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Deuteronomy 31:21
And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.

Isaiah 66:18
For Iknow their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

Jeremiah 29:23
Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, andam a witness, saith the LORD.

manifold.

2 Kings 17:7-17
Forso it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, …

Isaiah 47:9
But these twothings shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries,and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

they afflict.

Amos 2:6,7,16
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn awaythe punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; …

Acts 3:13,14
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to lethim go…

Acts 7:52
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

take.

1 Samuel 8:3
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

Psalm 26:9,10
Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: …

Isaiah 1:23
Thy princesare rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

bribe.

Amos 2:7
That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto thesame maid, to profane my holy name:

Isaiah 10:2
To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, andthat they may rob the fatherless!

Isaiah 29:21
That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

in the.

You oppress the righteous by taking bribes;
This phrase addresses the corruption and injustice within the judicial system of Israel. The righteous, those who live according to God's laws, are being oppressed by those in power. The taking of bribes indicates a perversion of justice, where decisions are influenced by wealth rather than truth and fairness. This is a direct violation of the Mosaic Law, which commands judges to be impartial and not accept bribes (Deuteronomy 16:19). The historical context reveals a society where the wealthy and powerful exploit the vulnerable, a theme echoed in other prophetic books likeMicah 3:11 andIsaiah 1:23.

You deprive the poor of justice in the gate.
The "gate" refers to the city gate, a place where legal matters were traditionally settled in ancient Israelite society. It was a public space where elders and judges would convene to hear cases and render decisions. Depriving the poor of justice indicates a systemic failure to protect the rights of the marginalized, contrary to the biblical mandate to care for the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:9). This reflects a broader theme in the prophetic literature, where God condemns social injustice and calls for righteousness and equity (Isaiah 58:6-7). The failure to uphold justice for the poor is seen as a direct affront to God's character and His covenant with Israel.

God Himself is speaking, declaring firsthand knowledge of Israel’s conduct. Because He is all-knowing (Psalm 139:1-4;Hebrews 4:13), nothing escapes His gaze.

• The statement exposes a pattern, not a few isolated lapses—Israel’s rebellion is persistent.

• Amos earlier listed examples of these transgressions (Amos 2:6-8), reminding us that the Lord’s charges are documented, not assumed.

• Much like2 Chronicles 16:9 affirms, “The eyes of the LORD roam to and fro throughout the whole earth,” the Lord here testifies as the perfect eyewitness.

The indictment escalates: they are not just guilty; their guilt is overflowing.Isaiah 1:18 pictures sin staining scarlet;Romans 3:23 confirms that all fall short, but Israel’s failures are especially egregious given their covenant privilege.

• Sin multiplies when unconfessed, hardening hearts (Psalm 40:12).

• The phrase underscores accountability: God counts what people try to ignore (Jeremiah 2:22).

• The sheer number shows why judgment is imminent; mercy rejected eventually yields discipline (Hebrews 12:25).

The prophet gets specific: leaders twist justice for money.Deuteronomy 16:19 andExodus 23:8 had forbidden bribes, yet here they are normalized.

• Bribery injures “the righteous”—those who should have been protected, not exploited (Proverbs 17:23).

•Micah 3:11 echoes this same corruption, proving it was systemic, not occasional.

• Monetary gain at the expense of integrity invites God’s wrath, as seen later when Assyria overruns Israel (2 Kings 17:6-18).

Ancient city gates functioned as courtrooms; to “deprive” someone there meant stripping their legal voice.Proverbs 22:22-23 warns against robbing the poor in court, promising that God Himself will plead their cause.

• Social standing should never determine justice (Leviticus 19:15;James 2:1-4).

•Isaiah 10:1-2 condemns the very practice Amos highlights;Zechariah 7:9-10 commands honest judgments toward widows, orphans, and the needy.

• When earthly courts fail, the heavenly Judge intervenes (James 5:4), making this verse both a warning and a comfort.

Amos 5:12 paints a courtroom scene in which God presents four irrefutable charges: He knows Israel’s abundant transgressions and countless sins, He sees leaders accepting bribes that crush the innocent, and He watches the powerless denied justice at the city gate. The verse explains why divine judgment is coming: persistent, systemic sin against both God and neighbor. Its message still calls believers to personal holiness and societal fairness, reminding us that the Lord who saw Israel’s corruption is the same Lord who surveys our lives today.