Amos 4:6

KJV

¶ And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

KJV (with Strong's)

And I also have given {H5414} you cleanness {H5356} of teeth {H8127} in all your cities {H5892}, and want {H2640} of bread {H3899} in all your places {H4725}: yet have ye not returned {H7725} unto me, saith {H5002} the LORD {H3068}.

Complete Jewish Bible

"I made your teeth clean of food in all your cities, left you nothing to eat in all your villages; still you haven't returned to me," says ADONAI.

Berean Standard Bible

“I beset all your cities with cleanness of teeth and all your towns with lack of bread, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.

American Standard Version

And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Amos 4:6 initiates a series of divine pronouncements detailing God's disciplinary judgments against the Northern Kingdom of Israel, beginning with a severe and widespread famine. This verse highlights the Lord's deliberate action in withholding sustenance, not as an act of arbitrary punishment, but as a merciful yet firm attempt to call His wayward people to repentance and restore their covenant relationship, a call to which they stubbornly failed to respond.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Amos 4:6 marks the beginning of a poignant and repetitive refrain throughout the chapter, "yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD." This phrase concludes five distinct accounts of divine judgment (famine in [Amos 4:6](/amos/4-6 "Amos 4:6 - Famine as Judgment"), drought in [Amos 4:7-8](/amos/4-7-8 "Amos 4:7-8 - Drought as Judgment"), blight and locusts in [Amos 4:9](/amos/4-9 "Amos 4:9 - Blight and Locusts as Judgment"), plague and war in [Amos 4:10](/amos/4-10 "Amos 4:10 - Plague and War as Judgment"), and overthrow like Sodom in [Amos 4:11](/amos/4-11 "Amos 4:11 - Overthrow like Sodom as Judgment")). Each judgment is described as a specific act of God, designed to elicit a spiritual response from Israel, yet each is met with their unyielding stubbornness. The repetition of the concluding phrase underscores Israel's spiritual blindness and the escalating nature of God's disciplinary measures.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The prophet Amos ministered to Israel (the Northern Kingdom) during the reign of Jeroboam II (c. 793-753 BC), a period characterized by remarkable economic prosperity and territorial expansion. However, this outward success masked profound spiritual decay, rampant social injustice, and widespread idolatry, particularly the worship of golden calves at Bethel and Dan, and Baal worship. Famine was a well-understood covenant curse for disobedience, explicitly outlined in texts like [Deuteronomy 28:15-68](/deuteronomy/28-15-68 "Deuteronomy 28 - Curses for Disobedience"). The "cleanness of teeth" idiom would have been immediately understood by the original audience as a stark depiction of starvation, a direct consequence of God withholding the rain and blessing necessary for agricultural prosperity.
* **Key Themes:** The overarching theme of [Amos 4](/amos/4 "Amos 4 - Israel's Unresponsiveness to Discipline") is God's persistent yet ultimately unheeded call to repentance. This chapter vividly illustrates the theme of **Divine Discipline as Redemptive Opportunity**, where God's judgments are not merely punitive but are intended to bring His people back into covenant faithfulness. It also powerfully portrays **Israel's Stubborn Unresponsiveness**, highlighting their deep-seated apostasy despite escalating hardships. This unresponsiveness underscores the theme of **Covenant Faithfulness and Consequences**, demonstrating that God holds His people accountable to the covenant He made with them, and disobedience inevitably leads to severe repercussions, even if those repercussions are initially designed to prompt a "return" to Him. The phrase "saith the LORD" ([Amos 4:8](/amos/4-8 "Amos 4:8 - Another Judgment"), [Amos 4:9](/amos/4-9 "Amos 4:9 - Another Judgment"), etc.) emphasizes the divine authority behind these pronouncements and actions.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **cleanness (Hebrew, _niqqâyôwn'_):** From H5356, meaning "clearness (literally or figuratively); cleanness, innocency." In the context of "cleanness of teeth," it refers to teeth that are unnaturally clean due, not to hygiene, but to the complete absence of food. This word starkly conveys the severity of the famine, highlighting a state of absolute deprivation where there is nothing to eat that would stain or dirty the teeth.
* **want (Hebrew, _chôçer'_):** From H2640, meaning "poverty; in want of." This term directly describes the state of scarcity and destitution that the famine brought upon Israel. It emphasizes the lack, the deficiency, and the dire need for basic sustenance, reinforcing the widespread nature of the hunger that permeated "all your places."
* **returned (Hebrew, _shûwb'_):** From H7725, a primitive root meaning "to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again." In this context, "returned unto me" signifies a spiritual turning, a repentance, a turning away from idolatry and injustice back to the covenant relationship with Yahweh. It is the desired outcome of God's disciplinary actions, highlighting His persistent desire for His people's restoration.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities":** This clause reveals the divine hand behind the affliction. The famine was not a random natural disaster but a direct act of God ("I also have given"). "Cleanness of teeth" is a vivid idiom for extreme starvation, implying that there was no food to chew, leaving teeth unnaturally clean. The phrase "in all your cities" emphasizes the widespread and pervasive nature of this famine, affecting urban centers where food supplies might typically be more stable.
* **"and want of bread in all your places":** This phrase reiterates and amplifies the previous one, specifying the nature of the "cleanness of teeth" – a severe "want of bread," which represents all basic foodstuffs. "In all your places" broadens the scope beyond just cities to encompass every locality, underscoring the comprehensive and inescapable nature of the famine across the entire Northern Kingdom.
* **"yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.":** This is the crucial concluding indictment and the central message of the verse. Despite the undeniable and severe judgment of famine, Israel had failed to repent, to turn back to Yahweh their God. The phrase "saith the LORD" (Yahweh, H3068) asserts the divine authority and certainty of this declaration, emphasizing that it is the covenant God Himself who is speaking and lamenting their stubbornness.

