“They do not know how to do right,” declares the LORD, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The most striking thing here is that God isn't just saying these people choose to do wrong; He says they literally don't know how to do right. Their constant practice of violence and robbery has so corrupted them that the very concept of justice has become foreign, like a language they can no longer understand or speak.
“They do not know how to do right,” declares the LORD, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Amos is speaking directly to the wealthy and powerful in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, specifically those living in luxury in Samaria. He’s just accused them of profiting from injustice and oppression, piling up wealth through exploitation. Now, he points out the profound moral blindness that accompanies such actions, showing how their greed has corrupted their very ability to understand what is right.
How can people who live in luxury and power completely lose their sense of what's right and wrong? Amos says it's not just ignorance, but a deeper decay.
Amos declares that those who 'store up violence and robbery' have lost the ability to 'do right.' This isn't just a lack of knowledge; it's a profound moral blindness.
The Habit of Injustice
When people repeatedly choose to act unjustly, especially for personal gain, their moral compass becomes severely damaged. They become so accustomed to wrongdoing that the very concept of 'straightforwardness' or what is 'right' becomes alien to them. Their senses become dull to fairness and justice.
A Willful Ignorance
This blindness isn't accidental. The verse implies a willful ignorance, a turning away from truth. Their eyes are closed not because they cannot see, but because they refuse to see the consequences and inherent wrongness of their actions. This corruption impacts not just their intellect but their will and impulses, leading to a 'dead conscience.'
What are these people truly accumulating in their 'strongholds'? Amos reveals it's not wealth, but something far more destructive.
The wealth accumulated by these oppressors is described as 'violence and robbery.' This means their riches are not the result of honest work but of exploitation and forceful taking from others.
The Substance of Sin
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Amos calls their stored-up wealth 'violence and robbery' itself. It's as if the very acts of injustice are what they are hoarding. This highlights that ill-gotten gains are not neutral; they are tainted and carry the weight of the sin used to acquire them.
Palaces Built on Ruin
These treasures are stored 'in their palaces,' emphasizing the contrast between the luxurious lifestyle of the elite and the suffering of those they oppressed. Their comfort and security are built upon the misery and deprivation of others. This accumulation isn't just wealth; it's a 'treasure of wrath,' a storehouse of judgment waiting to be unleashed.
Understand the original words
nechohah · Hebrew Noun
Behavior that conforms to God’s standards, statutes, and will. It is the opposite of sin; it is acting in a way that is upright and just according to divine law.
chamas · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew term (hamas) denotes a radical, physical injustice or ruthless behavior. It describes the wicked practice of taking by force what does not belong to oneself.
Amos's prophecy directly confronts the deep-seated corruption and moral blindness of Israel's wealthy elite, whose opulent lifestyles were built on the exploitation of the poor. This rings true in any era where wealth and power lead to the disregard of justice and righteousness.
c. 760 BC— this verse
Amos Prophesies Against Israel
Amos, a shepherd from Judah, is called by God to prophesy against the northern kingdom of Israel, which is enjoying a period of peace and prosperity but has fallen into deep social injustice and idolatry.
c. 760-750 BC
Amos Denounces Social Injustice
Amos powerfully condemns the elite in Israel, highlighting their corruption, oppression of the poor, and misuse of wealth gained through exploitation.
c. 750 BC
Assyrian Raids Intensify
Under Tiglath-Pileser III, Assyrian military campaigns begin to put pressure on the region, foreshadowing future conquests and the eventual exile of Israel.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria to Assyria
The northern kingdom of Israel, despite Amos's warnings, is conquered by the Assyrian Empire, leading to the deportation of its people and the end of its existence as a separate nation.
This passage echoes Amos's sentiment, stating that the people are wise to do evil but have no knowledge or understanding of how to do good, highlighting a profound moral blindness.
Luke 12:21Jesus' parable about the rich fool illustrates the folly of accumulating earthly treasures, which Amos implies are actually 'stored up violence and robbery,' warning against being rich toward oneself but not toward God.
Ezekiel 22:27-29This passage in Ezekiel describes leaders who act like predators, shedding blood and practicing deceit and robbery for gain, mirroring the accusations leveled against those in Amos 3:10 who hoard ill-gotten wealth.
Micah 3:1-3Micah, like Amos, denounces the rulers and princes of Israel for hating good and loving evil, tearing flesh from the bones of the people and crushing them, showing a consistent prophetic theme of judgment against oppressive leadership.
Proverbs 10:2This proverb directly links ill-gotten treasures with a lack of righteousness, stating that 'treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death,' reinforcing the idea that what is stored up through violence is ultimately worthless and destructive.
barnesAmos 3:10: "For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces."
For - (and) they know not to do right They "have not known," they have least all sense and knowledge, how "to do right" (literally, what is "straight-forward") because they had so long ceased to do it. It is part of the miserable blindness of sin, that, while the soul acquires a quick insight into evil, it becomes, at last, not paralyzed only to "do" good, but unable to perceive it. S…
pulpitAmos 3:10: "For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces."
Verse 10. - They know not how to do right. The Samaritans have lost all sense of justice, the foundation of social life (Jeremiah 4:22). LXX., Οὐκ ἔγνις α} ἔσται ἐναντίον αὐτῆς, "She knew not what things shall be before her." Store up violence; i.e. the fruits of violence and robbery (ταλαιπωρίαν, "misery," Septuagint), what they had wrung from the poor by oppression and rapine.
The most striking thing here is that God isn't just saying these people choose to do wrong; He says they literally don't know how to do right. Their constant practice of violence and robbery has so corrupted them that the very concept of justice has become foreign, like a language they can no longer understand or speak.
Amos is speaking directly to the wealthy and powerful in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, specifically those living in luxury in Samaria. He’s just accused them of profiting from injustice and oppression, piling up wealth through exploitation. Now, he points out the profound moral blindness that accompanies such actions, showing how their greed has corrupted their very ability to understand what is right.
Amos is speaking directly to the wealthy and powerful in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, specifically those living in luxury in Samaria. He’s just accused them of profiting from injustice and oppression, piling up wealth through exploitation. Now, he points out the profound moral blindness that accompanies such actions, showing how their greed has corrupted their very ability to understand what is right.
"“They do not know how to do right,” declares the LORD, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”" — The most striking thing here is that God isn't just saying these people choose to do wrong; He says they literally don't know how to do right. Their constant practice of violence and robbery has…
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Last reviewed October 2026