New English Translation
Amos 5:15
15Hate what is wrong, love what is right! Promote justice at the city gate! Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on those who are left from Joseph.
Amos 5:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
- New International Version (NIV)Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
Context of Amos 5:15
13For this reason whoever is smart keeps quiet in such a time, for it is an evil time. 14Seek good and not evil so you can live! Then the Lord, the God who commands armies, just might be with you, as you claim he is. Hate what is wrong, love what is right! Promote justice at the city gate! Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on those who are left from Joseph. 16Because of Israel’s sins this is what the Lord, the God who commands armies, the sovereign One, says: “In all the squares there will be wailing, in all the streets they will mourn the dead. They will tell the field workers to lament and the professional mourners to wail. 17In all the vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst,” says the Lord.
Read all of Amos 5Amos 5:15 word by word
שִׂנְאוּ־רָע֙ וְאֶ֣הֱבוּ ט֔וֹב וְהַצִּ֥יגוּ בַשַּׁ֖עַר מִשְׁפָּ֑ט אוּלַ֗י יֶֽחֱנַ֛ן יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁאֵרִ֥ית יוֹסֵֽף׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Hateשָׂנֵאώânê' · to hateH8130
- the evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- and loveאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
- the goodטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
- and establishיָצַגyâtsag · to setH3322
- judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
- in the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- it may be that the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- will be graciousחָנַןchânan · be graciousH2603
- unto the remnantשְׁאֵרִיתshe'êrîyth · remnantH7611
- of Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
Cross-references for Amos 5:15
- Psalms 34:14Turn away from evil and do what is right! Strive for peace and promote it!
- Psalms 36:4He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed; he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; he does not reject what is evil.
- Psalms 37:27Turn away from evil! Do what is right! Then you will enjoy lasting security.
- Psalms 97:10You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his faithful followers; he delivers them from the power of the wicked.
- Psalms 119:104Your precepts give me discernment. Therefore I hate all deceitful actions. נ (Nun)
- Psalms 139:21O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you, and despise those who oppose you?
- Romans 7:15For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want – instead, I do what I hate.
- Romans 8:7because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so.
- Romans 12:9Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21But examine all things; hold fast to what is good.
- Amos 5:10The Israelites hate anyone who arbitrates at the city gate; they despise anyone who speaks honestly.
- Amos 6:12Can horses run on rocky cliffs? Can one plow the sea with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant, and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant.
- 2 Chronicles 19:6He told the judges, “Be careful what you do, for you are not judging for men, but for the Lord, who will be with you when you make judicial decisions.
- Psalms 82:2He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah)
- Jeremiah 7:5You must change the way you have been living and do what is right. You must treat one another fairly.
- Exodus 32:30The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a very serious sin, but now I will go up to the Lord – perhaps I can make atonement on behalf of your sin.”
Commentaries on Amos 5:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Hate the evil, and love the good - What ruins you, avoid; what helps you, cleave to. And as a proof that you take this advice, purify the seats of justice, and then expect God to be gracious to the remnant of Joseph - to the posterity of the ten tribes.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Hate the evil and love the good - Man will not cease wholly to “seek evil,” unless he “hate” it; nor will he “seek good,” unless he “love” it. Jerome: “He hateth evil,‘ who not only is not overcome by pleasure, but hates its deeds; and he loveth good,‘ who, not unwillingly or of necessity or from fear, doth what is good, but because it is good.” Dionysius: “Evil of sin must be hated, in and for itself; the sinner must not be hated in himself, but only the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-17Verses 7-17 The same almighty power can, for repenting sinners, easily turn affliction and sorrow into prosperity and joy, and as easily turn the prosperity of daring sinners into utter darkness. Evil times will not bear plain dealing; that is, evil men will not. And these men were evil men indeed, when wise and good men thought it in vain even to speak to them. Those who will seek and love that which is good, may help to save the land from ruin. It…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15the remnant of Joseph: The phrase the remnant of Joseph comes from the Hebrew text to refer to the northern kingdom. They remained God's people despite their rebellion and idol worship.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Hate ... evil ... love ... good--(Is 1:16, 17; Ro 12:9). judgment in the gate--justice in the place where causes are tried. it may be that the Lord ... will be gracious--so, "peradventure" (Ex 32:30). Not that men are to come to God with an uncertainty whether or no He will be gracious: the expression merely implies the difficulty in the way, because of the want of true repentance on man's part, so as to stimulate the zealous earnestness of believers…Read the comment
Topics related to Amos 5:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Amos 5
- 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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