What is the meaning of Amos 4:6? I afflicted all your cities • The speaker is the LORD—He openly claims responsibility for the hardship (Amos 3:6; Deuteronomy 32:39). • “Afflicted” points to purposeful discipline, not random disaster, echoing covenant warnings in Leviticus 26:14-16. • The judgment touches “all” cities, showing that no community can hide from God’s hand (Jeremiah 14:1-2). with cleanness of teeth • A vivid way of saying, “There was nothing to eat,” because teeth stay clean when no food passes them. • Similar famine language appears in Psalm 105:16 and Lamentations 4:9. • The phrase underlines literal scarcity, proving God’s word in Deuteronomy 28:17 about empty storehouses. and all your towns with lack of bread • “Towns” broadens the range—both urban centers and rural villages felt the pinch (Ezekiel 4:16-17). • Bread is the basic staple; its removal signals severe covenant curse (Leviticus 26:26). • The LORD had used famine before to call His people back (1 Kings 8:35-36; Haggai 1:6), so Israel should have recognized the pattern. yet you did not return to Me • The goal of discipline is repentance, not mere punishment (Hosea 6:1; Zechariah 1:3). • Israel’s refusal shows hardened hearts like those rebuked in Jeremiah 5:3 and Luke 13:3. • Every unmet hunger pang was an invitation to seek the Bread of Life, yet they clung to idols and injustice. declares the LORD • This closing seal stresses divine authority—God Himself is on record (Isaiah 1:18; Amos 4:11). • Because the statement is His, its truthfulness and certainty are beyond debate (Hebrews 6:17-18). • Ignoring such a declaration invites even sterner judgments, as the next verses of Amos demonstrate. summary 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. |
    |