Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

AMOS 5:15KJV
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Amos 5:15 (KJV)

What does Amos 5:15 mean?

Amos 5:15 calls the people to actively reject what is evil and to embrace what is good, urging them to make sure justice is carried out where decisions are made. The verse holds out hope that if they do this, the LORD God might show kindness to the small group of faithful people left among them.

Amos, a prophet speaking to the people of Israel, delivers this message during a time when injustice and corruption are common, especially among leaders and in the courts. The "gate" refers to the place in ancient cities where legal matters were settled. The verse makes clear that God values not just personal morality but also public justice, and that His grace is possible for those who remain faithful even when most have turned away.

The Hebrew behind Amos 5:15

  • "Hate" (שָׂנֵא, sane'): This word means to have a strong aversion or rejection, not just mild dislike. Amos is calling for a clear, active stance against wrongdoing.
  • "Evil" (רַע, ra'): This term covers moral wrong, harm, or injustice. The focus here is on actions and systems that are harmful or corrupt.
  • "Establish" (יָצַב, yatsav): This word means to set up firmly or make something stand. The idea is not just to wish for justice but to make sure it is actually put into practice.
  • "Gate" (שַׁעַר, sha'ar): In ancient Israel, the gate was the center of community life and where legal cases were judged. Justice at the gate means justice in public life, not just in private.

Why Amos 5:15 matters

  • Amos 5:15 shows that God cares deeply about justice in society, not just private religious devotion. The verse links personal morality ("hate evil, love good") with public responsibility ("establish judgment in the gate").
  • The verse corrects the idea that God's grace is automatic; it is connected to the people's response to His call for justice and goodness.
  • This verse ties into the larger message of Amos, where the prophet warns that religious rituals are empty if not matched by real justice and compassion in daily life.

Where else these words appear

“establish” Hebrew H3322 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 30:38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
  • Deuteronomy 28:56 The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,
  • 2 Samuel 6:17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

“remnant” Hebrew H7611 · used in 66 verses

  • Genesis 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
  • Jeremiah 15:9 She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.
  • Ezekiel 9:8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

“gracious” Hebrew H2603 · used in 72 verses

  • Genesis 33:5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.
  • Job 19:16 I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.
  • Psalms 102:14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.

“Hate” Hebrew H8130 · used in 139 verses

  • Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
  • Esther 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them,(though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)
  • Proverbs 1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?