Amos 6:9

7 Therefore they shall now go ^acaptive as the first of the captives,
And those who recline at banquets shall be removed.

8 ^aThe Lord God has sworn by Himself,
The Lord God of hosts says:
“I abhor ^bthe pride of Jacob,
And hate his palaces;
Therefore I will deliver up the city
And all that is in it.”

9 Then it shall come to pass, that if ten men remain in one house, they shall die.

10 And when¹ a relative of the dead, with one who will burn the bodies, picks up the² bodies to take them out of the house, he will say to one inside the house, “Are there any more with you?” Then someone will say, “None.” And he will say, ^a“Hold your tongue! ^bFor we dare not mention the name of the Lord.”

11 For behold, ^athe Lord gives a command:
^bHe will break the great house into bits,
And the little house into pieces.

12 Do horses run on rocks?
Does one plow there with oxen?
Yet ^ayou have turned justice into gall,
And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
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Amos 6:10 >>

What Does Amos 6:9 Mean?

Amos 6:9-10

Amos 6:4-6 mentions feasting, indulging in artificial stimulation, listening to unusual music, and taking excessive and vain measures in personal hygiene. The single idea behind these illustrations is that the excesses of powerful Israelites were possible because of their oppression of the weak and poor.

By contrast, verses 9-10 show ten common Israelites huddled together in one house in fear of the war-induced plagues. People will die so rapidly that the survivors, looking out for themselves, will not take the time to bury the bodies of their own families but burn them in huge funeral pyres. These survivors will eventually recognize that God has dissociated Himself from them, and they will consider it an evil thing even to mention His name! How very bitter! And how very far from God!

The people, whether rich and indulgent or poor and deprived, were self-concerned. Throughout chapter six, Amos balances complacency and disaster, boasting and fear, showing that they result from rejecting God and idolizing self. Inevitably, God will send judgment upon Israel.

John W. Ritenbaugh and Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Prepare to Meet Your God! (Part Four)

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What Does Amos 6:9 Mean?

Amos 6:9-10

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