Amos 5:4 (LSB)

Passage

For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel, “Seek Me that you may live.

Nearby Context

Amos 5:2 She has fallen; she will not rise again— The virgin Israel. She lies abandoned on her land; There is none to raise her up.

Amos 5:3 For thus says Lord Yahweh, “The city which goes forth one thousand strong Will have one hundred left, And the one which goes forth one hundred strong Will have ten left to the house of Israel.”

Amos 5:4 For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel, “Seek Me that you may live.

Amos 5:5 But do not seek Bethel, And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into exile, And Bethel will become evil.

Amos 5:6 Seek Yahweh that you may live, Lest He come mightily like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thus", "says", "yahweh", "house", "israel", "seek", and "live". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thus" and "says", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "For thus says Lord Yahweh The city..." into verse 5's "But do not seek Bethel And do...", so "thus" and "says" belong inside that flow. In Amos context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thus" and "says" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.