשַּׁ֖עַר מוֹכִ֑יחַ וְדֹבֵ֥ר תָּמִ֖ים יְתָעֵֽבוּ׃
Amos 5:11
לָ֠כֵן יַ֣עַן בּוֹשַׁסְכֶ֞ם עַל־דָּ֗ל וּמַשְׂאַת־בַּר֙ תִּקְח֣וּ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ בָּתֵּ֥י גָזִ֛ית בְּנִיתֶ֖ם וְלֹא־תֵ֣שְׁבוּ בָ֑ם כַּרְמֵי־חֶ֣מֶד נְטַעְתֶּ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁתּ֖וּ אֶת־יֵינָֽם׃
Therefore, because your trampling on the weak and the lifting up of the grain, you will take from him; houses of cutting, you built and you will not live in them; vineyards of pleasantness, you planted and you will not drink their wine.
Paraphrase: Now because you run roughshod over people who cannot defend themselves and tax them for your own personal gain, I will punish you in the same way. You too will build massive houses of hewn stone and cut lumber, but you will not have the pleasure of living in them. With the money you extorted from the poor, you will plant magnificent gardens, but you will not eat the produce or drink the wine it produces.
Comments:
Amos 5:12
כִּ֤י יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ רַבִּ֣ים פִּשְׁעֵיכֶ֔ם וַעֲצֻמִ֖ים חַטֹּֽאתֵיכֶ֑ם צֹרְרֵ֤י צַדִּיק֙ לֹ֣קְחֵי כֹ֔פֶר וְאֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים בַּשַּׁ֥עַר הִטּֽוּ׃
Amos 5:13
לָכֵ֗ן הַמַּשְׂכִּ֛יל בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖יא יִדֹּ֑ם כִּ֛י עֵ֥ת רָעָ֖ה הִֽיא׃
Amos 5:14
דִּרְשׁוּ-ט֥וֹב וְאַל-רָ֖ע לְמַ֣עַן תִִּֽחְי֑וּ וִיהִי-כֵ֞ן יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵֽי-צְבָא֛וֹת אִתְּכֶ֖ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲמַרְתֶּֽם׃
Amos 5:15
שִׂנְאוּ-רָע֙ וְאֶ֣הֱבוּ ט֔וֹב וְהַצִּ֥יגוּ בַשַּׁ֖עַר מִשְׁפָּ֑ט אוּלַ֗י יֶֽחֱנַ֛ן יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי-צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁאֵרִ֥ית יוֹסֵֽף׃ס
Hate evil, and love good. Cause justice to be established in the gate; perhaps YHWH will pity, God of armies, the remnant of Joseph.
Paraphrase: Don’t just seek good and turn from evil. Learn to hate evil with a bitter hatred. Then with the same zeal, study the good and make that happen in the lives of those who are around you. When you see injustice and bribes in the court of law, cry out against it; don’t just sit quiet. (Amos 5:13) Cause real justice to stand up; don’t leave it laying in the dirt. (Amos 5:7) Let it be the controlling principle of every legal proceeding no matter who the parties are and no matter how wealthy or influential they are.
Comments:
Driver (p183): No doubt he has mentally in view the ‘remnant,’ to which he sees that before long it [the ten tribes] will have been actually reduced (Amos 3:12), and which he pictures implicitly as including those who respond now to his present invitation to repent; a remnant, such as this, may peradventure merit Jehovah’s mercy (Amos 9:8f). The passage contains in germ the doctrine of the preservation, through judgment, of a faithful remnant, which became shortly afterwards a distinctive feature in the teaching of Isaiah.
Amos 5:16
לָ֠כֵן כֹּֽה-אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י צְבָאוֹת֙ אֲדֹנָ֔י בְּכָל-רְחֹב֣וֹת מִסְפֵּ֔ד וּבְכָל-חוּצ֖וֹת יֹאמְר֣וּ הוֹ-ה֑וֹ וְקָרְא֤וּ אִכָּר֙ אֶל-אֵ֔בֶל וּמִסְפֵּ֖ד אֶל-י֥וֹדְעֵי נֶֽהִי׃
Amos 5:17
וּבְכָל-כְּרָמִ֖ים מִסְפֵּ֑ד כִּֽי-אֶעֱבֹ֥ר בְּקִרְבְּךָ֖ אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃ס
Amos 5:18
ה֥וֹי הַמִּתְאַוִּ֖ים אֶת-י֣וֹם יְהוָ֑ה לָמָּה-זֶּ֥ה לָכֶ֛ם י֥וֹם יְהוָ֖ה הוּא-חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא-אֽוֹר׃
Alas, those desiring the day of YHWH; what is this to you? The day of YHWH, it is darkness and not light.
Paraphrase: Some of you think that when the day of YHWH comes, it will be the end of all the nations around you. You think that on this day, YHWH will reduce all your enemies to nothing and will exalt you to a place of glory and supremacy.