#### Literary Devices
Amos 4:6 employs several powerful literary devices. The most prominent is **Idiom**, specifically "cleanness of teeth," which is a graphic and culturally resonant expression for extreme famine. This idiom evokes a stark image of starvation, where teeth remain unnaturally clean due to the complete absence of food. The verse also utilizes **Repetition**, as the concluding phrase "yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD" becomes a recurring refrain throughout [Amos 4](/amos/4 "Amos 4 - Israel's Unresponsiveness to Discipline"), emphasizing Israel's persistent unresponsiveness to God's escalating judgments. This repetition creates a powerful rhetorical effect, highlighting the Lord's lament and the people's stubbornness. Furthermore, the phrase "saith the LORD" functions as a **Divine Oracle Formula**, lending absolute authority and divine origin to the pronouncement, underscoring that these are not mere human observations but direct words from God Himself. The entire verse also functions as a form of **Rhetorical Indictment**, where God presents evidence of His disciplinary actions and Israel's failure to respond, setting the stage for further judgment.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Amos 4:6 profoundly illustrates God's active involvement in the lives of His covenant people, even through hardship. The famine was not an arbitrary misfortune but a divinely ordained consequence, a purposeful act of discipline aimed at eliciting repentance. This reflects a consistent biblical truth that God uses various means, including adversity, to draw His people back to Himself and to remind them of their covenant obligations. His patience, despite their stubbornness, underscores His enduring love and desire for their restoration rather than their annihilation. The failure of Israel to "return" highlights the human tendency towards spiritual blindness and hardened hearts, even in the face of clear divine intervention.

* [Leviticus 26:18-20](/leviticus/26-18-20 "Leviticus 26:18-20 - Covenant Curses for Disobedience")
* [Deuteronomy 28:23-24](/deuteronomy/28-23-24 "Deuteronomy 28:23-24 - Drought and Famine as Judgment")
* [Hosea 5:15](/hosea/5-15 "Hosea 5:15 - God's Withdrawal to Prompt Repentance")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Amos 4:6 serves as a timeless mirror for self-examination, prompting us to consider our own responses when faced with difficulties and hardships. Just as God disciplined Israel out of love, He often allows or sends challenging circumstances into our lives, not to punish us vindictively, but to refine our faith, reveal hidden idols, and draw us into deeper dependence on Him. These "cleanness of teeth" moments can be divine invitations to pause, assess our spiritual state, and re-evaluate our priorities. Do we, like ancient Israel, harden our hearts and persist in our self-reliance, or do we humble ourselves, acknowledge God's hand, and genuinely "return unto Him"? True wisdom lies in recognizing God's voice in the midst of adversity and responding with sincere repentance and renewed commitment to His will.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "cleanness of teeth" moments have I experienced in my life, and how did I respond to them?**
* **In what areas of my life might God be calling me to "return unto Him" through current challenges?**
* **How does my understanding of God's discipline shape my perspective on suffering and hardship?**
* **What practical steps can I take to cultivate a heart that is quicker to repent and turn to God when faced with adversity?**

### FAQ

**What does "cleanness of teeth" mean in Amos 4:6?**

Answer: "Cleanness of teeth" is an ancient idiom used to describe a severe famine or starvation. In times of plenty, one's teeth would be stained or dirty from constant eating. Therefore, "cleanness of teeth" implies that there was no food to eat, leaving the teeth unnaturally clean. This vivid imagery underscores the widespread and acute hunger that afflicted Israel, as there was a "want of bread in all your places" ([Amos 4:6](/amos/4-6 "Amos 4:6 - Famine as Judgment")).

**Why did God send famine and other judgments upon Israel in Amos 4?**

Answer: God sent famine and other judgments (like drought, blight, and plague, as described in [Amos 4:7-11](/amos/4-7-11 "Amos 4:7-11 - God's Escalating Judgments")) upon Israel primarily as a form of disciplinary love, not immediate destruction. His purpose was to call His wayward people to repentance and to turn them back to their covenant relationship with Him. The repeated refrain, "yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD," highlights God's persistent desire for their spiritual restoration, even as it laments their stubborn unresponsiveness. These were covenant curses ([Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses")) designed to awaken their conscience and prompt a spiritual "return."

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The unresponsiveness of Israel to God's escalating discipline in Amos 4:6 and subsequent verses foreshadows humanity's persistent rebellion and the ultimate need for a more profound intervention than mere temporal judgments. While God's patience in the Old Testament sought a "return" through external pressures, the New Covenant reveals the ultimate "return" made possible through Christ. Israel's inability to turn back on their own underscores the deep-seated sinfulness of the human heart, a condition that only the atoning work of Jesus could remedy. The "want of bread" in Amos points to humanity's spiritual hunger and the ultimate provision of the "Bread of Life," Jesus Christ, who declared, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" ([John 6:35](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus, the Bread of Life")). God's desire for His people to "return unto me" finds its perfect fulfillment in the gospel, where through Christ's sacrifice, we are reconciled to God and given a new heart that desires to obey and follow Him ([Ezekiel 36:26-27](/ezekiel/36-26-27 "Ezekiel 36:26-27 - New Heart and Spirit")). Thus, the discipline in Amos, though severe, served as a painful but necessary prelude, revealing the depth of human need that only the grace of Christ could fully satisfy, bringing about a true and lasting return to God.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Haggai 2:17

I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye [turned] not to me, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 5:3

O LORD, [are] not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, [but] they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Revelation 16:10

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

Revelation 16:11

And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

Isaiah 9:13

For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

Leviticus 26:26

[And] when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver [you] your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.

Revelation 2:21

And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.