The Meaning of Amos 4:4 Explained

Amos 4:4

KJV: Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:

YLT: Enter ye Beth-El, and transgress, At Gilgal multiply transgression, And bring in every morning your sacrifices, Every third year your tithes.

Darby: Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices in the morning, your tithes every three days,

ASV: Come to Beth-el, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes every three days;

What does Amos 4:4 Mean?

Study Notes

Beth-el
Cf. 1 Kings 12:25-33 . Any altar at Beth-el, after the establishment of Jehovah's worship at Jerusalem was of necessity divisive and schismatic. Deuteronomy 12:4-14 . Cf.; John 4:21-24 ; Matthew 18:20 ; Hebrews 13:10-14 .

Verse Meaning

Ironically the Lord told these sinful Israelites to go to Bethel but to transgress, not to worship. Such a call parodied the summons of Israel"s priests to come to the sanctuary to worship (cf. Psalm 95:6; Psalm 96:8-9; Psalm 100:2-4). Bethel was the most popular religious site in the Northern Kingdom, but the Lord looked at what the people did there as transgressing His law rather than worshipping Him. Gilgal, another worship center, was evidently the Gilgal where the Israelites had entered the Promised Land and had erected memorial stones ( Joshua 4:20-24). Other references to it indicate that it was a place that pilgrims visited and where they sacrificed in Amos" day (cf. Amos 5:5; Hosea 4:15; Hosea 9:15; Hosea 12:11). At Gilgal (from Heb. galal, to roll) God had rolled away the reproach of Egypt from His people (cf. Joshua 5:9), but now they were bringing reproach on themselves again by their idolatry at Gilgal.
God hyperbolically and ironically urged the people to bring their sacrifices every morning and their tithes every three days (rather than every three years as the Law required, cf. Deuteronomy 14:28-29). Even if they sacrificed every morning and tithed every three days they would only be rebelling against God. The people were careful to worship regularly, but it was a ritual contrary to God"s will.
"It"s as though a pastor today said to his congregation, "Sure, go ahead and attend church, but by attending, you"re only sinning more.... Your heart isn"t serious about knowing God or doing His will. Since it"s all just playacting."" [1]

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 4:4 mean?

Come to Bethel and transgress at Gilgal multiply transgression and bring every morning your sacrifices every three days Your tithes
בֹּ֤אוּ בֵֽית־ אֵל֙ וּפִשְׁע֔וּ הַגִּלְגָּ֖ל הַרְבּ֣וּ לִפְשֹׁ֑עַ וְהָבִ֤יאוּ לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ זִבְחֵיכֶ֔ם לִשְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִ֖ים מַעְשְׂרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם

בֹּ֤אוּ  Come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵל֙  Bethel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־אֵל  
Sense: ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name).
וּפִשְׁע֔וּ  and  transgress 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: פָּשַׁע  
Sense: to rebel, transgress, revolt.
הַגִּלְגָּ֖ל  at  Gilgal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְגָּל 
Sense: the first site of an Israelite camp west of the Jordan, east of Jericho, here Samuel was judge, and Saul was made king; later used for illicit worship.
הַרְבּ֣וּ  multiply 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
לִפְשֹׁ֑עַ  transgression 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: פָּשַׁע  
Sense: to rebel, transgress, revolt.
וְהָבִ֤יאוּ  and  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙  every  morning 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
זִבְחֵיכֶ֔ם  your  sacrifices 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: זֶבַח  
Sense: sacrifice.
לִשְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת  every  three 
Parse: Preposition-l, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
יָמִ֖ים  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
מַעְשְׂרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם  Your  tithes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: מַעֲשֵׂר  
Sense: tithe, tenth part.