Amos 4 · Verse 6

Amos 4:6

And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.
Amos 4:6, King James Version

Amos 4:6 in other translations

BSB“I beset all your cities with cleanness of teeth and all your towns with lack of bread, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.
WEB“I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says the LORD.
ASVAnd I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.
YLTAnd I also--I have given to you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And lack of bread in all your places, And ye have not turned back unto Me, an affirmation of Jehovah.
DARBYAnd I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet ye have not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.
BBEBut in all your towns I have kept food from your teeth, and in all your places there has been need of bread: and still you have not come back to me, says the Lord.
WebsterAnd I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned to me, saith the LORD.

What does Amos 4:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Amos 4:6-11
6-11. Jehovah details His several chastisements inflicted with a view to reclaiming them: but adds to each the same sad result, "yet have ye not returned unto Me" (Is 9:13; Jr 5:3; Ho 7:10); the monotonous repetition of the same burden marking their pitiable obstinacy. cleanness of teeth--explained by the parallel, "want of bread." The famine alluded to is that mentioned in 2Ki 8:1 [Grotius]. Where there is no food to masticate, the teeth are free from uncleanness, but it is the cleanness of want. Compare Pr 14:4, "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean." So spiritually, where all is outwardly smooth and clean, it is often because there is no solid religion. Better fighting and fears with real piety, than peace and respectable decorum without spiritual life.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Cleanness of teeth - Scarcity of bread, as immediately explained. Ye shall have no trouble in cleaning your teeth, for ye shall have nothing to eat. Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord - This reprehension is repeated live times in this chapter; and in it are strongly implied God's longsuffering, his various modes of fatherly chastisement, the ingratitude of the people, and their obstinate wickedness. The famine mentioned here is supposed to be that which is spoken of 2Kgs 8:1; but it is most likely to have been that mentioned by Joel, chaps. 1 and 2.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Amos 4:6-13
See the folly of carnal hearts; they wander from one creature to another, seeking for something to satisfy, and labour for that which satisfies not; yet, after all, they will not incline their ear to Him in whom they might find all they can want. Preaching the gospel is as rain, and every thing withers where this rain is wanting. It were well if people were as wise for their souls as they are for their bodies; and, when they have not this rain near, would go and seek it where it is to be had. As the Israelites persisted in rebellion and idolatry, the Lord was coming against them as an adversary. Ere long, we must meet our God in judgment; but we shall not be able to stand before him, if he tries us according to our doings. If we would prepare to meet our God with comfort, at the awful period of his coming, we must now meet him in Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of the Father, who came to save lost sinners. We must seek him while he is to be found.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Amos 4:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְגַם\־ve.gam-and alsoH1571
אֲנִי֩'a.NiIH589
נָתַ֨תִּיna.Ta.tiI gaveH5414
לָכֶ֜םla.Khemto you
נִקְי֤וֹןnik.Yoncleanness ofH5356
שִׁנַּ֙יִם֙shi.Na.yimteethH8127
בְּכָל\־be.kholin allH3605
עָ֣רֵיכֶ֔ם'a.rei.Khemcities yourH5892
וְחֹ֣סֶרve.Cho.serand lack ofH2640
לֶ֔חֶםLe.chembreadH3899
בְּכֹ֖לbe.Kholin allH3605
מְקוֹמֹֽתֵיכֶ֑םme.ko.mo.tei.Khemplaces yourH4725
וְלֹֽא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
שַׁבְתֶּ֥םshav.Temyou returnedH7725
עָדַ֖י'a.Daito meH5704
נְאֻם\־ne.'um-[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Amos 4:6

  • Haggai 2:17

    I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord.

  • Jeremiah 5:3

    O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

  • Isaiah 9:13

    For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts.

  • Revelation 16:10-11

    And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

  • Leviticus 26:26

    And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.

  • Hosea 5:15-6:1

    I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

  • Revelation 2:21

    And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

  • Amos 4:8-9

    So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

  • 1 Kings 18:2

    And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

  • 1 Kings 17:1

    And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

  • Zechariah 1:3-6

    Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

  • 2 Chronicles 28:22

    And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
cleanness.From want of food, occasioned by severe famine.
and want.
Le 26:26; De 28:38; 1Ki 17:1; 18:2; 2Ki 4:38; 6:25-29; 8:1; Eze 16:27
yet.
8,9; 2Ch 28:22; Isa 9:13; 26:11; Jer 5:3; 8:5-7; Ho 5:15; 6:1
Ho 7:14-16; Joe 2:12-14; Hag 2:17; Zec 1:3-6; Re 2:21; 9:20,21
Re 16:10,11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Amos 4:5

    And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord God.

  • Amos 4:6

    And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

  • Amos 4:7

    And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

Read all of Amos 4

Amos 4:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Yo también os dí limpieza de dientes en todas vuestras ciudades, y falta de pan en todos vuestros pueblos: mas no os tornasteis á mí, dice Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et moi aussi, je vous ai donné les dents nettes dans toutes vos villes, et le manque de pain dans toutes vos demeures; et vous n’êtes pas revenus à moi, dit l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und so habe auch ich euch reine Zähne gegeben in allen euren Städten und Mangel an Brot in allen euren Orten; und doch seid ihr nicht bis zu mir umgekehrt, spricht Jehova.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Unde et ego dedi vobis stuporem dentium in cunctis urbibus vestris, et indigentiam panum in omnibus locis vestris; et non estis reversi ad me, dicit Dominus.