Amos 5:7

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

Ye who turn {H2015} judgment {H4941} to wormwood {H3939}, and leave off {H3240} righteousness {H6666} in the earth {H776},

You who turn justice to bitter wormwood and throw righteousness to the ground!

There are those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground.

Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,

Context

Amos 5:7 is a powerful indictment delivered by the prophet Amos to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a period of outward prosperity but profound moral and spiritual decay. Amos, a shepherd from Tekoa in Judah, was called by God to prophesy against the pervasive social injustice, corruption, and hypocritical worship prevalent in Israel. This verse specifically targets those in positions of power and influence who were responsible for upholding justice but instead perverted it for their own gain or through neglect. The broader context of Amos chapter 5 is a lament and a call to repentance, warning of impending divine judgment if the nation does not seek the Lord and live.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Perversion of Justice: The core accusation is that those entrusted with administering justice ("judgment") have twisted it into something bitter and harmful ("wormwood"). This signifies a complete corruption of the legal and societal systems, where fairness is replaced by bias, oppression, and self-interest.
  • Abandonment of Righteousness: Coupled with perverted justice, the verse highlights a deliberate neglect or active abandonment of "righteousness" in daily life and societal dealings. This means a disregard for moral uprightness, ethical conduct, and treating others justly, especially the vulnerable.
  • Divine Displeasure: Amos's message throughout the book underscores God's deep concern for justice and righteousness among His people. This verse reveals God's severe displeasure with those who fail to uphold these foundational principles, indicating that judgment will surely follow their actions.

Linguistic Insights

The metaphor of "turning judgment to wormwood" is highly evocative. The Hebrew word for "judgment" is mishpat (מִשְׁפָּט), which encompasses legal decisions, justice, and proper governance. It's meant to be something beneficial and orderly for society.

The term "wormwood" (לַעֲנָה - la'anah) refers to a plant known for its extreme bitterness. In biblical literature, wormwood often symbolizes the bitter consequences of sin, divine punishment, or profound sorrow, as seen in Jeremiah 9:15 and Lamentations 3:15. To turn justice into wormwood means to make what should be a source of order and fairness into a cause of bitterness, suffering, and oppression for the people.

The word for "righteousness" is tzedaqah (צְדָקָה), denoting moral integrity, ethical conduct, and doing what is right in God's eyes. The phrase "leave off righteousness" implies not just a failure to practice it, but a conscious decision to abandon it.

Related Scriptures

This verse encapsulates a central theme of Amos's prophecy and the prophetic tradition. The prophet famously calls for a reversal of this injustice in Amos 5:24, "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." Other prophets also condemned similar societal ills, such as Isaiah 1:23, which speaks of rulers who love bribes, and Micah 6:8, which famously asks what the Lord requires: "to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."

Practical Application

Amos 5:7 remains highly relevant today. It serves as a stark warning against corruption, bias, and the neglect of ethical principles in any society. For individuals, it challenges us to consider whether our actions contribute to justice or injustice, whether in our personal dealings, professional lives, or civic engagement. It calls us to actively pursue righteousness and uphold fairness, especially for the marginalized and vulnerable. The verse reminds us that true prosperity cannot be sustained without a foundation of integrity and justice, and that God holds all people accountable for how they exercise power and influence.

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.

  • Amos 6:12

    Shall horses run upon the rock? will [one] plow [there] with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

  • Hosea 10:4

    They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

  • Ezekiel 3:20

    Again, When a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

  • Zephaniah 1:6

    And them that are turned back from the LORD; and [those] that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.

  • Amos 5:11

    Forasmuch therefore as your treading [is] upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

  • Amos 5:12

    For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate [from their right].

  • Deuteronomy 29:18

    Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go [and] serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

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