Amos 8:10
And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.
Original Language Analysis
וְהָפַכְתִּ֨י
And I will turn
H2015
וְהָפַכְתִּ֨י
And I will turn
Strong's:
H2015
Word #:
1 of 21
to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert
וְכָל
H3605
וְכָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
4 of 21
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
לְקִינָ֔ה
into lamentation
H7015
לְקִינָ֔ה
into lamentation
Strong's:
H7015
Word #:
6 of 21
a dirge (as accompanied by beating the breasts or on instruments)
וְהַעֲלֵיתִ֤י
and I will bring up
H5927
וְהַעֲלֵיתִ֤י
and I will bring up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
7 of 21
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
8 of 21
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
9 of 21
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
מָתְנַ֙יִם֙
upon all loins
H4975
מָתְנַ֙יִם֙
upon all loins
Strong's:
H4975
Word #:
10 of 21
properly, the waist or small of the back; only in plural the loins
שָׂ֔ק
sackcloth
H8242
שָׂ֔ק
sackcloth
Strong's:
H8242
Word #:
11 of 21
properly, a mesh (as allowing a liquid to run through), i.e., coarse loose cloth or sacking (used in mourning and for bagging); hence, a bag (for grai
וְעַל
H5921
וְעַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
12 of 21
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
13 of 21
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
רֹ֖אשׁ
upon every head
H7218
רֹ֖אשׁ
upon every head
Strong's:
H7218
Word #:
14 of 21
the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)
וְשַׂמְתִּ֙יהָ֙
and I will make
H7760
וְשַׂמְתִּ֙יהָ֙
and I will make
Strong's:
H7760
Word #:
16 of 21
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
יָחִ֔יד
of an only
H3173
יָחִ֔יד
of an only
Strong's:
H3173
Word #:
18 of 21
properly, united, i.e., sole; by implication, beloved; also lonely; (feminine) the life (as not to be replaced)
וְאַחֲרִיתָ֖הּ
son and the end
H319
וְאַחֲרִיתָ֖הּ
son and the end
Strong's:
H319
Word #:
19 of 21
the last or end, hence, the future; also posterity
Cross References
Jeremiah 6:26O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.Zechariah 12:10And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.Job 20:23When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.Jeremiah 48:37For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.Ezekiel 7:18They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.Hosea 2:11I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.
Historical Context
Amos prophesied during prosperous reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 BC), when Israel enjoyed territorial expansion and economic boom. Religious festivals were elaborate and frequent, but divorced from covenant faithfulness. Within 30 years, Assyria devastated the nation—parties became funerals, prosperity turned to catastrophe. The 'only son' reference especially resonated in ancient culture where a son's death meant end of family line and security. The prophecy's ultimate horizon points to the Day of the LORD (5:18-20), when those who casually expect God's blessing will face His wrath. Revelation 6:15-17 depicts final judgment with similar terror.
Questions for Reflection
- Do I mistake temporal prosperity and religious activity for God's approval while ignoring sin?
- How would my life change if I truly believed judgment day is both certain and imminent?
Analysis & Commentary
God promises to transform celebrations into calamity: 'I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation.' The Hebrew intensifies the reversal: 'your feasts' (hageykem) become 'mourning' (le-evel), 'your songs' (shirekh em) become 'lamentation' (le-qinah). The imagery becomes visceral: 'sackcloth on all loins' (saq al-kol-motnayim) and 'baldness on every head' (qorhah al-kol-rosh)—ancient mourning practices indicating deepest grief. The comparison 'like mourning for an only son' evokes the most devastating personal loss imaginable (Jeremiah 6:26, Zechariah 12:10). The final phrase 'the end thereof shall be as a bitter day' (aharitah ke-yom mar) promises no relief, only sustained anguish. This anticipates the ultimate fulfillment in those who reject the true only Son.