Amos 5:7You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:
The setting
Israel's courts, ~760 BC. Judges take bribes, the poor get crushed, the rich buy verdicts. Wormwood is a bitter, poisonous herb. Modern Israel/Palestine.
The emotion here: white-hot rage at watching the innocent crushed by those meant to protect them
The original word
la'anah (לענה) — wormwood, intensely bitter plant that makes things undrinkable
Why it matters
Wormwood was so bitter that even a tiny amount would make an entire water source undrinkable
Read with care
What most readers miss in Amos 5:7
Justice isn't just missing — it's been actively POISONED, like dropping wormwood in clean water
Common misconceptionPeople think this only applies to judges and politicians, but God indicts anyone who turns fairness bitter — in families, workplaces, schools, anywhere power exists.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Amos 5:7
Bible Genome reading
Amos 5:7 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Amos 5:7 comes from the book of Amos, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Amos. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include corruption of justice, moral perversion, social sin. Notable phrases: turn justice to wormwood; cast down righteousness. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Amos 5:7 mean to you, today?
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