Amos 5:15

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

13So those who are smart keep their mouths shut, for it is an evil time. 14Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people. 16Therefore, this is what the Lord, the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, says: “There will be crying in all the public squares and mourning in every street. Call for the farmers to weep with you, and summon professional mourners to wail. 17There will be wailing in every vineyard, for I will destroy them all,” says the Lord.

Amos 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 good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
• Psalms 36:4They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil.
• Psalms 37:27Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever.
• Psalms 97:10You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked.
• Psalms 119:104Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life.
• Psalms 139:21O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
• Romans 7:15I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.
• Romans 8:7For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.
• Romans 12:9Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:21but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
• Amos 5:10How you hate honest judges! How you despise people who tell the truth!
• Amos 6:12Can horses gallop over boulders? Can oxen be used to plow them? But that’s how foolish you are when you turn justice into poison and the sweet fruit of righteousness into bitterness.
• 2 Chronicles 19:6and he said to them, “Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the Lord. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case.
• Psalms 82:2“How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked? Interlude
• Jeremiah 7:5But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice;
• Exodus 32:30The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the Lord on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for 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

• Repentance

In the dictionaries

• God
• Manifold
• Seek
• Calf, Golden
• Genesis
• Salvation

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