Amos 2:6 kjv
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;
Amos 2:6 nkjv
Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they sell the righteous for silver, And the poor for a pair of sandals.
Amos 2:6 niv
This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent. They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.
Amos 2:6 esv
Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals ?
Amos 2:6 nlt
This is what the LORD says: "The people of Israel have sinned again and again,
and I will not let them go unpunished!
They sell honorable people for silver
and poor people for a pair of sandals.
Amos 2 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:6 | "You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit." | Command against perverting justice for the poor. |
| Deut 15:7-8 | "If among you, one of your brothers...is poor...you shall open your hand." | Command to care for the poor and needy. |
| Deut 16:19 | "You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality..." | Imperative against judicial corruption. |
| 1 Sam 8:3 | "...his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice." | Example of judicial corruption. |
| Psa 58:2 | "Yes, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth." | Description of unrighteous judgments. |
| Psa 82:3-4 | "Give justice to the weak and the orphan... Rescue the poor and needy..." | God's call for justice for the vulnerable. |
| Prov 22:22 | "Do not rob the poor, because he is poor..." | Warning against exploiting the poor. |
| Isa 1:23 | "Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not come to them." | Critique of corrupt leaders and perverted justice. |
| Isa 3:14-15 | "The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders... You have devoured the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?" | Judgment for oppression of the poor. |
| Isa 5:23 | "who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!" | Condemnation of unjust legal decisions. |
| Jer 5:28 | "They have grown fat and sleek. They set no bounds to their evil deeds. They do not judge with justice the cause of the fatherless, so that it may prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy." | Lack of justice for vulnerable as a sin. |
| Ezek 22:12 | "...you have taken bribes to shed blood..." | Bribery leading to grave injustice. |
| Hos 4:1-2 | "...there is no faithfulness or steadfast love... but swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery..." | General moral decay, covenant unfaithfulness. |
| Mic 2:1-2 | "Woe to those who devise wickedness... They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a person and his inheritance." | Condemnation of oppression for gain. |
| Mic 3:9-11 | "Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob... who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price..." | Condemnation of leaders' corruption. |
| Zeph 3:1-4 | "Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled... Her officials within her are roaring lions... Her prophets are treacherous, faithless men..." | Prophetic indictment of societal corruption. |
| Joel 3:3 | "They have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine and drunk it." | Selling people for worthless items, similar degradation. |
| Zech 7:9-10 | "Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor..." | Call to righteous judgment and compassion. |
| Matt 25:40 | "...as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." | Christ's identification with the vulnerable. |
| Jas 2:1-4 | "...have not a faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if a man wearing a gold ring..." | Warning against showing partiality to the rich over the poor. |
| Jas 5:1-6 | "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted... Behold, the wages of the laborers... have been withheld by you, cry out against you..." | Judgment on the rich who oppress laborers and the poor. |
| Rom 1:18-32 | Broader passage on God's wrath against human unrighteousness. | Principle of divine wrath against sin. |
Amos 2 verses
Amos 2 6 Meaning
Amos 2:6 delivers God's unyielding judgment against the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It states that their accumulated transgressions have reached an unbearable limit, signaling that divine punishment is imminent and irreversible. The primary reason for this severe judgment is Israel's pervasive social injustice: they pervert the legal system and exploit the poor and innocent for minimal financial gain, showing a profound devaluation of human life and a blatant disregard for righteous judgment.
Amos 2 6 Context
Amos chapter 2 continues the oracles of judgment delivered by the prophet Amos. Chapters 1 and 2 systematically condemn nations surrounding Israel (Damascus, Philistia, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab) for specific atrocities, then moves to Judah for rejecting God's law, and finally zeroes in on Israel. The structure uses a "three transgressions, and for four" formula, which serves as a rhetorical device indicating an overwhelming and accumulated measure of sin that has surpassed God's forbearance. For each nation, a primary sin is cited, but Israel's indictment in 2:6-16 is the most extensive and detailed, reflecting their covenant relationship with Yahweh and therefore a higher standard of accountability. The sins of the surrounding nations often involved inter-national warfare crimes or idolatry. Judah’s sin was rejecting the Law of Yahweh. Israel's specific condemnation here focuses heavily on internal social injustice and ethical failures within their society, striking at the heart of their covenant obligations. This made their sin particularly egregious in God's eyes.
