You dismiss the day of calamity and bring near a reign of violence.
Parallel translations
- WEB Those who put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
- KJV Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
- NKJV Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near;
- NASB Are you postponing the day of disaster, And would you bring near the seat of violence?
- NLT You push away every thought of coming disaster, but your actions only bring the day of judgment closer.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They push away thoughts of the coming day of judgment while bringing violence and oppression near. Denial of judgment feeds their injustice.
Overview
By refusing to reckon with God's coming reckoning, the leaders grow bolder in cruelty, enthroning violence in place of justice. Putting off the 'evil day' does not prevent it; it only deepens guilt. The gospel calls people instead to face God's judgment honestly and flee to Christ, who alone removes its terror.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Amos 9:10All the sinners among My people will die by the sword—all those who say, ‘Disaster will never draw near or confront us.’”
- Isa 56:12“Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!”
- Ezek 12:27“Son of man, take note that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now; he prophesies about the distant future.’
- 1 Th 5:3While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
- 2 Pet 3:4“Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”
- Matt 24:48But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’
- Ezek 12:22“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by, and every vision fails’?
- Amos 3:10“For they know not how to do right,” declares the LORD. “They store up violence and destruction in their citadels.”
- Amos 5:12For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.
- Eccl 8:11When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil.
- Isa 47:7You said, ‘I will be queen forever.’ You did not take these things to heart or consider their outcome.
- Amos 5:18Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light.
- Ps 94:20Can a corrupt throne be Your ally—one devising mischief by decree?
- Amos 6:12“Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—
- Rev 18:17For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Amid judgment on injustice, Amos promises the raising up of David's fallen tent — read by James in Acts 15 as the ingathering of the nations into the kingdom of the risen Christ.
How Amos 6:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.