Amos 8:5

asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat? Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us cheat with dishonest scales.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The wealthy merchants speak to one another while the prophet Amos condemns their exploitation of the poor. They frame religious observances as inconvenient delays to their commercial activities.

The words — The text highlights מָתַ֞י (ma.Tai), meaning "when?", and יַעֲבֹ֤ר (ya.'a.Vor), meaning "will it pass," treating the New Moon and Sabbath as mere deadlines to be endured before resuming trade.

The thread — Sabbath commerce is condemned in Nehemiah 13:15, fraudulent scales appear in Hosea 12:7, and the short ephah is cited as a cursed practice in Micah 6:10.

Why it lands — It demands recognition that religious observance must not be exploited as a tool for economic manipulation. It requires readers to separate sacred time from profit-driven calculation.

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

לֵאמֹ֗רle./Mor<to>/ saying מָתַ֞יma.Taiwhen?יַעֲבֹ֤רya.'a.Vorwill it pass הַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ha./Cho.deshthe/ new moon וְנַשְׁבִּ֣ירָהve./nash.Bi.rahso/ we may sell grain שֶּׁ֔בֶרShe.vergrain וְהַשַּׁבָּ֖תve./ha/sh.sha.Batand/ the/ sabbath וְנִפְתְּחָה־ve./nif.te.chah-so/ we may open בָּ֑רBargrain לְהַקְטִ֤יןle./hak.Tinto/ make small אֵיפָה֙'ei.Fahan ephah וּלְהַגְדִּ֣ילu./le./hag.Diland/ to/ make great שֶׁ֔קֶלShe.kela shekel וּלְעַוֵּ֖תu./le./'a.Vetand/ to/ falsify מֹאזְנֵ֥יmoz.Neibalances of מִרְמָֽה׃mir.Mahdeceit

King James Version

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?

Cross-references

Nehemiah 13:15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.
Hosea 12:7 A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.
Micah 6:10 Can I forget any longer, O house of the wicked, the treasures of wickedness and the short ephah, which is accursed?
Deuteronomy 25:13 You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light.
Leviticus 19:36 You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Proverbs 11:1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.
Proverbs 16:11 Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are His concern.
Proverbs 20:23 Unequal weights are detestable to the LORD, and dishonest scales are no good.
Isaiah 1:13 Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly.