Amos 2:6

This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Israel, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Yahweh speaks through the prophet Amos to Israel, immediately following a pronouncement of judgment against Judah. This declaration formally indicts Israel’s systemic injustice.

The words — The phrase כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה (koh amar Yahweh) translates literally to "thus says Yahweh," establishing divine authority for the impending judgment.

The thread — The motif of exploiting the vulnerable for profit appears in Joel 3:3, where people are bartered like commodities, and in Amos 5:11, where the poor are trampled and taxed.

Why it lands — The text states that selling the righteous for silver and the needy for sandals triggers irrevocable judgment. It requires readers to recognize that commercializing human dignity violates divine justice and warrants judicial reversal.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כֹּ֚הkohthus אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe says יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh עַל־'al-on שְׁלֹשָׁה֙she.lo.Shahthree פִּשְׁעֵ֣יpish.'Ei<the> transgressions of יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsrael וְעַל־ve./'al-and/ on אַרְבָּעָ֖ה'ar.ba.'Ahfour לֹ֣אlo'not אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ'a.shi.Ve./nuI will revoke/ it עַל־'al-because מִכְרָ֤םmikh.Ra/msold/ they בַּכֶּ֙סֶף֙ba./Ke.seffor <the>/ silver צַדִּ֔יקtza.Dik[the] righteous וְאֶבְי֖וֹןve./'ev.Yonand/ [the] needy בַּעֲב֥וּרba./'a.Vurfor/sake of נַעֲלָֽיִם׃na.'a.La.yima pair of sandals

King James Version

Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;

Cross-references

Joel 3:3 They cast lots for My people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.
Amos 5:11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted.
Micah 3:2 You hate good and love evil. You tear the skin from my people and strip the flesh from their bones.
2 Kings 17:7 All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods
2 Kings 18:12 This happened because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD their God, but violated His covenant—all that Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded—and would neither listen nor obey.
Isaiah 5:22 Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing strong drink,
Isaiah 29:21 those who indict a man with a word, who ensnare the mediator at the gate, and who with false charges deprive the innocent of justice.
Ezekiel 23:5 Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors
Hosea 4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: “There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land!
Hosea 4:11 to promiscuity, wine, and new wine, which take away understanding.