Amos 5:4
Amos 5:4 in Multiple Translations
For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live!
¶ For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live;
For these are the words of the Lord to the children of Israel: Let your hearts be turned to me, so that you may have life:
This is what the Lord says to the people of Israel: Look to me so you may live!
For thus saith the Lord vnto the house of Israel, Seeke ye me, and ye shall liue.
For thus said Jehovah to the house of Israel: Seek ye Me, and live,
For the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek me, and you will live;
For thus saith the LORD to the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
For thus saith the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek ye me, and you shall live.
Yahweh continues to say to the people [MTY] of Israel: “You Israeli people, return to me! If you do that, you will continue to remain alive.
Berean Amplified Bible — Amos 5:4
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Amos 5:4 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
כִּ֣י
כֹ֥ה
אָמַ֛ר
יְהוָ֖ה
לְ/בֵ֣ית
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
דִּרְשׁ֖וּ/נִי
וִֽ/חְיֽוּ
כִּ֣י
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
כֹ֥ה
kôh
H3541
thus
Adv
אָמַ֛ר
ʼâmar
H559
to say
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
יְהוָ֖ה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
The Lord
N-proper
לְ/בֵ֣ית
bayith
H1004
place
Prep | N-ms
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
Yisrâʼêl
H3478
Israel
N-proper
דִּרְשׁ֖וּ/נִי
dârash
H1875
to seek
V-Qal-Impv-2mp | Suff
וִֽ/חְיֽוּ
châyâh
H2421
to live
Conj | V-Qal-Impv-2mp
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Amos 5:4
כִּ֣י
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
כֹ֥ה
kôh
H3541
"thus"
Adv
This Hebrew word means thus or in this manner. It can also indicate a location or time, such as here or now. The KJV translates it in various ways, including also, here, and so.
Definition: 1) thus, here, in this manner 1a) thus, so 1b) here, here and there 1c) until now, until now...until then, meanwhile Aramaic equivalent: kah (כָּה "thus" H3542)
Usage: Occurs in 541 OT verses. KJV: also, here, + hitherto, like, on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on) this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while, yonder. See also: Genesis 15:5; 1 Kings 22:20; Isaiah 7:7.
אָמַ֛ר
ʼâmar
H559
"to say"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Definition: 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Usage: Occurs in 4337 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. See also: Genesis 1:3; Genesis 18:23; Genesis 25:32.
יְהוָ֖ה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
"The Lord"
N-proper
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
לְ/בֵ֣ית
bayith
H1004
"place"
Prep | N-ms
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Definition: nm place, origin, between
Usage: Occurs in 1712 OT verses. KJV: court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). See also: Genesis 6:14; Exodus 8:5; Numbers 1:45.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
Yisrâʼêl
H3478
"Israel"
N-proper
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Definition: A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently § Israel = "God prevails" 1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel 2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob 2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split 2b) the name used and given to the northern kingdom consisting of the 10 tribes under Jeroboam; the southern kingdom was known as Judah 2c) the name of the nation after the return from exile
Usage: Occurs in 2231 OT verses. KJV: Israel. See also: Genesis 32:29; Exodus 13:18; Exodus 40:38.
דִּרְשׁ֖וּ/נִי
dârash
H1875
"to seek"
V-Qal-Impv-2mp | Suff
To seek or ask is the meaning of this Hebrew word, often used to describe seeking God or worshiping him. It can also mean to investigate or enquire about something.
Definition: 1) to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place) 1a2) to consult, enquire of, seek 1a2a) of God 1a2b) of heathen gods, necromancers 1a3) to seek deity in prayer and worship 1a3a) God 1a3b) heathen deities 1a4) to seek (with a demand), demand, require 1a5) to investigate, enquire 1a6) to ask for, require, demand 1a7) to practice, study, follow, seek with application 1a8) to seek with care, care for 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to allow oneself to be enquired of, consulted (only of God) 1b2) to be sought, be sought out 1b3) to be required (of blood)
Usage: Occurs in 152 OT verses. KJV: ask, [idiom] at all, care for, [idiom] diligently, inquire, make inquisition, (necro-) mancer, question, require, search, seek (for, out), [idiom] surely. See also: Genesis 9:5; Ezra 10:16; Psalms 9:11.
וִֽ/חְיֽוּ
châyâh
H2421
"to live"
Conj | V-Qal-Impv-2mp
To live or have life is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also mean to revive or be quickened. It is used in the Bible to describe God's power to sustain life and restore people to health, as seen in the stories of the prophets and Jesus' miracles.
Definition: 1) to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to live 1a1a) to have life 1a1b) to continue in life, remain alive 1a1c) to sustain life, to live on or upon 1a1d) to live (prosperously) 1a2) to revive, be quickened 1a2a) from sickness 1a2b) from discouragement 1a2c) from faintness 1a2d) from death 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to preserve alive, let live 1b2) to give life 1b3) to quicken, revive, refresh 1b3a) to restore to life 1b3b) to cause to grow 1b3c) to restore 1b3d) to revive 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to preserve alive, let live 1c2) to quicken, revive 1c2a) to restore (to health) 1c2b) to revive 1c2c) to restore to life
Usage: Occurs in 239 OT verses. KJV: keep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole. See also: Genesis 5:3; 2 Samuel 16:16; Psalms 22:27.
