New International Version “I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. New Living Translation “I brought hunger to every city and famine to every town. But still you would not return to me,” says the LORD. English Standard Version “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. Berean Standard Bible “I afflicted 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. Berean Literal Bible “Also I have given to you⁺ cleanness of teeth in all your⁺ cities, and lack of bread in all your⁺ stations, and you⁺ have not returned to Me,” a declaration of YHWH. King James Bible 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. New King James Version “Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the LORD. New American Standard Bible “But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the LORD. NASB 1995 “But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities And lack of bread in all your places, Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the LORD. NASB 1977 “But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities And lack of bread in all your places, Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the LORD. Legacy Standard Bible “But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities And lack of bread in all your places, Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh. Amplified Bible “I also gave you cleanness of teeth [because of the famine] in all your cities And lack of bread in all your places, Yet you have not returned to Me [in repentance],” says the LORD. Berean Annotated Bible “I afflicted all your⁺ cities with cleanness of teeth (with empty stomachs) and all your⁺ towns with lack of bread, yet you⁺ did not return to Me, declares the LORD {YHWH}. Christian Standard Bible I gave you absolutely nothing to eat in all your cities, a shortage of food in all your communities, yet you did not return to me. This is the LORD’s declaration. Holman Christian Standard Bible I gave you absolutely nothing to eat in all your cities, a shortage of food in all your communities, yet you did not return to Me. This is the LORD’s declaration. 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. Contemporary English Version I, the LORD, took away the food from every town and village, but still you rejected me. English Revised 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 the LORD. GOD'S WORD® Translation I left you with nothing to eat in any of your cities. I left you with no food in your entire land. And you still didn't return to me, declares the LORD. Good News Translation "I was the one who brought famine to all your cities, yet you did not come back to me. International Standard Version "I also have scheduled food shortages for you in all of your cities, and lack of bread in all of your settlements, but you haven't returned to me," declares the LORD. NET Bible "But surely I gave you no food to eat in any of your cities; you lacked food everywhere you live. Still you did not come back to me." The LORD is speaking! New Heart English Bible "I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven't returned to me," says the LORD. Webster's Bible Translation 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 to me, saith the LORD. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard Bible“I afflicted 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. World English Bible “I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh. Literal Translations Literal Standard Version“And I also—I have given to you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, "" And lack of bread in all your places, "" And you have not turned back to Me,” "" A declaration of YHWH. Berean Literal Bible “Also I have given to you⁺ cleanness of teeth in all your⁺ cities, and lack of bread in all your⁺ stations, and you⁺ have not returned to Me,” a declaration of YHWH. Young's Literal Translation And I also -- I have given to you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And lack of bread in all your places, And ye have not turned back unto Me, an affirmation of Jehovah. Smith's Literal Translation And also I gave to you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: and ye turned not back even to me, says Jehovah. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWhereupon I also have given you dulness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet you have not returned to me, saith the Lord. Catholic Public Domain Version Therefore, because of this, I have given you dull teeth in every one of your cities, and a lack of bread in all your places. And you have not been turned back towards me, says the Lord. New American Bible Though I made your teeth clean of food in all your cities, and made bread scarce in all your dwellings, Yet you did not return to me— oracle of the LORD. New Revised Standard Version I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me, says the LORD. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd I also have given you shortage of food in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet you have not returned to me, says the LORD. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Also I have given you numbness of teeth in all your cities and lack of bread in all your places, and you have not returned to me, says LORD JEHOVAH OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And 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. Brenton Septuagint Translation And I will give you dulness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet ye returned not to me, saith the Lord. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Punishment Brings No Repentance…5Offer leavened bread as a thank offering, and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings. For that is what you children of Israel love to do,” declares the Lord GOD. 6“ 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. 7“I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered.… Cross References “I afflicted all your cities with cleanness of teeth Leviticus 26:26 When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven and dole out your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied. Deuteronomy 28:48 you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you. 2 Kings 6:25 So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver. and all your towns with lack of bread, Lamentations 4:4 The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. Ezekiel 4:16 Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure. 2 Kings 25:3 By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food. yet you did not return to Me,” Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. Isaiah 9:13 But the people did not return to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts. Hosea 7:10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, yet they do not return to the LORD their God; despite all this, they do not seek Him. declares the LORD. Jeremiah 23:31 “Yes,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and proclaim, ‘The LORD declares it.’” Jeremiah 7:32 So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth and the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. For they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. Zephaniah 3:8 Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “until the day I rise to testify. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation—all My burning anger. For all the earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy. Haggai 1:6 You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.” 2 Kings 8:1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed that a seven-year famine will come to the land.” Isaiah 3:1 For behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: the whole supply of food and water, Jeremiah 14:1-6 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: / “Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. / The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads. … Treasury of Scripture And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have you not returned to me, said the LORD. cleanness. and want. 