Amos 8:5 kjv
Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Amos 8:5 nkjv
Saying: "When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit,
Amos 8:5 niv
saying, "When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"? skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales,
Amos 8:5 esv
saying, "When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances,
Amos 8:5 nlt
You can't wait for the Sabbath day to be over
and the religious festivals to end
so you can get back to cheating the helpless.
You measure out grain with dishonest measures
and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales.
Amos 8 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Amos 8:5 | "when will the new moon be over, that we may buy grain, and the Sabbath, that we may sell wheat..." | Refers to commercial greed overriding sacred observances. |
| Amos 2:6 | "...because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—" | Shows the practice of oppressing the poor for financial gain. |
| Amos 4:1 | "Hear this word, you kine of Bashan, who are in the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy..." | Highlights the oppressive nature of the rulers, like these women. |
| Amos 5:11 | "Because you tread on the poor and take from him exactions of wheat, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them..." | Directly links oppression of the poor with exploitation of resources. |
| Amos 5:12 | "For I know your transgressions that are many, and your sins that are mighty. They have set their face against the just, they have taken a bribe, and they have turned aside the needy in the gate." | Further details on unjust dealings and corruption in the legal system. |
| Micah 6:10-12 | "Does there not yet remain the iniquity of the wicked in the houses of the wicked, and the scant measure that is an abomination? Shall I count blameless the wicked scales and the bag of deceitful weights?" | Condemnation of dishonest weights and measures, paralleling Amos's theme. |
| Proverbs 11:1 | "A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight." | Reinforces the divine displeasure with dishonest commercial practices. |
| Deuteronomy 25:13-16 | "You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small." | Prohibition against deceptive weights, a core of the sin addressed. |
| Matthew 21:12-13 | "And Jesus entered the temple of God and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”" | Jesus' action against commercial exploitation in the sacred space, echoing Amos's condemnation. |
| Luke 12:15 | "And he said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'" | Warns against the very heart of the sin described in Amos—greed. |
| 1 Timothy 6:10 | "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils." | Identifies the root cause of the actions depicted in Amos. |
| 1 Peter 4:8 | "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." | Contrasts the love and unity God desires with the divisive greed of the exploiters. |
| Psalm 82:3-4 | "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." | A plea for justice for the poor, highlighting the opposite of what Israel was doing. |
| Isaiah 5:8 | "Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!" | Denounces the land-grabbing and insatiable greed. |
| Jeremiah 6:13 | "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet even to priest, everyone deals falsely." | Broadens the condemnation of greed and dishonesty to all levels of society. |
| Ezekiel 22:27-29 | "Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and destroy lives to get dishonest gain. Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and lying to them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken." | Accusation of corrupt leadership and false prophecy serving selfish interests. |
| Genesis 3:16 | "To the woman he said, 'I will surely multiply your pain in childbirth; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, and he shall rule over you.'" | Indirectly speaks to a broken humanity marred by sin that leads to oppressive desires and actions. |
| 1 Corinthians 10:13 | "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." | Encourages reliance on God to overcome temptations like greed. |
| Colossians 3:5 | "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." | Identifies greed as a form of idolatry, a focus on earthly gain over God. |
| Hebrews 12:14 | "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." | Connects holiness with peaceful relationships, contrasting with the exploitation described. |
| Hosea 12:7 | "He is a merchant; the balances of deceit are in his hand; he loves to oppress." | Describes a similar exploitative merchant, illustrating a pervasive societal sin. |
Amos 8 verses
Amos 8 5 Meaning
The verse declares the Lord's imminent judgment on Israel for their greedy and exploitative practices. Specifically, it highlights their dishonest business dealings where they impatiently waited for the new moon to resume their unfair trade, and then sought to profit dishonestly from the sale of worthless remnants of grain, extending the day's exploitation with further deceitful pricing.
Amos 8 5 Context
Chapter 8 of Amos prophesies judgment against the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly during a time of outward prosperity but inward spiritual decay and social injustice. The prophet delivers God's indictment through symbolic visions. This particular verse sets the stage for a denunciation of commercial exploitation, where religious observances are disregarded or manipulated for the sake of profit. The mention of the "new moon" and the "Sabbath" highlights how even holy times are corrupted by covetousness. The overall context is one of God’s righteous anger against a people who, despite God’s blessings, have become ethically bankrupt, oppressing the poor and valuing material gain above divine law and human compassion. This judgment is not a sudden impulse but a response to persistent rebellion.
Amos 8 5 Word Analysis
- "When": Indicates a point in time, specifically when a sacred period ends, allowing illicit business to resume.
