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Amos 8

14 verses

TL;DR

God warns Israel of impending judgment and the eventual calamity that will bring about mourning and famine, emphasizing social injustice as the cause. The passage describes the destruction that will occur because of oppression and deceit.

Summary

The prophet Amos receives a vision of a basket of summer fruit, symbolizing the impending end of the nation. The Lord declares that He will no longer pass by Israel and that the songs of the temple will turn into howlings. Amos rebukes those who oppress the poor, exploiting them for profit and falsifying measures of weight and money. The Lord vows to bring judgment, describing a flood, darkness at noon, and a turning of feasts into mourning. He promises a unique famine—one of hearing the Word of God—that will leave people wandering without understanding. The text ends with the demise of those who boast of regional gods, signifying the futility of false worship.

Outline
  1. Vision of a basket of fruit and God's warning
  2. Condemnation of social injustice and deception
  3. Description of judgment and the famine of hearing
Themes
Social JusticeDivine JudgmentProphetic Warning
Keywords
judgmentinjusticeoppressionfamineprophesysacrificesackclothbalancedeceit
People
AmosLord GODIsrael
Places
SamariaDanBeershebaIsraelEgypt
Things
basket of summer fruitephahshekelsackclothbaldnessfloodsundeceitful balances
Key Verses
  • Amos 8:8: The Lord swears by Jacob’s excellence, emphasizing the seriousness of the judgment.
  • Amos 8:9-10: The striking image of the sun setting at noon and the earth turning dark signifies total darkness and disaster.
  • Amos 8:11-12: The unique ‘famine of hearing’ highlights spiritual barrenness and the need for true revelation.
Questions
  • How does Amos link social injustice to divine judgment?
  • What might the sun going down at noon symbolize in this prophetic context?
  • Why does God describe a famine of hearing rather than a physical famine?
  • What does the passage suggest about the futility of false gods?
Sentiment

negative
The tone is one of harsh judgment, foreboding, and condemnation of oppression.