Amos 5:24: Prophetic, Chastising, Surprising, Poetic

Mention of the prophet Amos evokes the image of a fiery orator, actor, and activist whose central theme was the pursuit of social justice. That Amos is identified as one of the Twelve Minor Prophets (in contrast to the Three Major Prophets) is misleading, in that the label deals with the length of his book rather than the significance of his message in ancient times as well as now. This article will focus on Amos 5:24, a verse that epitomizes the prophet’s essential message and encapsulates it in six poetic and metaphoric Hebrew words. I shall deal with this verse in terms of its poetic sound, structure, surprise, and message.

Amos1

was a self-aware prophet who knew what his status and mission were and how these two elements of his life were interrelated. He knew, and stated explicitly, why he prophesied to the people of the Kingdom of Israel in the north. Amos came from among the shepherds/herdsmen of Tekoa, a small village a few miles southeast of Bethlehem.2

His lived around 750 BCE,

during the reigns of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam II of Israel. He did not aspire to be a prophet. Rather, when he was ordered to cease from prophesying in Israel and return to Judah, he responded: I am not a [trained, certified] prophet nor the [apprenticed] son of a prophet but a herdsman and a tender of sycamore trees. And the Lord took me away from the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel’ (7:14-15). Amos’ justifying response is totally in keeping with his earlier statement in 3:8, which is the culmination of a six-verse series of cause and effect situations presented via rhetorical questions. In this verse, Amos explains why he prophesies: A lion has roared, who can but fear? My Lord God has spoken, who can but prophesy? With such a cause-and-effect belief, Amos prophesies because he is obedient to God’s command as a member of God’s chosen people:

‘You have I singled out from all the families of the earth’ (3:2). Amos speaks the words of God and has a strong belief in upright, moral behavior as the Lord’s way, as he says: Seek the Lord and you will live (5:6). That, therefore, is the foundation for Amos 5:24, following many verses of chastisement.

THE SOUND, STRUCTURE, SURPRISE OF AMOS 5:24

Amos 5:24 sounds differently to the listener/reader than do 1:1 and 3:3 for example. Listeners and readers need not be able to specify what makes verse 5:24 sound differently, nor do they need to be able to describe what they hear by using technical terms. Nevertheless, listeners/readers can recognize immediately that this verse rings in a special way. It does so even in English translation, though less so than in the original Hebrew. In both languages, 5:24 has the heightened sound of poetry. In biblical poetry, a rhythm comes forth not from the utilization of a specified meter or rhyme scheme but rather from the structure of the words and lines as well as from the flow of the accented syllables of the words. Biblical poetry is shorter and terser than lines of prose.3

Robert Alter grounds his study of biblical poetry on Smith’s notion “that a verbal sequence has a sustained rhythm, that it is formally structured according to a continuously operating principle of organization [that indicates to us] that we are in the presence of poetry, and we respond to it accordingly. . . . “4

Alter later goes on to say: “Poetry . . . is not just a set of techniques for saying impressively what could be said otherwise. Rather, it is a particular way of imagining the world – particular in its own ways of making

connections and engendering implications . . . .“5

The basic, dominant principle of biblical poetry, whether in prophecy, psalm, eulogy, or elsewhere, is parallelism.6

Parallelism is generally the

repetition of two related semantic or syntactic elements of a line or lines. The standard relationship between the two parts is one of synonymity or equivalence. Parallelism takes many forms.7

Amos 5:24 is an excellent example of a parallel line with two parts; if not synonymous halves, then at least equivalent ones.

AMOS 5:24 - PROPHETIC, CHASTISING, SURPRISING, POETIC

ויגל כמי משפטוצדקה כנחל אית But let justice roll up like the waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

What is said about justice in the first half of the line is equivalent (synonymous; repeated; parallel) to the second half by virtue of the statement about righteousness as a mighty stream.8

While the Hebrew in 5:24 is short in its six words, the English translation of it above (and every other translation of it that I have seen) takes at least twice as many words. The rhythm of the Hebrew parallel line comes from the accents in the two component halves, with three in each half. The rhythm of the Hebrew can almost be duplicated in the English if the reader accents the syllables in bold type as follows: But let justice roll up like the waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. In this way, in both the Hebrew and the English the listener/reader hears and feels three accented syllables, a pause for a breath, and three more accented syllables.

