Amos 5 · Verse 4

Amos 5:4

For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
Amos 5:4, King James Version

Amos 5:4 in other translations

BSBFor this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live!
WEBFor the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek me, and you will live;
ASVFor thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live;
YLTFor thus said Jehovah to the house of Israel: Seek ye Me, and live,
DARBYFor thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel: Seek ye me, and ye shall live.
BBEFor these are the words of the Lord to the children of Israel: Let your hearts be turned to me, so that you may have life:
WebsterFor thus saith the LORD to the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

What does Amos 5:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. Seek ye me, and ye shall live--literally, "Seek ... Me, and live." The second imperative expresses the certainty of "life" (escape from judgment) resulting from obedience to the precept in the first imperative. If they perish, it is their own fault; God would forgive, if they would repent (Is 55:3, 6).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Seek ye me, and ye shall live - Cease your rebellion against me; return to me with all your heart; and though consigned to death, ye shall be rescued and live. Deplorable as your case is, it is not utterly desperate.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Amos 5:1-6

The convincing, awakening word must be heard and heeded, as well as words of comfort and peace; for whether we hear or forbear, the word of God shall take effect. The Lord still proclaims mercy to men, but they often expect deliverance from such self-invented forms as make their condemnation sure. While they refuse to come to Christ and to seek mercy in and by him, that they may live, the fire of Divine wrath breaks…

Read the full comment on Amos 5:1-6 →

Amos 5:4 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.

כִּ֣יkiforH3588
כֹ֥הkhohthusH3541
אָמַ֛ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
לְבֵ֣יתle.Veitto [the] house ofH1004
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
דִּרְשׁ֖וּנִיdir.Shu.niseek meH1875
וִֽחְיֽוּ\׃Vich.Yuand liveH2421

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

Cross references for Amos 5:4

  • Zephaniah 2:3

    Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.

  • 2 Chronicles 15:2

    And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

  • Jeremiah 29:12-13

    Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

  • Isaiah 55:3

    Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

  • Psalms 14:2

    The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

  • Isaiah 55:6-7

    Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

  • Matthew 7:8

    For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

  • Psalms 105:3-4

    Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

  • 1 Chronicles 28:9

    And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

  • Lamentations 3:25-26

    The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

  • 2 Chronicles 20:3

    And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

  • Deuteronomy 30:1-8

    And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Seek.
6; De 30:1-8; 1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 15:2; 20:3; 34:3; Ps 14:2; 27:8
Isa 55:6,7; Jer 29:12,13; La 3:25,26; Zep 2:3; Mt 7:8
and.
Ps 22:26; 69:32; 105:3,4; Isa 55:3

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

Context

  • Amos 5:3

    For thus saith the Lord God; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.

  • Amos 5:4

    For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

  • Amos 5:5

    But seek not Beth–el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer–sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth–el shall come to nought.

Read all of Amos 5

Amos 5:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Empero así dice Jehová á la casa de Israel: Buscadme, y viviréis;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Car ainsi dit l’ Éternel à la maison d’Israël: Cherchez-moi, et vous vivrez;
German
Elberfelder 1871
Denn so spricht Jehova zum Hause Israel: Suchet mich und lebet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quia hæc dicit Dominus domui Israël: Quærite me, et vivetis.