Amos 8:14Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, 'As your god, Dan, lives;' and, 'As the way of Beersheba lives;' they will fall, and never rise up again."
The setting
Northern Israel, ~760 BC. People making religious vows by false gods at Dan (northern border) and Beersheba (southern border) - covering the whole land in idolatry. Modern-day northern Israel and southern Israel/Gaza border.
The emotion here: furious at witnessing ultimate betrayal
The original word
nišbaʿ (נשבע) — to swear a binding oath, making these false gods their ultimate authority
Why it matters
Dan and Beersheba were 150 miles apart - this phrase meant 'from one end of the country to the other'
Read with care
What most readers miss in Amos 8:14
They're not just worshipping false gods - they're swearing binding oaths by them, making them their legal authority
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about ancient statue worship, but it's about making anything other than God your source of security and identity - even religious things.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Amos 8:14
Bible Genome reading
Amos 8:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Amos 8:14 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 10% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include idolatry, judgment. Notable phrases: fall and never rise. 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 8:14 mean to you, today?
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