Amos 5:25
Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
Original Language Analysis
הַזְּבָחִ֨ים
unto me sacrifices
H2077
הַזְּבָחִ֨ים
unto me sacrifices
Strong's:
H2077
Word #:
1 of 9
properly, a slaughter, i.e., the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)
וּמִנְחָ֜ה
and offerings
H4503
וּמִנְחָ֜ה
and offerings
Strong's:
H4503
Word #:
2 of 9
a donation; euphemistically, tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary)
הִֽגַּשְׁתֶּם
Have ye offered
H5066
הִֽגַּשְׁתֶּם
Have ye offered
Strong's:
H5066
Word #:
3 of 9
to be or come (causatively, bring) near (for any purpose); euphemistically, to lie with a woman; as an enemy, to attack; religious to worship; causati
בַמִּדְבָּ֛ר
in the wilderness
H4057
בַמִּדְבָּ֛ר
in the wilderness
Strong's:
H4057
Word #:
5 of 9
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
Cross References
Nehemiah 9:18Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;Ezekiel 20:8But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.Nehemiah 9:21Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.Joshua 24:14Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.Leviticus 17:7And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.
Historical Context
Stephen cited this verse in Acts 7:42-43, interpreting it to mean Israel carried idols even in the wilderness. The golden calf incident (Exodus 32) and subsequent rebellions confirm persistent idolatry. Amos addresses 8th-century Israel by reminding them their ancestors' pattern of faithlessness.
Questions for Reflection
- How might modern Christians maintain religious rituals while their hearts worship other gods—success, comfort, reputation?
- What does it mean to offer sacrifices 'unto me' versus performing religious duties without heart engagement?
- How does this verse challenge generational assumptions of faithfulness based on religious heritage rather than genuine devotion?
Analysis & Commentary
Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? (הַזְּבָחִים וּמִנְחָה הִגַּשְׁתֶּם־לִי בַמִּדְבָּר, hazevachim uminchah higashtem-li bamidbar)—This rhetorical question expects 'no' as the answer. During the wilderness wandering (Exodus-Deuteronomy), Israel frequently rebelled rather than worshiped. The Hebrew construction emphasizes the pronoun לִי (li, 'to ME')—even when they performed rituals, their hearts weren't directed toward Yahweh but toward idols (Acts 7:42-43 confirms this interpretation).
God isn't merely criticizing ritual hypocrisy but exposing deep-rooted idolatry spanning generations. The wilderness generation set a pattern: outward religious conformity masking inward rebellion. This challenges any presumption of covenant faithfulness based on ritual performance rather than heart devotion.