Study Notes — Amos 5:4
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Amos 5:4 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Amos 5:4
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Amos 5:4
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Amos 5:4
- Trapp's Commentary on Amos 5:4
- Ellicott's Commentary on Amos 5:4
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Amos 5:4
- Cambridge Bible on Amos 5:4
- Barnes' Notes on Amos 5:4
- Whedon's Commentary on Amos 5:4
- Sermons on Amos 5:4
Context — A Call to Repentance
2“Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again. She lies abandoned on her land, with no one to raise her up.”
3This is what the Lord GOD says: “The city that marches out a thousand strong will have but a hundred left, and the one that marches out a hundred strong will have but ten left in the house of Israel.”
4For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live!
5Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba, for Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing. 6Seek the LORD and live, or He will sweep like fire through the house of Joseph; it will devour everything, with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Chronicles 15:2 | So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. |
| 2 | Zephaniah 2:3 | Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth who carry out His justice. Seek righteousness; seek humility. Perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 29:12–13 | Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. |
| 4 | Isaiah 55:3 | Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant— My loving devotion promised to David. |
| 5 | Psalms 14:2 | The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God. |
| 6 | Psalms 105:3–4 | Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. |
| 7 | Isaiah 55:6–7 | Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. |
| 8 | Matthew 7:8 | For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. |
| 9 | 1 Chronicles 28:9 | As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. |
| 10 | Lamentations 3:25–26 | The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. |
Amos 5:4 Summary
This verse, Amos 5:4, is an invitation from God to turn to Him and seek a personal relationship with Him. When we seek God, we can experience true life, as Jesus promised in John 10:10. Seeking God means putting Him first in our lives and pursuing a deep and intimate knowledge of Him, as we see in Matthew 22:37-38, where Jesus says to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. By seeking God, we can find true life and purpose, and experience His love and presence in our lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to 'seek' God in Amos 5:4?
To seek God means to turn to Him with all our hearts, desiring a personal relationship with Him, as seen in Deuteronomy 4:29, where it says to 'seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and with all your soul'
Why is seeking God necessary for life according to Amos 5:4?
Seeking God is necessary for life because without Him, we are spiritually dead, as stated in Ephesians 2:1, and only through seeking and knowing God can we have true life, as Jesus said in John 17:3
Is seeking God a one-time event or an ongoing process?
Seeking God is an ongoing process, as we see in Psalm 105:4, where it says to 'seek His face always', indicating a continuous and lifelong pursuit of knowing and following God
What happens if we do not seek God?
If we do not seek God, we risk spiritual death and separation from Him, as warned in Amos 5:6, where it says that if we do not seek the Lord, He will sweep like fire through the house of Joseph, devouring everything
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I can seek God in my daily life, and how can I make Him my top priority?
- What are some distractions or idols in my life that might be hindering my ability to seek God with all my heart?
- How can I balance the desire to seek God with the demands and responsibilities of everyday life?
- What does it mean to 'live' as a result of seeking God, and how can I experience that kind of life in my own relationship with Him?
Gill's Exposition on Amos 5:4
For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel,.... Or "yet" (a), notwithstanding all this, though such judgments were threatened and denounced, and such desolations should certainly come, in case
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Amos 5:4
For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: Seek ye me, and ye shall live - literally, "Seek ye me, and live." The second imperative expresses the certainty of
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Amos 5:4
For, or yet, truly. Thus saith the Lord; amidst all those threats there is still a reserve, a conditional proviso, and the Lord here does by his prophet declare it. Unto the house of Israel; though apostate both in sacred and civil things, though polluted and defiled greatly, and this through many scores of years, yet after all repentance would help them. Seek ye me; inquire for my law, and repent of your despising it, obey it in all things for the future, inquire diligently what promises I have made and wait for them, believe, obey, and repent; for this is to seek the Lord, when a people have turned from the Lord, as you have done, O house of Israel. Ye shall live; it shall be well with you, your persons, families, and the whole kingdom shall prosper, as the Hebrew phrase importeth.
Trapp's Commentary on Amos 5:4
Amos 5:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:Ver. 4. For thus saith the Lord] Or, truly thus saith the Lord; notwithstanding the former terrible sentence, which the prophet could not denounce with dry eyes; but takes up a lamentation, though less concerned in it, and might well say, as one did in another case, “ Tu quibus ista legis, incertum est, lector ocellis, Ipse quidem siccis dicere non potui. ” All God’ s threatenings (for the most part) are conditional, Jeremiah 18:7; Jeremiah 26:2, sc. if men repent not. As if they do, they may live in his sight, and be accounted worthy (such is God’ s great goodness) to escape all those things that shall befall the impenitent, Luke 21:36. The gospel is post naufragium tabula, writing tablet after the ship wreck, sand hath its reward too, Hebrews 11:6, sc. of grace and mercy. Do this and live, saith the law. Seek the Lord, and live, saith the gospel. "He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him," and that is the force of the Hebrew word here used, which signifieth to inquire, to make serious search and scrutiny, to seek him out (εκζητησατεμε, as the Seventy have it), when he is withdrawn; to seek him as a student doth sciences, a worldling gold, a hungry man meat, &c., as a man studiously turns over a commentary to find out the sense of a text, Isaiah 34:16. Do this, saith God, and ye shall live; not only have your lives for a prey, but live merrily, happily. "Now we live," saith the apostle; that is, we rejoice, 1 Thessalonians 3:8 : and "Thus shall ye say to him that liveth"; that is, hath a comfortable life, and a confluence of blessings, 1 Samuel 25:6. But besides all this, ye shall live for ever; and aeterna vita, vera vita, eternal life is the only life properly so called.
