God’s Word Translation
Amos 6:4
4How horrible it will be for those who sleep on ivory beds. They sprawl out on their couches and eat lambs from their flocks and calves from their stalls.
Amos 6:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That 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;
- New International Version (NIV)You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who lie on beds of ivory, Stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall;
Context of Amos 6:4
2Go to Calneh and look. Go from there to the great city of Hamath. Then go to Gath, the city of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours? 3How horrible it will be for those who think that a day of disaster is far away. They bring the reign of violence closer. How horrible it will be for those who sleep on ivory beds. They sprawl out on their couches and eat lambs from their flocks and calves from their stalls. 5How horrible it will be for those who make up songs as they strum a harp. Like David, they write all kinds of songs for themselves. 6How horrible it will be for those who drink wine by the jugful. They rub the finest oils all over themselves and are not sorry for the ruin ⌞of the descendants⌟ of Joseph.
Read all of Amos 6Amos 6:4 word by word
הַשֹּֽׁכְבִים֙ עַל־מִטּ֣וֹת שֵׁ֔ן וּסְרֻחִ֖ים עַל־עַרְשׂוֹתָ֑ם וְאֹכְלִ֤ים כָּרִים֙ מִצֹּ֔אן וַעֲגָלִ֖ים מִתּ֥וֹךְ מַרְבֵּֽק׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- That lieשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
- upon bedsמִטָּהmiţţâh · bedH4296
- of ivoryשֵׁןshên · tooth: ivoryH8127
- and stretchסָרַחsârach · to overrunH5628
- themselves upon their couchesעֶ֫רֶשׂ‛ereώ · bedH6210
- and eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the lambsכַּרkar · ramH3733
- out of the flockצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
- and the calvesעֵ֫גֶל‛êgel · calfH5695
- out of the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- of the stallמַרְבֵּקmarbêq · stallH4770
Cross-references for Amos 6:4
- Isaiah 5:11How horrible it will be for those who get up early to look for a drink, who sit up late until they are drunk from wine.
- Isaiah 22:13Instead, you will rejoice, celebrate, slaughter cattle, and butcher sheep. You will eat meat, drink wine, and say, “Let’s eat and drink because tomorrow we’re going to die.”
- Luke 16:19“There was a rich man who wore expensive clothes. Every day was like a party to him.
- Romans 13:13We should live decently, as people who live in the light of day. Wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, rivalry, and jealousy cannot be part of our lives.
- James 5:5You have lived in luxury and pleasure here on earth. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
- 1 Samuel 25:36When Abigail came to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his home. It was like a king’s banquet. He was in a good mood and very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything until dawn.
- Psalms 73:7Their eyes peer out from their fat faces, and their imaginations run wild.
- Luke 12:19Then I’ll say to myself, “You’ve stored up a lot of good things for years to come. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” ’
Commentaries on Amos 6:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4That lie upon beds of ivory - The word הוי hoi, wo, is understood at the beginning of each of the first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth verses. The beds mentioned here may be either sofas to recline on at table, or beds to sleep on; and these among the ancients were ornamented with ivory inlaid. They were called lectos eburatos by Plautus, lectos eburnos by Horace, "ivory beds." Probably those ornamented with shells, or mother-of-pearl, may be intended…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4That lie upon beds (that is, sofas) of ivory - that is, probably inlaid with ivory. The word might, in itself, express either the bed, in which they slept by night, or the divan, on which the Easterns lay at their meals; “and stretch themselves,” literally, “are poured” out, stretching their listless length, dissolved, unnerved, in luxury and sloth, “upon their couches,” perhaps under an awning: “and eat the lambs,” probably “fatted lambs (as in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4People often served meat to honor important guests. Common foods included bread, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products. Wealthy people ate meat regularly, showing their wealth.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. (See Am 2:8). beds of ivory--that is, adorned, or inlaid, with ivory (Am 3:15). stretch themselves--in luxurious self-indulgence. lambs out of the flock--picked out as the choicest, for their owners' selfish gratification.Read the comment
Topics related to Amos 6:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Amos 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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