Amos 4:7
in Amos 4“I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I also have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.
KJV
And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.
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This verse in Amos 4
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And I, I too have withholden the rain - Jerome, dwelling in Palestine, says, that “this rain, when “three months yet remained until harvest,” was the “latter rain,” of the very greatest necessity for the fields of Palestine and the thirsty ground, lest, when the blade is swelling into the crop, and gendering the wheat, it should dry up through lack of moisture.
This site's exposition
cleanness of teeth
on Amos 4:6-8
The first two of five disciplines begin here, each closing on the same refrain: cleanness of teeth, famine so complete there is nothing left to chew, and want of bread in every place, then withheld rain measured out city by city, one field watered and its neighbor left to wither. The bench reads the selective drought as deliberate proof against any claim of accident, since a rain that stops at a boundary line argues a hand rather than a season. Yet have ye not returned unto me: the refrain the chapter turns on, each plague a summons refused.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 7 onwards) I have also withheld rain from you, when there were still three months until the harvest. I caused it to rain on one city and not on another. One part was rained upon, while the part on which it did not rain became dry. So two or three cities went to another city to drink water, but were not satisfied. Yet you did not return to me, says the Lord. LXX: And I have withheld rain from you three months before the harvest. I have caused it to rain on one city and not on another city.
If we cannot gather spiritual fruits through our own labor, it is just that we dispense with holy zeal and most fervent charity those which have been collected by others. Since the Lord threatens that, because of the sins of the people, "I will cause …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Now, [1.] By this it appeared that the withholding of the rain was not casual, but by a divine direction and disposal, and that the cloud which waters the earth is turned round about by the counsels of God, to do whatsoever he commands it, whether for correction, or for his land, or for his mercy, Job xxxvii.
When - At a season when your country most needed it. Upon one city - That you might see my hand in it, I gave rain to one city, and withheld it from the next; nay one part of the same field was watered and flourished: another part, dry and withered.
And also I have withholden the rain from you,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They are invited yet at length to humble themselves before God, since it is impossible for them to make their part good against him,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
withholden . . . rain . . . three months to . . . harvest--the time when rain was most needed, and when usually "the latter rain" fell, namely, in spring, the latter half of February, and the whole of March and April (Ho 6:3; The drought meant is that mentioned in 1Ki 17:1 [GROTIUS]. rain upon one city . . . not . . . upon another--Any rain that fell was only partial.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Ho 7:10); the monotonous repetition of the same burden marking their pitiable obstinacy. cleanness of teeth--explained by the parallel, "want of bread." The famine alluded to is that mentioned in 2Ki 8:1 [GROTIUS]. Where there is no food to masticate, the teeth are free from uncleanness, but it is the cleanness of want.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
When there were yet three months to the harvest - St. Jerome says, from the end of April, when the latter rain falls, until harvest, there are three months, May, June, and July, in which no rain falls in Judea. The rain, therefore, that God had withheld from them, was that which was usual in the spring months, particularly in April. I caused it to rain upon one city - To prove to them that this rain did not come fortuitously or of necessity, God was pleased to make these most evident distinctions. One city had rain and could fill all its tanks or cisterns, while a neighboring city had none. One farm or field was well watered, and abundant in its crops, while one contiguous to it had not a shower. In these instances a particular providence was most evident. “And yet, they did not return to the Lord.”
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְגַ֣ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אָנֹכִי֩ | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| מָנַ֨עְתִּי | mana'ti | I withheld | H4513 → | |
| מִכֶּ֜ם | mikem | from you | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַגֶּ֗שֶׁם | hageshem | the rain | H1653 → | |
| בְּע֨וֹד | beod | in yet | H5750 → | 490 times |
| שְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה | sheloshah | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| חֳדָשִׁים֙ | chodashim | months | H2320 → | |
| לַקָּצִ֔יר | lakatzir | [were] to the harvest | H7105 → | |
| וְהִמְטַרְתִּי֙ | vehimtarti | and I sent rain | H4305 → | 17 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עִ֣יר | ʾir | a city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| אֶחָ֔ת | ʾechat | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עִ֥יר | ʾir | a city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| אַחַ֖ת | ʾachat | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אַמְטִ֑יר | ʾamtir | I sent rain | H4305 → | 17 times |
| חֶלְקָ֤ה | chelkah | a portion of ground | H2513 → | |
| אַחַת֙ | ʾachat | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| תִּמָּטֵ֔ר | timater | it was rained on | H4305 → | 17 times |
| וְחֶלְקָ֛ה | vechelkah | and a portion of ground | H2513 → | |
| אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַמְטִ֥יר | tamtir | it sent rain | H4305 → | 17 times |
| עָלֶ֖יהָ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| תִּיבָֽשׁ׃ | tivash | it dried up | H3001 → |
וְגַ֣םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
אָנֹכִי֩I
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
מָנַ֨עְתִּיI withheld
mana'tiH4513 →
מִכֶּ֜םfrom you
mikem
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַגֶּ֗שֶׁםthe rain
hageshemH1653 →
בְּע֨וֹדin yet
beodH5750 →490 times
שְׁלֹשָׁ֤הthree
sheloshahH7969 →432 times
חֳדָשִׁים֙months
chodashimH2320 →
לַקָּצִ֔יר[were] to the harvest
lakatzirH7105 →
וְהִמְטַרְתִּי֙and I sent rain
vehimtartiH4305 →17 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עִ֣ירa city
ʾirH5892 →1090 times
אֶחָ֔תone
ʾechatH259 →971 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
עִ֥ירa city
ʾirH5892 →1090 times
אַחַ֖תone
ʾachatH259 →971 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אַמְטִ֑ירI sent rain
ʾamtirH4305 →17 times
חֶלְקָ֤הa portion of ground
chelkahH2513 →
אַחַת֙one
ʾachatH259 →971 times
תִּמָּטֵ֔רit was rained on
timaterH4305 →17 times
וְחֶלְקָ֛הand a portion of ground
vechelkahH2513 →
אֲשֶֽׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תַמְטִ֥ירit sent rain
tamtirH4305 →17 times
עָלֶ֖יהָon it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
תִּיבָֽשׁ׃it dried up
tivashH3001 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 9:26The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.
it leads to
- Exodus 10:23
No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 9:4
But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 12:13
The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 10:23
Through
Exodus 9:4But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”
it leads to
- Exodus 8:22
But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I,…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 8:22
Through
Jeremiah 3:3Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.
it leads to
- Leviticus 26:19
I will break down your stubborn pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze,
- Jeremiah 5:24
They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’
- Deuteronomy 28:23
The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron.
- Isaiah 5:6
I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.”
- Leviticus 26:19
About Amos
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 1:15; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Amos; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.