While the English translation does manifest parallelism and does

approximate the original rhythmic sound, three other characteristics of sound and structure in Amos 5:24 are apparent only in Hebrew. One concerns the sound of the verse, the other two its structure. In Hebrew, a rhyming sound exists in each half of the line. The word “ויגל” v’yigal [“but let roll up”] rhymes with the word “נחל” nachal [“stream”]. Thus, not only is there a rhythm of three accents per half-line, but also the sound “ahl” (rhymes with “doll”) in the first half is repeated in the second half, giving a ring to the entire line.

In addition, the parallelism in Hebrew is of a particular type called chiasm. A chiasm is a scheme evident when the parallel words of the line or verse appear in reverse order. The order of the key words then becomes ABBA rather than the standard order of ABAB which appears in the English above for the words “justice,” “waters,” “righteousness,” “stream.” The word “chiasm” derives from the Greek letter “X” [chi]. The “X” appears when the key words are diagrammed: ויגל כמי משפט

וצדקה כנחל אית

To indicate the chiasm in English, that verse should appear as follows: But like waters welling up shall justice be,

And righteousness like a mighty stream.

The chiasm is possible and poetically natural in Hebrew because Hebrew is flexible regarding the positions of nouns with their verbs and modifiers. In English, with less flexibility of construction, 5:24 simply flows and sounds better when creating a standard pattern of ABAB rather than in a chiastic pattern of ABBA. In other words, the Hebrew follows an ABBA pattern, but the English translation follows an ABAB pattern so as to present to the reader of English a natural but still symmetrical parallel sound.9

The other structural characteristic of 5:24 adds to its uniqueness, making the verse stand out to invite us to pay attention to it. The parallelism of 5:24 is not only chiastic (ABBA), it is based on the contiguity of the key words “justice [משפט]” and “righteousness [צדקה].” These two words appear together back-to-back to form a word pair. This pair appears together in one grammatical form or another, in that order or in reverse order, back-to-back or separated slightly, more than 40 times in the Tanakh, beginning in II Samuel 8:15: David reigned over all Israel, and David executed justice and righteousness unto all of his people. Thus, by the time Amos uses the word pair of “justice and righteousness” in 5:24 it is known to the listener/reader, especially since Amos himself uses the pair together earlier in 5:7, where the words appear back-to-back. He also uses it later in 6:12, where the two words are separated by another word.

The concepts of “justice” and “righteousness” create an allusion to prior uses of them. Their first appearance in association is in Genesis 18:25-26, where Abraham speaks with the Lord about the people of Sodom and

Gomorrah, cities which Amos speaks about in 4:11. Here, Abraham asks: ’Shall not the Judge of all the earth do justly? In the very next verse the word “righteousness” appears in another grammatical form: And the Lord said, ’If I find within the city of Sodom fifty righteous people, then I will forgive the whole place for their sakes.’10

In this way, Amos in 5:24 alludes by his pairing

of “justice” and “righteousness” not only to his own prior reference in 5:7 but also to Sodom and Gomorrah, the symbol of unjust places and people who do not behave in a moral manner. The allusive quality of 5:24 strengthens the poetic sound and structure of that verse as well as the message calling for justice and righteousness in human behavior.11

AMOS 5:24 - PROPHETIC, CHASTISING, SURPRISING, POETIC

Another, and final, characteristic of Amos 5:24 is its surprise to the listener/reader. This characteristic is evident in English as well as in Hebrew. In 5:21-23 that immediately precedes it and with which 5:24 is grouped, Amos is chastising the Israelites for their behavior. Speaking on behalf of the Lord, Amos specifies exactly what the people are doing wrong. He gives concrete examples of unacceptable actions:

’I loathe your festivals; I reject your assemblies; I do not accept your burnt offerings or your meal offerings; I pay no heed to your

offerings of fatlings; remove from Me the sound of your songs; and let Me not hear the music of your lutes.’

