Skip to content
Scripture Mapping

Amos 8

World English Bible

WEB

1Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me: behold, a basket of summer fruit. 2He said, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then Yahweh said to me, “The end has come on my people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more. 3The songs of the temple will be wailing in that day,” says the Lord Yahweh. “The dead bodies will be many. In every place they will throw them out with silence. 4Hear this, you who desire to swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail, 5saying, ‘When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may market wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel large, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit; 6that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and sell the sweepings with the wheat?’” 7Yahweh has sworn by the pride of Jacob, “Surely I will never forget any of their works. 8Won’t the land tremble for this, and everyone mourn who dwells in it? Yes, it will rise up wholly like the River; and it will be stirred up and sink again, like the River of Egypt. 9It will happen in that day,” says the Lord Yahweh, “that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. 10I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will make you wear sackcloth on all your bodies, and baldness on every head. I will make it like the mourning for an only son, and its end like a bitter day. 11Behold, the days come,” says the Lord Yahweh, “that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing Yahweh’s words. 12They will wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they will run back and forth to seek Yahweh’s word, and will not find it. 13In that day the beautiful virgins and the young men will faint for thirst. 14Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, ‘As your god, Dan, lives,’ and, ‘As the way of Beersheba lives,’ they will fall, and never rise up again.”

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

Amos Chapter 8 presents a powerful vision of judgment against Israel, emphasizing the impending consequences of their social injustices and spiritual apathy. The chapter begins with a vision of a basket of summer fruit, symbolizing the ripeness of Israel's sin and the certainty of God's impending judgment. The Lord declares that the end has come for His people, Israel, and that He will no longer pass by them in mercy. This imagery of fruit signifies that just as summer fruit is harvested when ripe, so too will Israel face the harvest of their iniquities (Amos8:1-2).

The chapter continues to highlight the corrupt practices of the merchants who exploit the poor and needy, showing a blatant disregard for God's commandments. They eagerly await the end of the Sabbath and the new moon so they can resume their dishonest trade, revealing their greed and lack of reverence for God’s laws (Amos8:4-6). The Lord then promises to bring a famine—not of bread or water, but of hearing the words of the Lord (Amos8:11). This spiritual famine signifies a withdrawal of God’s presence and guidance, leaving the people in darkness and despair. The chapter concludes with a stark warning that those who seek the Lord will not find Him, emphasizing the dire consequences of turning away from God and His truth (Amos8:12). This chapter serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of justice, mercy, and faithfulness in our relationship with God.

Study

13 of 14 dimensions

Referenced by

  1. 1 Samuel 3:1v111 Samuel 3:1 describes a time when the word of the Lord was rare, similar to Amos 8:11, which prophesies a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
  2. Ezekiel 7:2v2Ezekiel 7:2 declares the end is coming upon the land of Israel, similar to Amos 8:2 where God shows Amos a basket of ripe fruit symbolizing the end for Israel.
  3. Hosea 5:6v11Hosea 5:6 describes Israel seeking the Lord but not finding Him, which parallels Amos 8:11-12 where a famine of hearing the words of the Lord is prophesied.
  4. Luke 23:44-45v9The darkness over the land during Jesus' crucifixion in Luke 23:44-45 fulfills the prophecy in Amos 8:9, which speaks of darkness at noon.
  5. 2 Timothy 4:3-4v112 Timothy 4:3-4 warns of a time when people will not endure sound doctrine, similar to Amos 8:11-12's prophecy of a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.

Topics in this chapter

Related chapters

Your study

Take it with you

This chapter’s study as a Markdown file. The analysis was written for a notebook originally, so the hashtags arrive as hashtags and the passages as links.

Download the analysisDownload it with your notes and highlights