Life (in what sense soever taken) is a sweet mercy: "A living dog is better than a dead lion," saith Solomon, Ecclesiastes 9:4; and "Joseph is yet alive," saith Jacob (he doth not say, Joseph is lord of Egypt), "I will get down, and see him before I die," Genesis 45:28. "But eternal life is" (by a speciality and with an accent) "the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord," Romans 6:23; and this gift he will freely bestow on all that so seek him as not to be satisfied without him, as Moses, who would not be put off with an angel, but said, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence," Exodus 33:15; and as Luther, who when great gifts were sent him, refused them and said, Valde protestatus sum, me nolle sic satiari a Deo: I deeply protested that I would not be satisfied with these low things, but that I would have God or nothing.
Ellicott's Commentary on Amos 5:4
(4) Seek . . . live.—Search after God is rewarded by finding Him, and this is life in the highest sense.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Amos 5:4
Verse 4. Seek ye me, and ye shall live] Cease your rebellion against me; return to me with all your heart; and though consigned to death, ye shall be rescued and live. Deplorable as your case is, it is not utterly desperate.
Cambridge Bible on Amos 5:4
4–10. Proof that Israel merits the fate which has just been pronounced against it: it has sought Jehovah by a ritual which He does not value, and it has spurned the virtues which He really prizes. Seek ye me, and ye shall live] The Heb. is more forcible and concise: ‘Seek ye me, and live’: cf. Genesis 42:18 ‘This do, and live.’ To seek God was a standing expression for consulting Him by a prophet, or an oracle, even on purely secular matters (cf. Genesis 25:22; Exodus 18:15; 1 Samuel 9:9; 2 Kings 3:11; 2 Kings 8:8; 2 Kings 22:13; 2 Kings 22:18; Jeremiah 37:7; Ezekiel 14:3; Ezekiel 20:1; Ezekiel 20:3); but it is also used of seeking or caring for (Jeremiah 30:14) Him more generally, by paying regard to His revealed will, and studying to please Him by the practice of a righteous and holy life, Hosea 10:12; Isaiah 9:13; Jeremiah 10:21; Zephaniah 1:6; Isaiah 55:6; Isaiah 58:2; Isaiah 65:10; Psalms 9:10; Psalms 24:6; Psalms 34:10; Psalms 78:34, &c. The latter is the sense, which the expression has here. Seek ye me, says the prophet, in Jehovah’s name, by the means that I approve, and you will live, i.e. escape the threatened destruction.
Barnes' Notes on Amos 5:4
Seek ye Me and ye shall live - Literally, “seek Me; and live.” Wonderful conciseness of the word of God, which, in two words, comprises the whole of the creature’s duty and his hopes, his time and his eternity.
Whedon's Commentary on Amos 5:4
4, 5. The prophet begins again with the solemn “Thus saith Jehovah.” Seek ye me, and ye shall live — Hebrews “Seek ye me, and live”; that is, If ye seek me ye shall surely live (G.-K., 110f.).
Sermons on Amos 5:4
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Discernment - Part 1 by Vance Havner | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the importance of discernment in the Church today. He emphasizes that spiritual truth may seem foolish to the natural man, but it can only be |
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Getting to Know the Holy Spirit by David Wilkerson | This sermon focuses on the importance of getting to know the Holy Spirit as described in John 14:16. It emphasizes the ministry of the Holy Spirit, including comfort, sonship, and |
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God Is Inescapable by Alan Redpath | In this sermon, the speaker addresses the issue of outward religious practices without true inward devotion. He emphasizes that this message from the book of Amos is not just ancie |
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Overcoming Worry by Jim Logan | This sermon emphasizes the transformative power of understanding Jesus' teachings in a rabbinical context, particularly focusing on forgiveness and the care God has for each indivi |
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A Warning to Those at Ease by Ronald Glass | In this sermon, the speaker discusses how our culture is obsessed with entertainment, as seen in the recent deaths of celebrities like Michael Jackson. He highlights how music, ori |
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The Seven Levels of Judgment - Proper Response Part 2 by Dan Biser | This sermon emphasizes the importance of a proper response to God's word, focusing on seeking wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from God, repentance, acknowledging sin, seeking |
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Danger of Defiance by Thaddeus Barnum | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the message of Amos, particularly in chapter 5 and verse 24. He emphasizes the importance of hating evil, loving good, and establishing just |