Comments:
Amos 5:19
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יָנ֥וּס אִישׁ֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י הָאֲרִ֔י וּפְגָע֖וֹ הַדֹּ֑ב וּבָ֣א הַבַּ֔יִת וְסָמַ֤ךְ יָדוֹ֙ עַל-הַקִּ֔יר וּנְשָׁכ֖וֹ הַנָּחָֽשׁ׃
As when a man flees from before a lion and a bear meets him, and he enters a house and leans his hand on the wall and a snake bites him.
Paraphrase: Do you want to know what the day of YHWH will be for you? Think of it this way. Suppose you met a lion, and you ran for your life. Just as you have escaped from the lion and are congratulating yourself on a successful escape, a bear charges out of the forest. Terrified, you take to your heels again and run at top speed. You dash into your house, slam the door shut, and lean against the wall to catch your breath. Once again, you congratulate yourself on another close escape. As you are resting, however, a snake crawls out of the wall and gives you a fatal, poisonous bite. How is this like the day of YHWH? Here’s how. When surrounding nations invade your borders to attack you, you will fight and defend your homeland. You will fight them off successfully. Then, you will congratulate yourself on your victories over the lion and the bear. Suddenly, however, and without warning, another enemy will swoop down on you and destroy you utterly. Now this is the day of YHWH. You think that the day of YHWH is going to be a day of vindication for you, but this is a terrible delusion. Don’t think for a moment that you are exempt from God’s judgments.
Comments:
Amos 5:20
הֲלֹא-חֹ֛שֶׁךְ י֥וֹם יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹא-א֑וֹר וְאָפֵ֖ל וְלֹא-נֹ֥גַֽהּ לֽוֹ׃
Is it not darkness, the day of YHWH, and not light? and gloom and not brightness belongs to it?
Paraphrase: If you persist in your wickedness and injustice, the day of YHWH will certainly be no day of salvation for you. On the contrary, it will be a dark day of destruction and misery. That day will be all gloom and doom with no bright rays of hope at all.
Comments:
Amos 5:21
שָׂנֵ֥אתִי מָאַ֖סְתִּי חַגֵּיכֶ֑ם וְלֹ֥א אָרִ֖יחַ בְּעַצְּרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃
I hate, I reject your feasts, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
Paraphrase: Why is this the case? Because I hate all your religion. I hate the sacrifices you bring; I hate the feasts that you have when you bring a peace offering (Leviticus 3); I reject all these gifts as just so much hypocrisy. When you offer up My portion on the altar (Leviticus 3:3-5), I do not smell it (Genesis 8:21); it is repulsive to me. (Isaiah 1:11)
Comments:
Amos 5:22
כִּ֣י אִם-תַּעֲלוּ-לִ֥י עֹל֛וֹת וּמִנְחֹתֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֣א אֶרְצֶ֑ה וְשֶׁ֥לֶם מְרִיאֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֥א אַבִּֽיט׃
For if you offer up to Me an Olah or your Minhah, I will not accept. And your well-fed Shelem, I will not consider.
Paraphrase: It doesn’t matter if it is a whole burnt offering or a grain offering. They are all repulsive to me; I want nothing to do with them. Even the most joyful of the sacrifices, the peace offering, I will not abide it. Keep your well-fed animals to yourself; I don’t even want to look at them.
Comments:
Amos 5:23
הָסֵ֥ר מֵעָלַ֖י הֲמ֣וֹן שִׁרֶ֑יךָ וְזִמְרַ֥ת נְבָלֶ֖יךָ לֹ֥א אֶשְׁמָֽע׃
Remove from Me the commotion of your songs; and the melody of your lyres, I will not hear.
Paraphrase: Take away your raucous music by which you think to worship Me. (1 Chronicles 23:5; 25:1) All your melodies and harmonizations, your singing and your instrumental music, it is all obnoxious to me.
Comments:
Luther: Here we also see that they used to sing, but just as he thinks that everything else is wicked, so he also condemns their songs or chants. This surely is great boldness on the part of the prophet, who dared to condemn works that appeared to be so very holy. Works, 18.165.
Amos 5:24
וְיִגַּ֥ל כַּמַּ֖יִם מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה כְּנַ֥חַל אֵיתָֽן׃
Let justice roll down as water and righteousness as a perpetual wadi.
Paraphrase: If you want Me to smell your sacrifices and to take pleasure in them, then let justice flow down from the powerful to the poor like water flows down a river bed. Don’t let righteousness be like a wadi that comes and goes. Let it flow constantly and daily in all the courts of justice and for all who come seeking it.
Comments:
For wadi, see the article “brook.” The river נָהָר of Egypt is the Nile; the wadi נַחַל of Egypt is referring to Wadi el-’Arish. A river נָהָר never stops flowing; a wadi נַחַל has flowing water in it only during the rainy season.
Amos 5:25
הַזְּבָחִ֨ים וּמִנְחָ֜ה הִֽגַּשְׁתֶּם-לִ֧י בַמִּדְבָּ֛ר אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Amos 5:26
וּנְשָׂאתֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת סִכּ֣וּת מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת כִּיּ֣וּן צַלְמֵיכֶ֑ם כּוֹכַב֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם לָכֶֽם׃
Amos 5:27
וְהִגְלֵיתִ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵהָ֣לְאָה לְדַמָּ֑שֶׂק אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי-צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמֽוֹ׃פ