Amos 6:4

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;
• 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;
• New Living Translation (NLT)How terrible for you who sprawl on ivory beds and lounge on your couches, eating the meat of tender lambs from the flock and of choice calves fattened in the stall.

Context of Amos 6:4

2Go to Kalneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours? 3You put off the day of disaster and bring near a reign of terror. You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. 5You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. 6You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.

Amos 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 5:11Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine.
• Isaiah 22:13But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!”
• Luke 16:19“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
• Romans 13:13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
• James 5:5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
• 1 Samuel 25:36When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until daybreak.
• Psalms 73:7From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits.
• Luke 12:19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

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

• Amusements and Worldly Pleasures
• Bed
• Confidence
• Conscience
• Eating
• Feasts
• Gluttony
• Ivory
• Rich, the
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Banquet
• Calf
• Chant
• Dwellings
• Ease
• Music
• Amos (1)
• Bed; Bedchamber; Bedstead
• Commerce
• Ivory

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