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Amos 6

KJV · Chapter 6/9

1Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

2Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

3Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

4That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

5That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

6That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

7Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

8The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.

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

10And a man’s uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.

11For, behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.

12Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

13Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

14But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Amos denounces the arrogant complacency of Samaria's elite, who live in luxury and pleasure while ignoring the nation's approaching ruin, comparing Israel's pride to other cities already destroyed.

Explanation

'Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria' describes people so comfortable in their wealth (beds of ivory, refined music, wine by the bowlful, the finest oils) that they had completely lost all sensitivity to the crisis unfolding around them. The reference to being 'not grieved for the affliction of Joseph' is central: the elite feel no compassion for the suffering of the rest of the people. The comparison with cities like Calneh, Hamath, and Gath, already destroyed or weakened, serves as a warning that Samaria is not special or immune to the same fate. The lesson for today: excessive material comfort can numb social and spiritual conscience, making people indifferent to the suffering of others.

Fun facts

  • 'Like David' (v. 5), in mentioning the invention of musical instruments, is an almost ironic reference: David invented instruments to praise God, while Samaria's elite used them merely for self-indulgent entertainment.
  • Archaeological excavations in Samaria confirmed luxurious structures and ivory objects dated to exactly the period of Amos, giving direct historical support to the prophet's criticism of the capital's excessive wealth.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Amos 6:1“At ease in Zion” and “trust in the mountain of Samaria” describes the false security of the elites of both Judah and Israel — the two kingdoms, each in its own capital, thinking nothing could touch them.
  2. Amos 6:2An ironic challenge: go look at other powerful cities that have already fallen, to realize that Israel is no better or safer than they were.
  3. Amos 6:3The elite prefers to ignore the warning of an approaching “evil day,” while continuing to practice violence and injustice day to day.
  4. Amos 6:4Beds of ivory, choice lambs, and music all day describe the luxurious banquets of Samaria’s elite; the problem, stated in the next verse, is that no one there cared about the ruin already knocking at the people’s door.
  5. Amos 6:5Describes this elite’s life of luxury, enjoying refined music, in an ironic comparison with David, who composed music to worship God, not for empty parties.
  6. Amos 6:6Drinking wine by the bowlful and using the most expensive oils while “they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph” sums up the whole book’s accusation: abundance with no compassion whatsoever for the suffering of the rest of the nation.
  7. Amos 6:7Precisely because of this carefree life of luxury, this elite will be the first to go into exile, putting an end to the parties for good.
  8. Amos 6:8God swears by himself, a solemn expression, that he detests the pride of Israel and will hand the whole city over to destruction.
  9. Amos 6:9Even the few survivors gathered in a single house will end up dying — the scale of the death toll described in blunt terms.
  10. Amos 6:10A scene of intimate horror: a relative comes to collect the bodies, and no one dares even mention the name of the Lord, afraid of drawing more judgment.
  11. Amos 6:11The judgment will strike both the rich (“great house”) and the poor (“little house”) — no one is left out of the destruction.
  12. Amos 6:12“Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen?” are deliberately absurd questions, because what Israel did is just as absurd: turning justice, which should be natural, into poison.
  13. Amos 6:13The elite takes pride in recent military conquests, crediting the success entirely to their own strength, without acknowledging God behind it.
  14. Amos 6:14God’s response to the pride of the previous verse: he himself will raise up an enemy nation, Assyria, to oppress Israel from one end of the territory to the other.

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