Amos 2 6 Word analysis
- Thus says the Lord: (כה אָמַר יְהוָה, koh amar Yahweh). A definitive prophetic formula asserting divine authority and inspiration behind the message. It signifies that the following words are not human opinion but an unalterable decree from God. This emphasizes the gravity and certainty of the coming judgment.
- For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, (עַל־שְׁלֹשָׁה פִּשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל־אַרְבַּע, al-sh'losha pish'ei Yisra'el v'al-arba). This rhetorical device indicates a full measure, an overflowing, a complete set of sins, or an unbearable accumulation. "Three" sets a baseline, and "four" signifies one more than expected, pushing it beyond all bounds. The judgment is not for literally just four specific sins, but for a multiplicity and continuation of sins that have exhausted God's patience. The word pish'ei (transgressions) signifies willful rebellion, deliberate breaking of the covenant, an act of revolt against God. It suggests not merely accidental wrongdoings but conscious defiance.
- I will not revoke the punishment, (לֹא אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ, lo ashivenoo). Literally, "I will not turn it back" or "I will not retract it." This phrase confirms the finality and irrevocability of the divine decision to punish. God's judgment, once set, will not be reversed or postponed due to their persistent sin. This indicates the gravity of their actions.
- because they sell: (עַל־מִכְרָם, al-mikhram). This phrase denotes the precise reason why God will not revoke His punishment. It means "on account of their selling" or "because they have sold." It points to a systematic, ongoing practice rather than an isolated incident.
- the righteous: (צַדִּיק, tzaddik). Refers to an innocent, just, or upright person. In a judicial context, this indicates a blameless individual who is nevertheless condemned or sold, often in a corrupted legal process. This points to the perversion of justice where innocence offers no protection.
- for silver, This indicates financial gain or a bribe. It highlights the commercialization of justice, where righteous verdicts can be bought or legal cases twisted for money. Silver was a common currency, signifying a straightforward, mercenary exchange.
- and the needy: (אֶבְיוֹן, evyon). This refers to the poor, destitute, or economically vulnerable. These are individuals who lack means, social power, and often cannot defend themselves legally. They are supposed to be under God's special protection.
- for a pair of sandals— (בַּעֲבוּר נַעֲלָיִם, ba'avur na'alayim). This vivid detail represents an extremely trivial sum, a negligible value. It signifies the absolute contempt and devaluation of human life and justice. Judges or accusers were bought off for the cheapest possible payment, reflecting how utterly cheap human dignity and justice had become in Israelite society. It could also literally refer to the price of a poor person sold into slavery for an outstanding debt. The worthlessness assigned to a human being, especially one created in God's image, is central to the outrage expressed.
Amos 2 6 Bonus section
The legal system in ancient Israel, as in other ANE societies, was designed to protect the rights of the weak. However, in Amos's time, this system was completely undermined. Judges were corrupt, witnesses could be bought, and the rich often used their power and influence to manipulate outcomes, effectively making the legal process another means for oppression rather than justice. This was not a minor societal flaw but a systemic injustice that deeply grieved God, violating the very essence of the Mosaic Covenant which championed justice for the vulnerable (Deut 24:14-15; Zech 7:9-10). The phrase "selling the righteous" can imply either accepting bribes to condemn an innocent person, selling them into debt slavery, or extorting property that leads to their destitution. All these actions reflected a severe breach of covenant law, rendering the society dysfunctional and antithetical to God's character.
Amos 2 6 Commentary
Amos 2:6 lays bare Israel's core societal corruption: the widespread perversion of justice and the exploitation of the most vulnerable for base material gain. God's unyielding judgment comes not just for the sins but for the heart behind them—a complete disregard for human dignity and the covenant command to love one's neighbor and execute justice. The shocking "selling" of the righteous and needy, especially for something as worthless as "a pair of sandals," illustrates the extreme depravity and the trivialization of justice and human life within their systems. This sin, rooted in greed, demonstrates a society that has lost its moral compass, prioritizing profit over piety and the vulnerable, thereby breaking their unique relationship with God, who is a defender of the poor and oppressed. The unrevocable nature of the punishment highlights the severe betrayal of God's covenant trust and the accumulated wickedness of a nation that should have known better.