Amos 5:1 Meaning and Explanation
“Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The prophet raises a funeral dirge over Israel, a lament sung as though the nation were already dead.
What Does Amos 5:1 Mean?
The chapter opens with a startling form: a lamentation, the kind of mournful song sung over the dead. Amos lifts it "against" Israel, grieving for the nation as if at its funeral, though it still lives and breathes.
There is profound tenderness in this grief. The prophet does not gloat over coming judgment; he weeps over it. To hear one's own funeral song while still alive is a piercing call to repentance, a final chance to escape the death being mourned. The verse shows that God's warnings flow from sorrow, not from spite. He grieves the loss of His people even as He warns them. The reader is invited to hear the love beneath the lament, and to turn before the dirge becomes true.
Amos 5:1 in the Original Language
qinah (קִינָה), 'lamentation' -- a funeral dirge, the mournful song sung over the dead.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amos 5:1
What does Amos 5:1 mean?
The prophet raises a funeral dirge over Israel, a lament sung as though the nation were already dead.