Amos 5 · Verse 15

Amos 5:15

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 5:15, King James Version

Amos 5:15 in other translations

BSBHate evil and love good; establish justice in the gate. Perhaps the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
WEBHate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that the LORD, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
ASVHate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
YLTHate evil, and love good, And set up judgment in the gate, It may be Jehovah, God of Hosts, doth pity the remnant of Joseph.
DARBYHate evil, and love good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
BBEBe haters of evil and lovers of good, and let right be done in the public place: it may be that the Lord, the God of armies, will have mercy on the rest of Joseph.
WebsterHate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

What does Amos 5:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. Hate ... evil ... love ... good--(Is 1:16, 17; Ro 12:9). judgment in the gate--justice in the place where causes are tried. it may be that the Lord ... will be gracious--so, "peradventure" (Ex 32:30). Not that men are to come to God with an uncertainty whether or no He will be gracious: the expression merely implies the difficulty in the way, because of the want of true repentance on man's part, so as to stimulate the zealous earnestness of believers in seeking God (compare Ge 16:2; Joe 2:14; Ac 8:22). the remnant of Joseph--(see Am 5:6). Israel (represented by "Ephraim," the leading tribe, and descendant of Joseph) was, as compared to what it once was, now but a remnant, Hazael of Syria having smitten all the coasts from Jordan eastward, Gilead and Bashan, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh (2Ki 10:32, 33) [Henderson]. Rather, "the remnant of Israel that shall have been left after the wicked have been destroyed" [Maurer].

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 Hate the evil, and love the good - What ruins you, avoid; what helps you, cleave to. And as a proof that you take this advice, purify the seats of justice, and then expect God to be gracious to the remnant of Joseph - to the posterity of the ten tribes.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Amos 5:7-17

The same almighty power can, for repenting sinners, easily turn affliction and sorrow into prosperity and joy, and as easily turn the prosperity of daring sinners into utter darkness. Evil times will not bear plain dealing; that is, evil men will not. And these men were evil men indeed, when wise and good men thought it in vain even to speak to them. Those who will seek and love that which is good, may help to save…

Read the full comment on Amos 5:7-17 →

Amos 5:15 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.

שִׂנְאוּ\־sin.'u-hateH8130
רָע֙ra'evilH7451
וְאֶ֣הֱבוּve.'E.he.vuand loveH157
ט֔וֹבTovgoodH2896
וְהַצִּ֥יגוּve.ha.Tzi.guand set upH3322
בַשַּׁ֖עַרva.Sha.'arin the gateH8179
מִשְׁפָּ֑טmish.PatjusticeH4941
אוּלַ֗י'u.LaiperhapsH194
יֶֽחֱנַ֛ןye.che.Nanhe will show favor toH2603
יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵֽי\־'e.lo.hei-God ofH430
צְבָא֖וֹתtze.va.'othostsH6635
שְׁאֵרִ֥יתshe.'e.Rit[the] remnant ofH7611
יוֹסֵֽף\׃\ \סyo.SefJosephH3130

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

Cross references for Amos 5:15

  • Romans 12:9

    Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

  • 3 John 1:11

    Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

  • Joel 2:14

    Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?

  • Psalms 97:10

    Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

    Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

  • Romans 8:7

    Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

  • Micah 5:7-8

    And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

  • Micah 5:3

    Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

  • Amos 5:24

    But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

  • Exodus 32:30

    And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

  • Jonah 3:9

    Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

  • 2 Kings 19:4

    It may be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rab–shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Hate.
Ps 34:14; 36:4; 37:27; 97:10; 119:104; 139:21,22; Ro 7:15,16,22; 8:7
Ro 12:9; 1Th 5:21,22; 3Jo 1:11
establish.
10,24; 6:12; 2Ch 19:6-11; Ps 82:2-4; Jer 7:5-7
it may.
Ex 32:30; 2Sa 16:12; 1Ki 20:31; 2Ki 19:4; Joe 2:14; Jon 3:9
the remnant.
6; 2Ki 13:7; 14:26,27; 15:29; Jer 31:7; Mic 2:12; 5:3,7,8

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

Context

  • Amos 5:14

    Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.

  • Amos 5:15

    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 5:16

    Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

Read all of Amos 5

Amos 5:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Aborreced el mal, y amad el bien, y poned juicio en la puerta: quizá Jehová, Dios de los ejércitos, tendrá piedad del remanente de José.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Haïssez le mal, et aimez le bien, et établissez dans la porte le juste jugement; peut-être l’ Éternel, le Dieu des armées, usera-t-il de grâce envers le reste de Joseph.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Hasset das Böse und liebet das Gute, und richtet das Recht auf im Tore; vielleicht wird Jehova, der Gott der Heerscharen, dem Überrest Josephs gnädig sein.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Odite malum et diligite bonum, et constituite in porta judicium: si forte misereatur Dominus Deus exercituum reliquiis Joseph.