King James Version

What Does Amos 6:13 Mean?

“Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?”

Context

For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts. breaches: or, droppings

Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness. river: or, valley

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Topics in This Verse

Strength

Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(13) **A thing of nought** refers to the calf-worship, the idol that Israel is glorying and trusting in, the idolatrous travesty of the Eternal that they call “the excellency of Jacob.” (Comp. Amos 6:8, and Amos 8:7.) **Taken to us horns**—*i.e.*, instruments of resistance and aggression, the horn being symbolic of strength (Jeremiah 48:25; Psalm 75:10; Psalm 89:17; Psalm 92:10; 1Samuel 2:10). The sacred historian takes quite a different view of the success of Jeroboam II. (2Kings 14:26-27). These boasters reckoned the success of arms as due to their own ingenuity or “power.” (Comp. the language put into the mouth of Pharaoh by Ezekiel 29:3 : “My river is my own: I made it for myself.”)

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Amos. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Amos 6:13 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.