Amos 4: Edit history

Amos 4 continues the proclamation of judgment, introduced by "Hear this word," that begins in Amos 3. Whereas chapter 3 addresses the injustice of Samaria and judgment on the altar of Bethel, chapter 4 narrows its focus to Samaria's upper class and their worship.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 The "kine of Bashan," who oppress the poor and indulge in drink, are told that a day is coming when they will be dragged away with hooks and fishhooks and cast into Harmon.
• Verses 4–5 The sacrifices and tithes offered at Bethel and Gilgal are mocked with the ironic summons, "Come to Beth-el, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression."
• Verses 6–11 The chapter lists in turn the calamities God sent: famine, drought, blasting and mildew and the palmerworm, pestilence and sword, and an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Each is followed by the refrain "yet have ye not returned unto me," which is repeated five times.
• Verses 12–13 After the warning "prepare to meet thy God," the chapter closes with a doxology (a brief hymn exalting God) praising "The LORD, The God of hosts," who formed the mountains and created the wind.

Key Verses

• Amos 4:1, "Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan": This verse displays a characteristic feature of the Book of Amos, which grounds prophetic judgment in social injustice.
• Amos 4:6, "yet have ye not returned unto me": This refrain shows that the calamities were meant as a call to repentance.
• Amos 4:12, "prepare to meet thy God": This is the conclusion toward which the entire chapter builds.

People and Places

• Amos: The prophet who delivered this message.
• Samaria: The capital of northern Israel.
• Bashan: A fertile pastureland east of the Jordan, renowned for its well-fed livestock.
• Harmon: Apparently the place to which the people would be taken captive, though its location and meaning are uncertain.
• Bethel and Gilgal: Leading places of worship in northern Israel.
• Egypt and Sodom and Gomorrah: Mentioned as examples of past judgment.

Points for Reflection

• A widely known interpretation takes the "kine of Bashan" to be the wealthy women of Samaria; another reads the phrase as a figure for the ruling class as a whole.
• The tithes "every three days" in verse 4 are sometimes read as an exaggerated satire that twists the tithe offered every three years in Deuteronomy 14.
• Some have observed that the list of calamities in verses 6–11 recalls the ten plagues of the Exodus. The phrase "as a firebrand plucked out of the burning" in verse 11 has a close parallel in Zechariah 3:2.
• Verse 13, together with Amos 5:8–9 and 9:5–6, is counted among the three doxologies of the Book of Amos.
• In its original context, verse 12 is a warning in the face of impending judgment. Because sermons sometimes extend it into a call to prepare for death or for the Second Coming, readers should distinguish between the meaning of the text and its application.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, "prepare to meet thy God" (4:12) is known as a verse frequently quoted in sermons at evangelistic meetings and revival services, as well as on gospel tracts.