Such concrete examples of wrong behavior lead the listener/reader, when hearing the contrasting “but” that begins 5:24,12

to expect a list of positive

concrete actions for the Israelites to perform. Such a list might well be comprised of behaviors that are the opposite of the ones mentioned in 5:21- 23, as well as the opposite of other behavior mentioned earlier in Amos’ prophecy. For example, the new actions might be to abide by the laws of the Torah (2:4); live peacefully with your brother (1:11); provide sandals for the needy (2:6); honor the bones of a dead man (2:1); allow the prophets to prophesy (2:13); honor the Nazirites’ pledge of abstinence from alcohol (2:12); treat the poor honestly (4:1); and help and give provisions to the needy (2:1). That is to say, the expectation after the contrasting “but” of 5:24 is to hear a recital of positive mitzvot, so as to offer replacement behaviors to guide the erring people. The expectation is that we will receive an oppositional parallelism, concrete positive mitzvot that will parallel the negative sins against the Lord and His children committed by the people of Israel.

However, Amos 5:24 surprises us by not fulfilling the expectation. Instead, of a list of concrete actions, 5:24 soars up several levels of abstraction to speak about justice and righteousness. Moreover, 5:24 expresses that rise in abstraction by wrapping itself in an imaginative metaphor that stems from Amos’ experience as a man of the fields close to water as a part of nature. It offers the power, fullness, and potential of rolling water welling up, and of a mighty, ever-flowing stream (a contrast to the common stream, or wadi, that dries up in the heat of the summer months). Although 5:24 speaks of justice and righteousness, it still has some quality of chastisement, in that Amos

points out that this socially just behavior is what people should demonstrate instead of emphasizing ritual over righteousness.

To summarize, Amos 5:24 has in Hebrew a natural, poetic chiastic (ABBA) parallel structure that yields a rhythm of three accents for each three-word half of the line. The combination of a chiastic parallelism built on the word pair of justice and righteousness and a surprising rise in abstraction from the prior language makes the rhythmic sound of 5:24 notable and memorable. The Hebrew line thus exemplifies the short and terse quality of biblical poetry; it has a rhythm that rings and resonates. With such a sound, Amos 5:24 is effective. It calls attention to itself for the benefit of the listener/reader. This verse, therefore, rather than a related verse such as 5:6, 5:7, 5:15, or 6:12, is the one most noted and quoted. Perhaps, the complexity and richness of the construction of 5:24 is the reason that some commentators speculate that this verse is not part of the original Amos text but is the creation of a later redactor.13

THE MESSAGE OF AMOS 5:24 AS I SEE IT

Given our understanding of the construction of 5:24 in terms of sound, structure, and surprise, it is now appropriate to consider the meaning of this verse, especially in light of the introductory assertion that the verse epitomizes Amos’ message as a prophet. The construction and the meaning are one; the message inheres in the construction; and the construction evolves from and with the message. They are one, much as a rolling wave is made of water. Amos 5:24 with its complex construction is a plea, an expressive exhortation to the people of Israel, in particular to the members of the upper class, to act justly and righteously instead of corruptly and immorally. It is a call for social justice within the context of a prophetic chastisement; it is a reminder of social injustice that needs to disappear in favor of justice if the people are to avoid imminent doom.14

Amos 5:24 elevates the concept of social justice and the actions embodying that concept to primacy in the lives of believers in the Lord, with whom the Hebrews have a traditional covenant dating back to Abraham. Amos is not a radical; on the contrary, in his prophecies he is part of his people’s traditions, and by means of his oracular style imitative of the preceding prophets. For example, note the allusion by Amos to the prophet Moses in Deuteronomy

AMOS 5:24 - PROPHETIC, CHASTISING, SURPRISING, POETIC

16:20: Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God gives you. Note the use of the very same words and the same concept of survival by following the Lord’s way.

The message of 5:24 is not that religious practice is unnecessary and undesirable. The message is rather that the emphasis on ritual can be corrupting and inconsistent with the Lord’s direction toward moral behavior. The bringing of offerings to the Lord and the singing of ritual hymns are acceptable only when they accompany social actions consistent with the Lord’s commandments directed towards social justice and moral

righteousness among people.

Amos sets not only a desirable goal but an achievable, if difficult, one. If people act justly by changing their daily lives, the Northern Kingdom will survive and flourish like plants watered from an ever-flowing, never-drying stream. If people do not change, then exile will occur, and Israel will disappear. In this way, the destiny of the nation is dependent on the practice of social justice and righteousness, not on the religious practices connected with the shrine priests at Bethel. The people have their fates in their own hands because they will survive only when righteousness flows like a mighty stream. If they change, then the House of Joseph will survive (5:4). The prophecy of doom for Israel is conditional, as Amos says elsewhere in Chapter 5: Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; perhaps the Lord, God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph (5:15).15 If

the people do not change, then doom is their lot because they will go into exile.

