Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;

AMOS 2:6KJV
Know the Bible

Amos 2:6 (KJV)

What does Amos 2:6 mean?

Amos 2:6 says that God is declaring judgment on Israel because they have repeatedly sinned, especially by treating people unfairly—selling those who are innocent for money and trading the poor for something as cheap as a pair of shoes. This verse highlights how seriously God takes injustice and the mistreatment of vulnerable people.

In this verse, the prophet Amos is speaking to the people of Israel, delivering a message from the LORD (God). The setting is one where Israel, though outwardly religious and prosperous, has become corrupt and unjust. God’s charge focuses on how the powerful in Israel have exploited the righteous and the poor, showing that their society values profit over people.

The Hebrew behind Amos 2:6

  • "Transgressions" (פֶּשַׁע, pesha‘): This word means deliberate rebellion or breaking of trust, not just accidental wrongdoing. It emphasizes that Israel’s sins are willful and repeated.
  • "Sold" (מָכַר, makhar): This word means to sell as property or merchandise. The verse accuses Israel of treating people—specifically the innocent and the poor—as commodities.
  • "Righteous" (צַדִּיק, tsaddiq): This word refers to someone who is morally upright or innocent. The verse highlights that even those who do right are being sold for silver, showing deep corruption.
  • "Poor" (אֶבְיוֹן, ’evyon): This word points to someone who is needy or destitute. The poor are being traded for a pair of shoes, showing how little value is placed on their lives.

Why Amos 2:6 matters

  • Amos 2:6 clears up the idea that God only cares about religious rituals; here, God is deeply concerned with social justice and how people treat each other.
  • The verse shows that God’s judgment is not just for foreign nations (as in earlier verses) but also for His own people when they act unjustly.
  • This verse sets the tone for the rest of Amos, where the prophet continues to confront Israel’s leaders about their exploitation of the vulnerable, making it clear that such behavior will not go unnoticed or unpunished.

Where else these words appear

“shoes” Hebrew H5275 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 14:23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
  • Joshua 9:5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
  • Song of Solomon 7:1 How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.

“poor” Hebrew H34 · used in 58 verses

  • Exodus 23:6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
  • Psalms 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
  • Proverbs 30:14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

“sold” Hebrew H4376 · used in 74 verses

  • Genesis 25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
  • Leviticus 25:39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
  • 2 Kings 17:17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

“transgressions” Hebrew H6588 · used in 90 verses

  • Genesis 31:36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
  • Psalms 51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
  • Lamentations 1:5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.