The big picture
Amos 6 opens in verse 1 with “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 7 with “Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of…”, and closes in verse 14 with “But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the…” Repeated or prominent terms include house, LORD, border, captive, chief. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Amos · King James Version · 14Amos 6:1-7
1–7: Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of…
Amos 6:1–7 opens with “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named…” and reaches “Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Leaders reclining in luxury, making music, and ignoring the ruin of Joseph, with particular weight carried by border, captive, chief.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to…” Naming Israel and Samaria keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Amos 6:1-7
King James Version1Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
2Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
3Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
4That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
5That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
6That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.
Amos 6:8-14
8–14: The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I…
Amos 6:8–14 opens with “The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of…” and reaches “But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Leaders reclining in luxury, making music, and ignoring the ruin of Joseph, with particular weight carried by house, LORD, hosts.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 3 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his…” Naming Jacob keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Amos 6:8-14
King James Version8The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.
9And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.
10And a man’s uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD .
11For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.
12Shall 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:
13Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?
14But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Amos 6:1 begins with “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!”
Where the chapter turns
Amos 6:7 forms a natural hinge: “Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.”
The final note
Amos 6:14 leaves the reader with “But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words house, LORD, border, captive, chief, hosts help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What repeated description explains the judgment?
The earth is corrupt and filled with violence, especially in verses 11-13.
What does obedience look like here?
Detailed preparation, gathering provisions and constructing what God commands.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.