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. Deuteronomy 28:38 Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it. 1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. yet. Amos 4:8,9 So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD… 2 Chronicles 28:22 And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz. Isaiah 9:13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts. Jump to Previous Affirmation Bread Cities City Cleanness Declares Empty Food Kept Lack Need Places Stomachs Teeth Towns Turned WantJump to Next Affirmation Bread Cities City Cleanness Declares Empty Food Kept Lack Need Places Stomachs Teeth Towns Turned WantAmos 4 1. He reproves Israel for oppression,4. for idolatry, 6. and for their incorrigibleness. “I afflicted all your cities with cleanness of teeth God sent famine throughout Israel as a covenant judgment for persistent idolatry and disobedience. Empty mouths and clean teeth marked the absence of food, affecting the nation’s population centers as well as its smaller communities. Lev 26:26 When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women… and all your towns with lack of bread, The shortage was comprehensive. Bread, the ordinary staple of daily life, was unavailable across the land, leaving no town untouched by the consequences of Israel’s rebellion. Lam 4:4 The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst… yet you did not return to Me,” Even under famine, Israel refused to repent. God’s judgments were intended to expose their dependence on Him and bring them back to covenant faithfulness, but the people remained hardened. Jer 5:3 O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth?… declares the LORD. The famine was not an accident of weather or agriculture but the deliberate judgment of the sovereign God, who held Israel accountable to the covenant they had repeatedly forsaken. Jer 23:31 “Yes,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets… Persons / Places / Events 1. AmosA prophet from Tekoa, a small town in Judah, who was called by God to deliver messages of judgment to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. 2. Israel The Northern Kingdom, which had turned away from God, engaging in idolatry and social injustice. 3. God (Yahweh) The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who is calling His people to repentance through the prophet Amos. 4. Cities of Israel The urban centers where the people experienced the consequences of their disobedience, such as famine and lack of resources. 5. Famine A divine judgment used by God to prompt Israel to return to Him, symbolized by "cleanness of teeth" due to lack of food. Teaching Points Divine DisciplineGod uses circumstances, such as famine, to discipline His people and draw them back to Himself. Recognize God's hand in life's challenges as a call to examine our relationship with Him. Call to Repentance Despite experiencing hardship, Israel did not return to God. Reflect on personal areas of stubbornness and seek genuine repentance. Covenant Faithfulness God remains faithful to His covenant, desiring His people to return to Him. Trust in God's unchanging nature and His desire for restoration. Spiritual Awareness The phrase "cleanness of teeth" symbolizes a lack of spiritual nourishment. Evaluate your spiritual diet and ensure you are feeding on God's Word. Response to God's Warnings Consider how you respond to God's warnings in your life. Are you attentive and willing to change, or do you persist in disobedience? Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Amos 4:6?2. How does Amos 4:6 illustrate God's use of discipline to encourage repentance? 3. What does "cleanness of teeth" symbolize in Amos 4:6, and why? 4. How can we recognize God's warnings in our lives, as seen in Amos 4:6? 5. What other biblical examples show God withholding blessings to prompt repentance? 6. How should we respond when experiencing God's discipline, according to Amos 4:6? 7. What does Amos 4:6 reveal about God's methods of discipline? 8. How does Amos 4:6 reflect God's relationship with Israel? 9. Why did God choose famine as a warning in Amos 4:6? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Amos 4? (6) Cleanness of teeth is, by the poetic parallelism, identified with the want of bread, the former phrase being a graphic representation of one of the ghastly aspects of famine; clean, sharp, prominent teeth projecting from the thin lips. Notwithstanding their chastisement, God says, "Ye have not returned even up to me." Jehovah is here introduced as grieving over the failure of his disciplinary treatment of Israel.Verse 6. - In this and the five following verses God sets forth instances of the judgments which he had sent at various times to correct Israel; viz. famine, drought, blight, pestilence, earthquake; but all had been in vain. Five times recurs the sad refrain, "Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord." God's unwearied love had not conquered their rebellion. Cleanness of teeth; Septuagint, γομφιασμὸν ὀδόντων, "dulness of teeth;" Vulgate, stuporem dentium. It is not "toothache" that is meant, but famine, as is seen by the parallel term, want of bread; as Corn. a Lapide says, "Cum enim in fame et penuria dentes non habent quod mordeant et mandant, innocentes sunt et mundi." This is the first chastisement mentioned. It was threatened in the Law as a consequence of backsliding (see Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28:48, 57). The famines to which Amos alludes are not recorded. Plainly they were not fortuitous, but were providential inflictions, in accordance with previous warnings Yet have ye not returned unto me. Pusey notes that the words imply, not that they returned not at all, but that they did after a fashion return, but not so as to reach God, their repentance being a half-repentance and their worship a half-worship, and therefore unacceptable. Amos 4:6 records God’s deliberate use of nationwide famine to awaken Israel. He withheld food—leaving teeth “clean” and tables bare—to steer His people back to covenant faithfulness. Despite the breadth of the suffering, Israel refused to repent. The verse thus warns that persistent disregard for God’s corrective hand will only heighten accountability, while also affirming that every act of discipline is motivated by His desire for a restored relationship with His people. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew “Iאֲנִי֩ (’ă·nî) Pronoun - first person common singular Strong's 589: I beset נָתַ֨תִּי (nā·ṯat·tî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 5414: To give, put, set all בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every your cities עָ֣רֵיכֶ֔ם (‘ā·rê·ḵem) Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural Strong's 5892: Excitement with cleanness נִקְי֤וֹן (niq·yō·wn) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 5356: Clearness of teeth שִׁנַּ֙יִם֙ (šin·na·yim) Noun - cd Strong's 8127: A tooth, ivory, a cliff and all בְּכֹ֖ל (bə·ḵōl) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every your towns מְקוֹמֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם (mə·qō·w·mō·ṯê·ḵem) Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition with lack וְחֹ֣סֶר (wə·ḥō·ser) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 2640: Want, lack of bread, לֶ֔חֶם (le·ḥem) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain yet you did not וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no return שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם (šaḇ·tem) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again to Me.” עָדַ֖י (‘ā·ḏay) Preposition | first person common singular Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while declares נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 5002: An oracle the LORD. יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel Additonal Resources Amos 4:6 Blue Letter BibleAmos 4:6 Bible Gateway Amos 4:6 Bible.com Amos 4:6 NIV |
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