Amos 4:6

¶ 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.

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}.

"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.

“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.

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.

Amos 4:6 vividly illustrates God's initial disciplinary action against the Northern Kingdom of Israel, highlighting their unyielding spiritual stubbornness despite severe hardship. This verse begins a series of rhetorical questions and declarations from the Lord, each ending with the poignant phrase, "yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD."

Context of Amos 4:6

The prophet Amos ministered to Israel during a period of outward prosperity under King Jeroboam II, but also deep spiritual decay, social injustice, and idolatry. God, through Amos, warned them of impending judgment. Chapter 4 recounts a series of escalating judgments God sent upon His people, not to destroy them immediately, but as a merciful attempt to bring them to repentance and back into covenant relationship. These were not random misfortunes but divine interventions designed to awaken their conscience. This particular verse describes a widespread famine, a common covenant curse for disobedience (see Deuteronomy 28:15).

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Discipline for Repentance: The primary message is that God's judgments were purposeful. He afflicted His people with hardship to prompt them to consider their ways and return to Him, rather than to annihilate them.
  • Israel's Unresponsiveness: Despite the severity and widespread nature of the famine, Israel remained unrepentant. Their failure to "return unto me" underscores their deep-seated apostasy and spiritual blindness. This stubbornness is a recurring theme throughout the prophetic books.
  • God's Patience and Persistence: Even after this initial judgment failed to yield a response, God continued to send other forms of discipline, as detailed in the subsequent verses of Amos 4 (e.g., Amos 4:8, Amos 4:9, Amos 4:10). This reveals His enduring love and desire for their restoration.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "cleanness of teeth" is an ancient idiom for severe famine. In times of plenty, teeth would be stained from constant eating. "Cleanness of teeth" implies that there was no food to eat, leaving teeth unnaturally clean. This vivid imagery conveys the stark reality of widespread hunger and "want of bread" that afflicted all their cities and places.

Practical Application

Amos 4:6 serves as a timeless reminder that God sometimes allows or sends difficulties into our lives, not out of malice, but out of love and a desire for our spiritual good. These challenging circumstances can be a divine call to examine our hearts, turn away from sin, and draw closer to Him. The verse challenges us to ask: When hardships come, do we harden our hearts, or do we humble ourselves and seek the Lord?

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 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.

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