- "will the new moon be over":
- "new moon" (Chodesh - חֹדֶשׁ): This refers to the monthly celebration marking the beginning of a new lunar month, often observed with special sacrifices and a cessation of ordinary work (Numbers 28:11-14).
- "over" (Hithaphekh - הִתְהַפֵּךְ): Literally "turn over," meaning to pass, come to an end. It suggests the impatience for its conclusion.
- "that we may buy grain": The desire is to resume commercial activity. "Buy" (Likhneh - לִקְנוֹת) implies the transaction of acquiring goods.
- "and the Sabbath":
- "Sabbath" (Shabbat - שַׁבָּת): The divinely ordained day of rest and worship, intended for spiritual focus and ceasing of labor (Exodus 20:8-11).
- "that we may sell wheat": The anticipation of resuming sales with dishonest intentions. "Sell" (Lishbor - לִשְׁבּוֹר) can mean to sell or to offer for sale.
- "making the ephah small":
- "making" (Kattenu - קָטַנּוּ): "To make small."
- "ephah" (Ephah - אֵיפָה): A Hebrew dry measure, typically holding about 10 ephahs, roughly equivalent to 10 dry gallons or 39 liters. Using a smaller measure cheated the buyer of the quantity they paid for.
- "and the shekel great":
- "shekel" (Sheqel - שֶׁקֶל): A unit of weight and currency. Here, it likely refers to the weight used to cheat customers in weighing goods, possibly also implying using a heavier weight for payment.
- "great" (Gadowl - גָּדוֹל): Large. They would give short measure in grain but demand full payment or even more.
- "and falsifying the balances by deceit":
- "falsifying" (Mekhaprthen - מְחֻפַּרְתֶּם): "To falsify," "to cheat." Refers to tampering with the measuring instruments.
- "balances" (Moznayim - מֹאזְנַיִם): Scales used for weighing.
- "deceit" (Mirmeh - מִרְמָה): Deception, fraud.
- "that we may buy the needy for money":
- "buy" (Nikneh - נִקְנֶה): "To acquire," "to purchase."
- "needy" (Dal - דָּל): The poor, the weak, those in distress. They are treated as commodities.
- "and the destitute for a pair of sandals":
- "destitute" (Ebyon - אֶבְיוֹן): The needy, the poor.
- "pair of sandals" (Shag-Sna'al - שְׁנֵי סַנְדָּל): A metaphor for a very low price, indicating extreme contempt for human worth, reducing a person's value to a common, inexpensive item.
- "and sell the refuse of the wheat":
- "sell" (Niqneh - נִקְנֶה): "To buy" or "sell." Here it implies selling off even the poor quality, discardable grain.
- "refuse" (Sibborith - סִבֹּרֶת): "Screenings," "tailings," or "chaff" – the worthless remnants of grain left after proper milling and winnowing.
Amos 8 5 Bonus Section
The "new moon" was a significant marker in the Israelite calendar, often observed with heightened religious practices and rest, akin to the Sabbath. The corrupt merchants' eagerness to end these observances highlights how their devotion was superseded by greed. The act of "selling the needy for silver, and the destitute for a pair of sandals" (Amos 2:6) is a powerful metaphor illustrating how people’s basic humanity and rights were treated as worthless commodities, bartered away for insignificant profit. This points to a severe breakdown in social justice and the integrity of the covenant community, where the weak were exploited instead of protected. The reference to selling "refuse wheat" implies that not only were they short-changing their customers on good quality grain, but they were also passing off what should have been discarded as marketable goods. This showcases a culture that valued deception and profit over honesty, quality, and basic human dignity, reflecting a deep spiritual decay.
Amos 8 5 Commentary
This verse condemns the ingrained greed and dishonesty permeating Israelite society. The people impatiently await the end of sacred times—the new moon and Sabbath—not to worship or rest, but to resume their exploitative commercial practices. Their primary sin is perverting God’s ordained periods of rest and devotion into opportunities for dishonest gain. They manipulate weights and measures, using small measures for selling goods and larger ones for receiving payment, effectively stealing from their customers. Their cruelty extends to dehumanizing the poor, reducing them to items to be purchased for trivial amounts like a pair of sandals. This commodification of human beings, especially the vulnerable, is a severe indictment. Furthermore, they are willing to sell even the lowest quality grain, the refuse, demonstrating a complete lack of integrity and compassion. This represents a profound corruption where commerce has replaced conscience, and financial profit outweighs spiritual obligation and ethical treatment. The people’s actions show a complete disregard for God’s law regarding justice and fair dealings, reflecting a spiritual emptiness and a focus on earthly riches above divine righteousness.