Amos 4:7 (YLT)

Passage

And I also--I have withheld from you the rain. While yet three months to harvest, And I have sent rain on one city, And on another city I do not send rain, One portion is rained on, And the portion on which it raineth not withereth.

Nearby Context

Amos 4:5 And perfume with leaven a thank-offering, And proclaim willing gifts, sound ye! For so ye have loved, O sons of Israel, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

Amos 4:6 And 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.

Amos 4:7 And I also--I have withheld from you the rain. While yet three months to harvest, And I have sent rain on one city, And on another city I do not send rain, One portion is rained on, And the portion on which it raineth not withereth.

Amos 4:8 And wandered have two or three cities, Unto the same city to drink water, And they are not satisfied, And ye have not turned back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Amos 4:9 I have smitten you with blasting and with mildew, The abundance of your gardens and of your vineyards, And of your figs, and of your olives, Eat doth the palmer-worm, And ye have not turned back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "also--i", "withheld", "rain", "three", "months", "harvest", and "sent". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "also--i" and "withheld", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "And I also--I have given to you..." into verse 8's "And wandered have two or three cities...", so "also--i" and "withheld" 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 "also--i" and "withheld" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.