The primacy of social justice,16

whose power is like the power of rolling

waters, is the change for which Amos prophesied. Whereas previous prophets sought an end to idolatry, Amos never mentions the worship of idols directly. Instead, he urges a renewal of social justice and righteousness by people to their fellows. If people do not change, says Amos, I shall drive you into exile beyond Damascus. . . . (5:27). The message of 5:24 is: Moral revival is necessary for national survival.

The message of 5:24, conveyed by blending ethical content with poetic expressiveness via a complex construction of prophetic sound, structure, and the element of surprise, is that socially just actions are and ought to be the dispositive behavior in the lives of the Hebrews. This ideal is epitomized in

5:24 and is the unique contribution of Amos in his inimitable fervent and urgent prophecy, a prophecy applicable to the people of ancient Israel and to all peoples of the earth now as then.

NOTES

1. For an excellent and readable single volume commentary see Shalom Paul, Amos (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999).

2. For personalized and insightful recent comments on Amos see Shimon Bakon, “Amos,” Jewish Bible Quarterly Vol. 27 (1999) pp.20-28.

3. Adele Berlin, “Introduction to Hebrew Poetry,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 4, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996) p. 303.

4. Barbara Herrnstein Smith, Poetic Closure, as quoted in Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Poetry, (N.Y.: Basic Books, 1985) p. 6.

5. Alter, p. 151.

6. Benjamin Hrushkovski, “Note on the Systems of Hebrew Versification” in The Penguin Book of Hebrew Verse, ed. by T. Carmi (New York: Penguin Books, 1981) p.58; and “Hebrew Prosody,” in Encyclopaedia Judaica, Vol. 13 (1971) p. 1200. See also Adele Berlin, The Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985); James Kugel, The Idea of Biblical Poetry (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1981); and Robert Alter, “The Characteristics of Ancient Hebrew Poetry,” in The Literary Guide to the Bible, ed. by Robert Alter and Frank Kermode (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1987) pp. 613-626. 7. Hrushkovski gives Deuteronomy 32:1-2 as his first and prime example; Berlin gives Psalms 103:10 as her example of grammatical parallelism; Alter, in his book, offers Genesis 4:23 as his initial example.

7. A parallel line can alternatively have the second part not as equivalent but as opposite to the first half. For example, Psalms 126:5, They who sow in tears in joyous song shall reap. See also Judges 5:25, Water he asked; milk she gave;. . .

8. Note that one of the two examples of parallelism by opposition cited above, Psalms 126:5, is also chiastic in Hebrew and in the translation I have offered. In the King James and the Jewish Publication Society translations this verse appears, however, in a standard ABAB pattern, rather than in the chiastic ABBA pattern. Furthermore, Psalms 126:5 deserves the label “a perfect parallelism” in that the entire verse consists of only four words: two key words in each half; chiastic; and the “B” words are back-to-back.

9. This word pair appears in reversed order earlier in Genesis 18:19, righteousness/justice. 11. See also the use of this word pair in reversed order in Proverbs 1:3, 2:9, 8:20, 16:8, and 21:3. 12. The contrasting “but” comes from the adversative vav of the Hebrew word ויגל, translated as “but let roll.” The vav that precedes the verb “roll” is neither conjunctive nor conversive. 13. See the exegesis of Amos 5:24 by Fosbroke in the 1956 edition of The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 6, p. 820 for the names of two such commentators.

10. For a similar prophetic image involving water and righteousness see Isaiah 48:18. 15. To contrast this aspect of Amos with Jonah see my article, “Seeking Vindication, Especially in Jonah,” Jewish Bible Quarterly Vol. 30 (2002) pp.17-25.

AMOS 5:24 - PROPHETIC, CHASTISING, SURPRISING, POETIC

16. Yehezkel Kaufmann, The Religion of Israel: From Its Beginnings to the Babylonian Exile (tr. and abridged by Moshe Greenberg) (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1961) pp. 363-368.