Amos 2:6 Meaning and Explanation
“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;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →At last the prophet turns to Israel, the chief target of the book, condemning a society that sells the innocent for money and the poor for a trifle.
What Does Amos 2:6 Mean?
The whole series of oracles has been building to this moment. Israel, the prosperous northern kingdom that imagined itself secure, now stands accused. The charges are economic and social: judges sell the innocent for a bribe of silver, and the needy are traded away for the price of a pair of sandals.
Sin here wears the respectable clothing of commerce and the courtroom. The poor are not murdered in war but quietly destroyed for profit, their dignity bought and sold. God hears every such transaction. He counts the worth of the lowly that the powerful disregard. This is the heart of the book's burden: that true religion cannot exist where the helpless are crushed, and that the Lord defends those the world prices cheaply.
Amos 2:6 in the Original Language
tsaddiq (צַדִּיק), 'righteous' -- one in the right, the innocent party sold out by corrupt judges.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amos 2:6
What does Amos 2:6 mean?
At last the prophet turns to Israel, the chief target of the book, condemning a society that sells the innocent for money and the poor for a trifle.