The Meaning of Amos 4:10 Explained

Amos 4:10

KJV: I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

YLT: I have sent among you pestilence by the way of Egypt, I have slain by sword your choice ones, With your captive horses, And I cause the stink of your camps to come up -- even into your nostrils, And ye have not turned back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Darby: I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, taking away captive your horses; and I made the stench of your camps to come up, even into your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

ASV: I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have carried away your horses; and I have made the stench of your camp to come up even into your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I have sent  among you the pestilence  after the manner  of Egypt:  your young men  have I slain  with the sword,  and have taken away  your horses;  and I have made the stink  of your camps  to come up  unto your nostrils:  yet have ye not returned  unto me, saith  the LORD. 

What does Amos 4:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Wars had brought various plagues on the Israelites, and many of their soldiers had died (cf. 1 Kings 8:33; 1 Kings 8:37). The plagues on the Israelites should have made them conclude that God was now judging them. God had plagued His people as He formerly had plagued the Egyptians. The stench of dead bodies should have led the people to repent, but it did not (cf. Leviticus 26:16-17; Leviticus 26:25; Leviticus 26:31-39; Deuteronomy 28:21-22; Deuteronomy 28:25-27; Deuteronomy 28:35; Deuteronomy 28:49-52; Deuteronomy 28:59-61; Deuteronomy 29:23-28).

Context Summary

Amos 4:1-11 - Calamities Are God's Warnings
Speaking after the imagery of his vocation, Amos the herdsman compares the rich and powerful of Samaria, who were living in luxury and wantonness, to the kine of Bashan, a breed of cattle notorious for strength and stubbornness. They broke through hedges, threw down fences, trespassed on neighboring pastures, and gored lesser cattle. The judges and magistrates were in cruel collusion with the masters who oppressed the serfs, and were willing to condone breaches of the law for drink. Sacrifices and tithes were rigorously maintained, but the entire religious system was rotten.
Already heavy judgment had fallen upon the degenerate people. There had been famine, the intermission of the rainy seasons, blasting and mildew, pestilence and murrain-but all in vain. That God was behind these phenomena was obvious from the fact that rain showers had fallen in one place and not in another. There had been a method in God's dealings that indicated a personal agency. The worst cities had suffered the most. But the people had refused to lay it to heart. Note the sorrowful refrain-yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. It may be that some reader of these lines may find herein a clue to the mysterious succession of strokes that have befallen himself and his household. [source]

Chapter Summary: Amos 4

1  He reproves Israel for oppression,
4  for idolatry,
6  and for their incorrigibleness

What do the individual words in Amos 4:10 mean?

I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt I killed with a sword Your young men Along with captive your horses and I made come up the stench of your camps and into your nostrils and yet not you have returned to Me says Yahweh
שִׁלַּ֨חְתִּי בָכֶ֥ם דֶּ֙בֶר֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם הָרַ֤גְתִּי בַחֶ֙רֶב֙ בַּח֣וּרֵיכֶ֔ם עִ֖ם שְׁבִ֣י סֽוּסֵיכֶ֑ם וָאַעֲלֶ֞ה בְּאֹ֤שׁ מַחֲנֵיכֶם֙ וּֽבְאַפְּכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־ שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה

שִׁלַּ֨חְתִּי  I  sent 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
בָכֶ֥ם  among  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
דֶּ֙בֶר֙  a  plague 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּבֶר 
Sense: pestilence, plague.
בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ  after  the  manner 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
מִצְרַ֔יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
הָרַ֤גְתִּי  I  killed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
בַחֶ֙רֶב֙  with  a  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
בַּח֣וּרֵיכֶ֔ם  Your  young  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: youth, young man.
עִ֖ם  Along  with 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
שְׁבִ֣י  captive 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שְׁבִי 
Sense: captivity, captives.
סֽוּסֵיכֶ֑ם  your  horses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
וָאַעֲלֶ֞ה  and  I  made  come  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
בְּאֹ֤שׁ  the  stench 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּאֹשׁ  
Sense: stench, foul odour.
מַחֲנֵיכֶם֙  of  your  camps 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
וּֽבְאַפְּכֶ֔ם  and  into  your  nostrils 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
וְלֹֽא־  and  yet  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם  you  have  returned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
עָדַ֖י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.