Amos 5 14

Amos 5:14 kjv

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.

Amos 5:14 nkjv

Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the LORD God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken.

Amos 5:14 niv

Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.

Amos 5:14 esv

Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.

Amos 5:14 nlt

Do what is good and run from evil
so that you may live!
Then the LORD God of Heaven's Armies will be your helper,
just as you have claimed.

Amos 5 verses

Amos 5 14 Meaning

Amos 5:14 is a powerful divine summons to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, urging them to embrace genuine moral righteousness as the foundation for their survival and for experiencing God's true presence. It commands them to diligently pursue that which is inherently good and reject evil, asserting that only through this path will they attain life—both physically in the face of impending judgment and spiritually in a living relationship with God. The verse exposes the Israelites' hollow profession that God was with them, revealing that His actual presence is conditional upon their obedience and moral conduct, not merely upon their ritualistic practices or nationalistic sentiment.

Amos 5 14 Context

Amos chapter 5 begins with a lament over Israel, predicting their downfall, but then transitions into an urgent call to repentance and genuine seeking of the Lord. The surrounding verses in Amos 5 condemn the social injustices, exploitation, and idolatry rampant in the Northern Kingdom despite their religious observances. Israel engaged in pilgrimages to their cultic sites (Bethel, Gilgal, Beersheba), believing they were honoring God and that His presence guaranteed their prosperity and protection. However, their religious rituals were devoid of true righteousness, justice, and mercy, which were foundational to God's covenant with them. Amos 5:14 directly addresses this hypocrisy, stating that the very presence they claim (or desire) from God is contingent upon a fundamental change in their moral conduct and a diligent pursuit of good over evil. The prophetic message is stark: if they desire to live, they must align their lives with God's moral requirements rather than relying on empty ceremonies.

Amos 5 14 Word analysis

• Seek (דִּרְשׁוּ, dirshû): From the root darash. This verb signifies more than a casual inquiry; it implies a diligent, earnest, and intentional pursuit, an active searching, investigation, consultation, and turning toward. It suggests a thorough inquiry or a profound turning of the heart. It contrasts sharply with their half-hearted, performative worship condemned elsewhere by Amos.
• Good (טוֹב, ṭôv): This term extends beyond mere personal well-being or convenience. It encompasses what is morally upright, righteous, ethically correct, beneficial for the community, and ultimately what aligns with God's character and will. It specifically opposes the systemic injustice, corruption, and oppression that Amos continually condemns in Israelite society. Seeking good implies actively doing justice, showing compassion, and upholding integrity in all aspects of life.
• and not evil (וְלֹא-רָע, vᵉlo-raʿ): This is a clear antithetical parallel, reinforcing the active rejection of wickedness. "Evil" (raʿ) refers to that which is harmful, wicked, malicious, unjust, or morally corrupt. The command is not merely passive avoidance but an active aversion to and cessation from wrong actions and intentions. It demands a deliberate choice against sin.
• that ye may live (וּחְיוּ, uḥyû): The consequence of seeking good and rejecting evil. "Live" (ḥāyāh) denotes both physical existence and spiritual vitality. For Israel, it meant escaping the impending judgment of exile and destruction, literally surviving. More profoundly, it signifies having true life in relationship with God, experiencing His blessing and favor, and fulfilling the covenant's promise of abundant life. This living stands in direct contrast to spiritual death and physical annihilation.
• and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you:
  • The Lord (יְהוָה, YHWH): The personal, covenant name of God, emphasizing His unchanging, faithful, and redemptive character. It connects back to His foundational relationship with Israel.
  • the God of hosts (אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת, ʾĕlōhê tsᵉvāʾôt): This title highlights God's sovereignty, immense power, and universal dominion. He is the commander of celestial armies, demonstrating His ability to bring judgment or salvation. Using this title here underscores that this powerful, holy God will not condone their wickedness and that His presence is not trivial.
  • shall be with you (yihyeh ʿimkem): This phrase indicates God's favorable and active presence. Israel cherished the idea that God was "with them" (a common nationalistic claim, cf. Amos 5:18, Day of the Lord), guaranteeing their success. However, Amos challenges this misconception, asserting that God's true, beneficial presence is contingent upon their moral purity, not just their religious rituals or national identity. Their concept of God's presence was misguided.
• as ye have spoken (kaʾăšer ʾămartem): This clause is highly ironic and polemical. Israel verbally professed that God was with them ("God is in our midst"). They expected His protection and blessing merely because they were His chosen people or because they performed rituals. Amos exposes their hypocrisy, effectively saying: "You claim God is with you? Then let your actions align with that claim. Only if you truly seek good will your empty boast become a reality." It reveals a disconnect between their theological profession and their lived ethics.

Amos 5 14 Bonus section

The command to "seek good" rather than seeking the Lord in the traditional cultic places (as mentioned earlier in Amos 5:4-5: "Seek ye not Bethel... seek not Gilgal...") suggests that seeking good is synonymous with seeking God in a profound, practical way. For Amos, true worship of YHWH manifests not in temple pilgrimages alone, but in societal justice, mercy, and personal righteousness. The false belief of the Israelites, that the "Day of the Lord" (Amos 5:18) would be a day of national triumph because "God is with us," is utterly shattered by this verse. Instead, God's true presence demands accountability and ethical living, or it becomes a consuming fire rather than a comforting presence. This prophetic call anticipates New Testament teachings where love for God is intrinsically linked to love for neighbor and practical acts of righteousness.

Amos 5 14 Commentary

Amos 5:14 is a piercing indictment wrapped in a conditional promise. It confronts the fundamental error of the Northern Kingdom: believing that religious observance, national identity, or mere vocal declaration could substitute for a life of practical righteousness. The verse is not merely a call to ethical living but an assertion that genuine life and God's saving presence are contingent upon such conduct. Their ritualistic worship, condemned in prior verses, was utterly worthless in the face of widespread injustice. God, the sovereign Lord of hosts, does not bestow His favor indiscriminately. His being "with them" – a phrase they likely used as a nationalistic chant for security – was conditioned by their moral integrity. This verse dismantles the false assurance of a complacent people, clarifying that the relationship with God demands internal transformation that expresses itself in outward actions of justice and goodness, for the purpose of true and abundant life. It stands as a timeless principle: divine favor follows ethical faithfulness.