Keraia
Amos 8

Amos 8:5

The Basket of Summer Fruit · Amos 8:1–14
Read Amos 8

Translations

Modern
…asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat? Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us cheat with dishonest scales.
Traditional
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?
Literal
…saying, “When will the New Moon pass, so that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, that we may trade wheat, making small the ephah and making large the shekel, and cheating with scales of deceit,
Latin
…dicentes: Quando transibit mensis, et venundabimus merces? et sabbatum, et aperiemus frumentum, ut imminuamus mensuram, et augeamus siclum, et supponamus stateras dolosas,

Original

Hebrew
English
…asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat? Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us cheat with dishonest scales.

Notes

Amos 8:5

  • Work was strictly forbidden on the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:9–10). Amos suggests that shops also closed during pagan new-moon religious festivals.

  • Merchants cheated their customers by using small ephahs (containers for measuring grain), so buyers received less than they paid for. They also cheated their suppliers by using heavy shekels (weights of silver) on their scales, so sellers received less payment. God’s law clearly forbade these dishonest practices (Leviticus 19:35–36; Deuteronomy 25:13–16; see Proverbs 11:1; 16:11; 20:10, 23).

Amos 8:4–14

This section provides more details on the accusations and decisions mentioned earlier (read with Amos 2:6–6:14).

Amos 7:1–9:10

This section contains five visions. It is helpful to compare how these visions develop with the judgments listed earlier in Amos 4:6–11.

The judgments listed there include:

  • famine,

  • drought,

  • destruction of crops,

  • plagues, and

  • widespread destruction.

Theme notes and profiles

Concern for the Poor True Justice

Events

People

Sabbath: The seventh day of the week, set apart for rest and worship

Glossary

Apocalyptic Balance, Balances Beggar Book of Amos Book of Micah Book of Zephaniah Feasts and Festivals of Israel Neighbor Prophecy Riches Sabbath Weights and Measures

Topics

Balances: False Balance Used Buying and Selling Dishonesty: General Scriptures Concerning Injustice: Punishment of Measure: An Ephah, Equal to Three Seah, and in Liquid, to a Bath, Containing About a Bushel and a Half Money: Value of, Varied Corruptly Moon: Feast of the New Moon: Traffic at the Time of, Prohibited New Moon: Traffic at Time of, Suspended Oppression: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Sabbath: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Shekel: Corrupted The Feast of the New Moon: Disliked by the Ungodly The Poor: The Wicked: Defraud The Sabbath: The Wicked: Wearied By Visions: To Amos