Lexical Summary Sikkuth: Sikkuth Original Word: סִכּוּת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tabernacle Feminine of cak; an (idolatrous) booth -- tabernacle. see HEBREW cak NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprobably of foreign origin Definition a foreign god NASB Translation Sikkuth (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs סִכּוּת proper name, of a divinity Amos 5:26 read probably *סַכּוּת, = Assyrian Sakkut (epithet of Adar-Ninip = Saturn), SchrSK 1874, 332; COT AM 5, 26, compare TieleGeschichte. 528 BaeRel 239 RogersEncy. Bib. 749 (Vrss Thes and others = סֻכָּה, סֻכּוֺת). Topical Lexicon Designation and Variant Forms Sikkuth appears once in the Hebrew text (Amos 5:26) and is rendered “Sakkuth” in the Berean Standard Bible. Ancient versions supply variant forms—“Siccuth” (Septuagint), “Tabernacle” (Vulgate)—indicating uncertainty whether the word is a proper name for a deity or a noun describing a portable shrine. Biblical Occurrence Amos 5:26: “You have lifted up Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god—the idols you made for yourselves.” The prophet indicts Israel for bearing these images even while outwardly maintaining the sacrificial system commanded by the Lord (Amos 5:21-24). Immediately afterward Yahweh warns, “Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus” (Amos 5:27), linking idolatry with impending judgment. Historical and Cultural Background 1. Mesopotamian Influence: Archaeological and cuneiform data identify Sakkuth (or Šiku-tu) as an epithet for Ninurta, a warrior-agricultural deity associated with the planet Saturn. Israel’s northern kingdom, economically entwined with Aram and Assyria, easily absorbed such cults. Prophetic Condemnation Amos exposes a hypocrisy that treats covenant rituals as cultural veneers while harboring syncretistic idols. The prophet’s three-fold denunciation—empty assemblies (Amos 5:21), hollow music (Amos 5:23), and idolatrous processions (Amos 5:26)—culminates in exile. The exile therefore stands as a divine answer to Sakkuth: the people will be forced to “carry” their gods into a land where those gods hold no power. Theological Lessons 1. Exclusive Allegiance: The first commandment (Exodus 20:3) tolerates no rivalry. Sakkuth dramatizes the human tendency to supplement worship of the true God with culturally fashionable alternatives. Application for Christian Ministry • Discern Cultural Syncretism: Congregations must evaluate modern “portable shrines”—status, entertainment, political ideologies—that travel with believers into worship. Sikkuth, though mentioned only once, stands as a vivid symbol of idolatry’s allure and Yahweh’s unwavering demand for undivided devotion. Forms and Transliterations סִכּ֣וּת סכות sik·kūṯ sikKut sikkūṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Amos 5:26 HEB: וּנְשָׂאתֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת סִכּ֣וּת מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת NAS: You also carried along Sikkuth your king KJV: But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch INT: carried Sikkuth Molech and Kiyyun 1 Occurrence |
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