Amos 5:21 Meaning and Explanation
“I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →God declares that He hates and rejects their religious festivals and takes no pleasure in their solemn gatherings.
What Does Amos 5:21 Mean?
In words of startling force, God declares that He hates and despises their feast days and will not accept their solemn assemblies. These were the very festivals He had once commanded; yet now, divorced from justice and a true heart, they have become offensive to Him.
It is a sobering thing to hear God say He hates worship offered in His name. The problem is not the festivals themselves but the lives behind them, full of oppression and injustice. Worship cannot please God while the worshiper crushes the poor. The verse warns the reader that religious observance is not self-validating; God looks past the ceremony to the heart and the life, and He will not be flattered by ritual that masks unrighteousness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amos 5:21
What does Amos 5:21 mean?
God declares that He hates and rejects their religious festivals and takes no pleasure in their solemn gatherings.