Keraia
Amos 5

Amos 5:1

A Lamentation against Israel · Amos 5:1–3
Read Amos 5

Translations

Modern
Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lamentation I take up against you:
Traditional
Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
Literal
Hear this word that I take up against you as a lamentation, O house of Israel:
Latin
Audite verbum istud, quod ego levo super vos planctum: domus Israël cecidit, et non adjiciet ut resurgat.

Original

Hebrew
English
Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lamentation I take up against you:

Notes

Amos 5:1

lamentation: A lamentation (or lament) is a song or poem of sorrow. It often uses the form of a funeral song, even when it mourns a nation or a people rather than a single death.

The Hebrew word qinah describes a special rhythm used for funeral songs. This rhythm has three beats followed by two beats (3 + 2). Most of the book of Lamentations is written in this qinah rhythm.

This rhythm clearly showed something terrible. Israel was spoken of as if it had already died and was now waiting to be buried.

Amos 5:1–3

The charges against Israel had already been presented (Amos 3:1–2; 4:1–3). Now the time for judgment had come. To make this clear, Amos sang a funeral song for Israel. He spoke as if the nation were already dead.

Amos 3:1–5:17

Amos delivers three prophetic messages to Israel, criticizing their mistaken belief about being God's chosen people. The messages show a progression toward judgment.

Events

People

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes

Glossary

Book of Amos

Topics

Prophecies Concerning Israel: Prophecies Concerning of Captivity, Famine, and Judgments Sin: The Israelites