Amos 5 7

Amos 5:7 kjv

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

Amos 5:7 nkjv

You who turn justice to wormwood, And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!"

Amos 5:7 niv

There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground.

Amos 5:7 esv

O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth!

Amos 5:7 nlt

You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed.
You treat the righteous like dirt.

Amos 5 verses

Amos 5 7 Meaning

Amos 5:7 is a powerful prophetic indictment against the people of Israel, specifically targeting those in authority, particularly the judges and leaders. It exposes their grave moral and spiritual perversion by metaphorically declaring that they have transformed the very essence of societal order—justice—into bitterness and sorrow, and have cast down righteousness, rendering it utterly contemptible and ineffective. This verse encapsulates Israel's profound failure to uphold God's covenant principles, leading to widespread oppression and corruption.

Amos 5 7 Context

Amos chapter 5 presents a lament over Israel's spiritual deadness, urging the people to "seek the LORD and live" (Amos 5:4, 6, 14). This call for genuine repentance, however, is contrasted sharply with their pervasive injustice. The chapter critiques their empty rituals and formal worship (Amos 5:21-24) while highlighting the rampant social ills that plague the nation. Verse 7 specifically points to the systemic perversion of justice by those entrusted to uphold it.

Historically, Amos prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 BC) in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, a period of economic prosperity but profound spiritual decay. The wealth accumulation led to a widening gap between the rich and poor, and corruption permeated all levels of society, especially the courts. The powerful oppressed the vulnerable, using their position to deny fair trials and manipulate legal proceedings. Amos's message serves as a direct polemic against this prevailing societal sin, revealing that their apparent prosperity and religious activities were detestable to God in the face of such profound moral depravity and abuse of power.

Amos 5 7 Word analysis

• You who turn (הַהֹפְכִים, ha-hopkhim): This participle identifies a specific group, emphasizing their active and continuous perversion. It implies a deliberate reversal or transformation of something good into its opposite. The "you" is an accusatory direct address, likely aimed at those in power or leadership positions responsible for upholding the law, such as judges.
• justice (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat): This is a key biblical term encompassing more than just legal judgments. It refers to God's standard of righteous behavior, the proper order of society, and the act of doing what is right and fair, especially for the vulnerable. It implies rectitude, equity, and the restoration of what is broken or oppressed. Its perversion is a profound breach of divine covenant.
• to wormwood (לַעֲנָה, la'anah): This word refers to a bitter herb (wormwood/artemisia) known for its extreme bitterness and, in biblical contexts, is often associated with poison, calamity, and deep sorrow. Metaphorically, it means turning something intended for life and flourishing (justice) into something that brings bitterness, distress, destruction, and spiritual death. It signifies a profound and grievous distortion, resulting in misery for those affected by such injustice.
• and cast (וְהִנִּיחוּ, ve-hinnichu): This verb means to "set down," "leave," or "put aside," but in this context, it carries the strong connotation of dismissing, abandoning, or treating with contempt. It implies a disregard, a willful neglect, or even a violent rejection.
• righteousness (צְדָקָה, tsedaqah): This term is closely related to mishpat. While mishpat is about right ruling and fair administration, tsedaqah emphasizes moral rectitude, integrity, and upright conduct, particularly in social and communal relations. It is living in conformity to God's standards, manifested through acts of social justice and integrity. It is God's own character and what He demands from His people.
• to the ground (לָאָרֶץ, la'aretz): This imagery denotes devaluing, debasing, trampling upon, or utterly destroying something. To "cast to the ground" implies rendering something worthless, inoperative, or utterly contemptible. It conveys a picture of profound contempt and complete rejection.

• "You who turn justice to wormwood": This phrase highlights a fundamental subversion of divine order. What should bring stability, peace, and flourishing (justice) is twisted into an outcome that yields bitterness, sorrow, and devastation for those who suffer its effects. It indicates that the legal system, meant to protect, was instead a source of deep suffering and an affront to God.
• "and cast righteousness to the ground": This is a parallel and reinforcing statement. It vividly portrays the utter disregard for moral integrity and upright behavior within the community. Instead of being valued and upheld as foundational, righteousness is thrown aside, discredited, and treated with utter contempt, symbolizing a complete collapse of moral standards. These two phrases together represent a systematic and pervasive moral rot at the heart of Israelite society.

Amos 5 7 Bonus section

The strong imagery in Amos 5:7 functions as a covenant lawsuit against Israel. God had established a covenant with Israel at Sinai that mandated the upholding of justice and righteousness as central tenets of their national life and their identity as God's people. By actively subverting these foundational principles, Israel was demonstrating their utter breach of this covenant, incurring divine judgment. The "you" is plural, suggesting a pervasive cultural and governmental failure, not merely isolated incidents. The dual concepts of mishpat and tsedaqah often appear together in the prophetic books, highlighting the holistic nature of God's ethical demands for His people: justice being the proper ordering of society, and righteousness being the moral integrity of its members and their actions. To pollute the former and debase the latter signified the comprehensive failure of the nation.

Amos 5 7 Commentary

Amos 5:7 pierces through the outward religiosity of Israel to expose the systemic corruption at its core. The verse condemns those with power—presumably the judiciary and leaders—for their grotesque perversion of justice and righteousness. They have not merely failed to uphold these divine standards; they have actively inverted them. "Justice" (mishpat), intended to secure societal order, fairness, and the protection of the weak, is twisted into "wormwood" (la'anah), resulting in a bitter, toxic experience for those who should benefit from it, particularly the oppressed. This transformation implies that what should bring life instead inflicts profound suffering and sorrow.

Concurrently, "righteousness" (tsedaqah), the ethical uprightness and moral integrity essential for communal well-being and a reflection of God's character, is "cast to the ground." This powerful image signifies its complete abandonment, rendering it valueless and utterly trampled underfoot. The people, especially the leadership, were rejecting the very ethical fabric woven into God's covenant with Israel. This rejection was not a passive omission but an active act of contempt, demonstrating that Israel's moral compass was utterly broken. The spiritual implications are dire: to pervert mishpat and trample tsedaqah is a direct affront to God, who Himself is characterized by justice and righteousness, signaling an imminent and inevitable divine judgment. It challenges us today to examine if our systems and actions genuinely uphold God's justice or if they inflict bitterness upon others, betraying true righteousness for personal gain or convenience.