Amos 5:21–24
God rejects feasts and songs if justice and right do not flow
Study it word by word21I hate, I reject your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22Even if you offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals I will not look at.
23Take away from me the noise of your songs, and the melody of your harps I will not hear.
24But let justice roll on like the waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
In its context
19As when a man flees from the lion, and the bear meets him; or goes into the house and leans his hand against the wall, and the snake bites him.
20Is not the day of YHWH darkness, and not light, and gloom, with no brightness in it?
…
25Did you bring me sacrifices and offering in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel?
26And you carried Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods, which you made for yourselves.
Its words in the original
- שָׂנֵאתִיsaneti· hate
Hate. In Hebrew it ranges from the hatred of an enemy to simply "loving less". "Those who hate you" are enemies.
- מָאַסְתִּיmaasti· reject, despise
Despise, reject, refuse something.
- חַגֵּיchage· festival
Festival in honor of God, with pilgrimage.
- אָרִיחַariach· smell
Smell, perceive a scent; figuratively, take delight in.
- עַצְּרֹתֵיatsrote· solemn assembly
Solemn assembly: a gathering of the whole people on a festival day, when no work is done.
- תַּעֲלוּtaalu· go up, offer up
Go up, ascend, climb. It is also used for "offering" a sacrifice (making it go up), and for coming up from Egypt.
- עֹלוֹתolot· burnt offering
Burnt offering: a sacrifice in which the animal is burned whole on the altar, as a total gift to God. The Hebrew word means "what goes up" (in smoke).
- מִנְחֹתֵיminchote· offering, gift
Offering, a gift presented to someone greater. Offered to God it can be of animals or of produce; in the later laws it means above all the grain offering. Also tribute.
- אֶרְצֶהertse· accept, be pleased with
Receive with pleasure, accept; take delight in someone. Also pay off a debt.
- שֶׁלֶםshelem· peace offerings
Peace offering: a sacrifice of which one part was burned for God and the rest was eaten by the one who offered it, as a sign of peace and fellowship with him (Leviticus 3).
- מְרִיאֵיmerie· fatted animal
Fatted animal: a beast fattened for a meal or a special sacrifice.
- אַבִּיטabit· look
Look intently, gaze; regard, pay attention to.
- הָסֵרhaser· turn aside, remove
Turn aside, turn away; remove, take away.
- הֲמוֹןhamon· multitude
Multitude, a great crowd of people; also the noise it makes; abundance.
- שִׁרֶיshire· song
Song, singing.
- זִמְרַתzimrat· melody, song
A song with instrumental accompaniment, a melody.
- נְבָלֶיnevale· skin bottle, jar; harp
Skin bottle: a leather bag for keeping wine or other liquids; also a jar. The same word names a stringed instrument (the harp).
- אֶשְׁמָעeshma· hear, listen, obey
Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.
- יִגַּלyigal· roll
Roll; roll away; figuratively, commit (one's way) to someone.
- מַּיִםmayim· water
Water. In Hebrew it is always plural ("waters").
- מִשְׁפָּטmishpat· justice, judgment
What is right and the decision that establishes it: the judgment of a judge, someone's right, a rule or ordinance, a custom. "Do righteousness and justice" is to treat each one as is due.
- צְדָקָהtsedaka· righteousness
Righteousness: being right with God and acting rightly with others; justice.
- נַחַלnachal· valley, torrent
The bed of a stream that only carries water when it rains; the valley it runs through.
- אֵיתָןetan· enduring, steady
Firm, lasting, unfailing.