The Meaning of Amos 5:16 Explained

Amos 5:16

KJV: Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

YLT: Therefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Hosts, the Lord, In all broad places is lamentation, And in all out-places they say, 'Alas, alas,' And called the husbandman to mourning, And to lamentation the skilful of wailing.

Darby: Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the Lord: Wailing shall be in all broadways; and they shall say in all the streets, Alas! alas! And they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

ASV: Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the Lord: Wailing shall be in all the broad ways; and they shall say in all the streets, Alas! Alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful in lamentation to wailing.

Discover Amos 5:16

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Amos 5:16?

MEANING: What does Amos 5:16 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Amos 5:16 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Amos 5:16?

What is the context of Amos 5:16?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing [shall be] in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

What does Amos 5:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Amos 5:16-27 - A Dark Day For Hypocrites

Mighty sins had been committed, and mighty judgments were at hand. The oppression of the poor, Amos 5:11; the erection of elegant dwellings from unrighteous exactions, Amos 5:11; the acceptance of bribes to betray the needy, Amos 5:12 all these must be reckoned with. But if the guilty nation would not seek God and establish judgment in the gate, where magistrates sat to dispense justice, the streets would be filled with wailing, and the husbandmen and vine-dressers would be equally affected by the widespread desolation as the dwellers in the cities.

Moreover, bad as Israel's present condition was, it would become infinitely worse, as though a man fleeing from a lion rushed into the arms of a bear, or, taking refuge in a house, was stung by a serpent that lay hid in a cranny of the wall. Of what avail are religious rites, when the heart is alienated from God, Amos 5:21, etc.? Let us heed well the exhortation of Amos 5:23-24. The martyr Stephen quoted Amos 5:25-27, which accuse the people of carrying about little shrines and pocket-idols, to serve as amulets averting disaster, Acts 7:43. But they might as well have built a bank of sand to arrest an overflowing flood! The one thing which is going to help us is repentance toward God and faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: Amos 5

¹ A lamentation for Israel
⁴ An exhortation to repentance
²¹ God rejects their hypocritical service

What do the individual words in Amos 5:16 mean?

Therefore this says Yahweh God of hosts the Lord in all streets [There shall be] wailing and in all the highways they shall say Alas Alas and they shall call the plowman to mourning and to wailing Unto skillful lamenters

לָ֠כֵן כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י צְבָאוֹת֙ אֲדֹנָ֔י בְּכָל־ רְחֹב֣וֹת מִסְפֵּ֔ד וּבְכָל־ חוּצ֖וֹת יֹאמְר֣וּ הוֹ־ ! ה֑וֹ וְקָרְא֤וּ אִכָּר֙ אֶל־ אֵ֔בֶל וּמִסְפֵּ֖ד אֶל־ י֥וֹדְעֵי נֶֽהִי

כֹּֽה־	this
Parse: Adverb Root: כֹּה Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֨ר	says
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: אָמַר Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֜ה	Yahweh
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: יהוה Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֤י	God
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct Root: אֱלֹהִים Sense: (plural).
צְבָאוֹת֙	of hosts
Parse: Noun, common plural Root: צָבָא Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
אֲדֹנָ֔י	the Lord
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: אֲדֹנָי Sense: my lord, lord.
בְּכָל־	in all
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct Root: כֹּל Sense: all, the whole.
רְחֹב֣וֹת	streets
Parse: Noun, masculine plural Root: רְחֹב Sense: broad or open place or plaza.
מִסְפֵּ֔ד	[There shall be] wailing
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: מִסְפֵּד Sense: wailing.
וּבְכָל־	and in all
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct Root: כֹּל Sense: all, the whole.
חוּצ֖וֹת	the highways
Parse: Noun, masculine plural Root: חוּץ Sense: outside, outward, street, the outside.
יֹאמְר֣וּ	they shall say
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural Root: אָמַר Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הוֹ־	Alas
Parse: Interjection Root: הֹו Sense: alas!, ah!.
! ה֑וֹ	Alas
Parse: Interjection Root: הֹו Sense: alas!, ah!.
וְקָרְא֤וּ	and they shall call
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural Root: קָרָא Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אִכָּר֙	the plowman
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: אִכָּר Sense: plowman, husbandman, farmer.
אֵ֔בֶל	mourning
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: אֵבֶל Sense: mourning.
וּמִסְפֵּ֖ד	and to wailing
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular Root: מִסְפֵּד Sense: wailing.
אֶל־	Unto
Parse: Preposition Root: אֶל Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
י֥וֹדְעֵי	skillful
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct Root: דָּעָה Sense: to know.
נֶֽהִי	lamenters
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: נְהִי Sense: wailing, lamentation, mourning song.

What are the major concepts related to Amos 5:16?

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