New English Translation
Amos 4:1
1Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan who live on Mount Samaria! You oppress the poor; you crush the needy. You say to your husbands, “Bring us more to drink!”
Amos 4:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.
- New International Version (NIV)Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks!”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, 'Bring, that we may drink!'
- New King James Version (NKJV)Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, Who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, “Bring wine, let us drink!”
Context of Amos 4:1
Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan who live on Mount Samaria! You oppress the poor; you crush the needy. You say to your husbands, “Bring us more to drink!” 2The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his own holy character: “Certainly the time is approaching when you will be carried away in baskets, every last one of you in fishermen’s pots. 3Each of you will go straight through the gaps in the walls; you will be thrown out toward Harmon.” The Lord is speaking!
Read all of Amos 4Amos 4:1 word by word
שִׁמְע֞וּ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה פָּר֤וֹת הַבָּשָׁן֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּהַ֣ר שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן הָעֹשְׁק֣וֹת דַּלִּ֔ים הָרֹצְצ֖וֹת אֶבְיוֹנִ֑ים הָאֹמְרֹ֥ת לַאֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֖ם הָבִ֥יאָה וְנִשְׁתֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- this wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- ye kineפָּרָהpârâh · heiferH6510
- of Bashanבָּשָׁןbâshân · BashanH1316
- in the mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- of Samariaשֹׁמְרוֹןshômerôn · SamariaH8111
- which oppressעָשַׁק‛âshaq · to oppressH6231
- the poorדַּלdal · poorH1800
- which crushרָצַץrâtsats · to crushH7533
- the needyאֶבְיוֹן'ebyôn · needyH34
- which sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to their mastersאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- Bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- and let us drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
Cross-references for Amos 4:1
- Deuteronomy 32:14butter from the herd and milk from the flock, along with the fat of lambs, rams and goats of Bashan, along with the best of the kernels of wheat; and from the juice of grapes you drank wine.
- Psalms 22:12Many bulls surround me; powerful bulls of Bashan hem me in.
- Jeremiah 50:11“People of Babylonia, you plundered my people. That made you happy and glad. You frolic about like calves in a pasture. Your joyous sounds are like the neighs of a stallion.
- Ezekiel 39:18You will eat the flesh of warriors and drink the blood of the princes of the earth – the rams, lambs, goats, and bulls, all of them fattened animals of Bashan.
- Amos 6:1Woe to those who live in ease in Zion, to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria. They think of themselves as the elite class of the best nation. The family of Israel looks to them for leadership.
- 1 Kings 16:24He purchased the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He launched a construction project there and named the city he built after Shemer, the former owner of the hill of Samaria.
- Amos 2:6This is what the Lord says: “Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions – make that four! – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold the innocent for silver, the needy for a pair of sandals.
- Amos 3:9Make this announcement in the fortresses of Ashdod and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt. Say this: “Gather on the hills around Samaria! Observe the many acts of violence taking place within the city, the oppressive deeds occurring in it.”
- Amos 5:11Therefore, because you make the poor pay taxes on their crops and exact a grain tax from them, you will not live in the houses you built with chiseled stone, nor will you drink the wine from the fine vineyards you planted.
- Amos 8:4Listen to this, you who trample the needy, and do away with the destitute in the land.
- Exodus 22:21“You must not wrong a foreigner nor oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 15:9Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite and you do not lend him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you and you will be regarded as having sinned.
- Psalms 12:5“Because of the violence done to the oppressed, because of the painful cries of the needy, I will spring into action,” says the Lord. “I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.”
- Psalms 140:12I know that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed and vindicates the poor.
- Proverbs 22:22Do not exploit a poor person because he is poor and do not crush the needy in court,
- Proverbs 23:10Do not move an ancient boundary stone, or take over the fields of the fatherless,
Commentaries on Amos 4:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan - Such an address was quite natural from the herdsman of Tekoa. Bashan was famous for the fertility of its soil, and its flocks and herds; and the prophet here represents the iniquitous, opulent, idle, lazy drones, whether men or women, under the idea of fatted bullocks, which were shortly to be led out to the slaughter.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Hear ye this, ye kine of Bashan - The pastures of Bashan were very rich, and it had its name probably from its richness of soil. The Batanea of later times was a province only of the kingdom of Bashan, which, with half of Gilead, was given to the half tribe of Manasseh. For the Bashan of Og included Golan Deuteronomy 4:43, (the capital of the subsequent Gaulonitis, now Jaulan) Beeshterah Joshua 21:27, (or Ashtaroth) 1 Chronicles 6:71, very probably Bostra…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Israel is reproved. (1-5) Their impenitence shown. (6-13) Verses 1-5 What is got by extortion is commonly used to provide for the flesh, and to fulfil the lusts thereof. What is got by oppression cannot be enjoyed with satisfaction. How miserable are those whose confidence in unscriptural observances only prove that they believe a lie! Let us see to it that our faith, hope, and worship, are warranted by the Divine word.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1you cows of Bashan: Bashan was famous for its fierce, fat bulls (Psalm 22:12; Ezekiel 39:18). Amos uses the feminine form (cows) to describe Israel’s wealthy wives, who ignored the poor. They only cared about taking enough wealth from the needy to support their own lifestyles.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-131. kine of Bashan--fat and wanton cattle such as the rich pasture of Bashan (east of Jordan, between Hermon and Gilead) was famed for (De 32:14; Psa 22:12; Eze 39:18). Figurative for those luxurious nobles mentioned, Am 3:9, 10, 12, 15. The feminine, kine, or cows, not bulls, expresses their effeminacy. This accounts for masculine forms in the Hebrew being intermixed with feminine; the latter being figurative, the former the real persons meant. say to…Read the comment
Topics related to Amos 4:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Amos 4
- 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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