Tree of Life Version
Amos 8:5
5saying: ‘When will the New Moon be over, so we may sell grain? Or Shabbat, so we may open the wheat market? —Let’s reduce the ephah measure and increase the shekel, cheat with deceitful balances,
Amos 8:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
- New International Version (NIV)saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”— skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales,
- English Standard Version (ESV)saying, "When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Saying: “When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit,
Context of Amos 8:5
3The songs of the palace will become howls in that day.” It is a declaration of my Lord Adonai. “So many corpses flung everywhere! Hush! 4Hear this, you who trample the poor, destroying the afflicted of the land saying: ‘When will the New Moon be over, so we may sell grain? Or Shabbat, so we may open the wheat market? —Let’s reduce the ephah measure and increase the shekel, cheat with deceitful balances, 6buy the poor for silver, the needy for a pair of sandals! We’ll even sell the refuse of the grain!’” 7Adonai swore by the Pride of Jacob: “Never will I forget all their deeds!
Read all of Amos 8Amos 8:5 word by word
לֵאמֹ֗ר מָתַ֞י יַעֲבֹ֤ר הַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ וְנַשְׁבִּ֣ירָה שֶּׁ֔בֶר וְהַשַּׁבָּ֖ת וְנִפְתְּחָה־בָּ֑ר לְהַקְטִ֤ין אֵיפָה֙ וּלְהַגְדִּ֣יל שֶׁ֔קֶל וּלְעַוֵּ֖ת מֹאזְנֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- When will the new moonחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · month: new moonH2320
- be goneעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- that we may sellשָׁבַרshâbar · to buy grainH7666
- cornשֶׁ֫בֶרsheber · grainH7668
- and the sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
- that we may set forthפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
- wheatבַּרbâr bar · grainH1250
- making the ephahאֵיפָה'êyphâh 'êphâh · ephahH374
- smallקָטֹןqâţôn · be smallH6994
- and the shekelשֶׁ֫קֶלsheqel · shekelH8255
- greatגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431
- and falsifyingעָוַת‛âvath · to pervertH5791
- the balancesמֹאזֵןmô'zên · balanceH3976
- by deceitמִרְמָהmirmâh · deceitH4820
Cross-references for Amos 8:5
- Numbers 10:10Also at your days of rejoicing, feasts and new moons, you are to blow on the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. They will then be a reminder for you before Adonai your God. I am Adonai your God!”
- Numbers 28:11“On the first of the month you are to present to Adonai a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven flawless male lambs a year old,
- 2 Kings 4:23But he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither New Moon nor Shabbat.” But she said, “It will be well.”
- Psalms 81:3Lift up a song and sound a tambourine, a sweet lyre with a harp.
- Isaiah 1:13Bring no more worthless offerings! Incense is an abomination to Me. New Moon and Shabbat, the calling of convocations —I cannot endure it— iniquity with solemn assembly.
- Colossians 2:16Therefore, do not let anyone pass judgment on you in matters of food or drink, or in respect to a festival or new moon or Shabbat.
- Malachi 1:13You also say, “It’s so tedious!” “And you sniff at it,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. “So you bring plunder, the lame and the sick. Then you bring them as the offering. Should I accept this from your hand?” says Adonai.
- Exodus 20:8“Remember Yom Shabbat, to keep it holy.
- Nehemiah 13:15In those days, I saw in Judah some people treading winepresses on the Shabbat, some bringing and loading heaps of grain on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and various other burdens, bringing them into Jerusalem on the Shabbat day. So I warned them about selling food on that day.
- Isaiah 58:13If you turn back your foot from Shabbat, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call Shabbat a delight, the holy day of Adonai honorable, If you honor it, not going your own ways, not seeking your own pleasure, nor speaking your usual speech,
- Romans 8:6For the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Ruach is life and shalom.
- Leviticus 19:36You are to have honest balances, honest weights, honest bushel-measure and an honest gallon. I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 25:13“You are not to have stones of different weights in your bag—large and small.
- Proverbs 11:1Dishonest scales are an abomination to Adonai, but an accurate weight is His delight.
- Proverbs 16:11Honest balances and scales are Adonai’s. All the weights in a bag are His handiwork.
- Proverbs 20:23Unbalanced weights are detestable to Adonai, and dishonest scales are wicked.
Commentaries on Amos 8:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5When will the new moon be gone - This was kept as a kind of holy day, not by Divine command, but by custom. The Sabbath was strictly holy; and yet so covetous were they that they grudged to give to God and their own souls this seventh portion of time! But bad and execrable as they were, they neither set forth their corn, nor their wheat, nor any other kind of merchandise, on the Sabbath. They were saints then, when compared to multitudes called…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5When will the new moon be gone? - They kept their festivals, though weary and impatient for their close. They kept sabbath and festival with their bodies, not with their minds. The Psalmist said, “When shall I come to appear before the presencc of God?” Psalm 42:2. These said, perhaps in their hearts only which God reads to them, “when will this service be over, that we may be our own masters again?” They loathed the rest of the sabbath, because they had…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-10Verses 4-10 The rich and powerful of the land were the most guilty of oppression, as well as the foremost in idolatry. They were weary of the restraints of the sabbaths and the new moons, and wished them over, because no common work might be done therein. This is the character of many who are called Christians. The sabbath day and sabbath work are a burden to carnal hearts. It will either be profaned or be accounted a dull day. But can we spend our time…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Work was strictly forbidden on the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:9–10). Amos suggests that shops also closed during pagan new-moon religious festivals. Merchants cheated their customers by using small ephahs (containers for measuring grain), so buyers received less than they paid for. They also cheated their suppliers by using heavy shekels (weights of silver) on their scales, so sellers received less payment. God’s law clearly forbade these dishonest practices…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. So greedy are they of unjust gain that they cannot spare a single day, however sacred, from pursuing it. They are strangers to God and enemies to themselves, who love market days better than sabbath days; and they who have lost piety will not long keep honesty. The new moons (Nu 10:10) and sabbaths were to be kept without working or trading (Ne 10:31). set forth wheat--literally, "open out" stores of wheat for sale. ephah--containing three seahs, or…Read the comment
Topics related to Amos 8:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Amos 8
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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