“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The question isn't whether Israel offered sacrifices, but whether they offered them to God. The prophet points out that even during their wilderness wanderings, their hearts were divided, worshipping idols alongside their covenant God, making their offerings unacceptable and, in effect, not truly offered to Him.
“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Amos is confronting the people of Israel, accusing them of a superficial and corrupted worship. He’s essentially asking if their ancestors’ wilderness wanderings, a period of God's direct guidance and provision, were characterized by genuine devotion. The prophet implies that even back then, their hearts were divided, and their worship was mixed with idolatry, just as it is in his own time.
Amos drops a bombshell question: Did Israel really offer sacrifices to God in the wilderness? It sounds like a straightforward 'yes,' but the prophet means something far deeper.
This isn't just about whether sacrifices happened. Amos is challenging the nature of that worship. The scholars point out that even when Israel offered sacrifices in the wilderness, their hearts were often divided.
Divided Hearts, Divided Worship
God cares about who we worship and how fully we commit. The prophets often condemn worship that's mixed with idolatry. It's like trying to serve two masters – it doesn't work. If worship is directed towards idols, even alongside sacrifices to God, it's not truly offered to Him.
The "Unto Me" Emphasis
The crucial part is the "unto Me." God isn't just looking for ritual; He's looking for a wholehearted relationship. If your affections and ultimate trust are elsewhere, the outward acts of worship are hollow and unacceptable to Him.
The wilderness was a time of God's provision and miracles. So why does Amos bring it up as a time of unacceptable worship? It reveals a deep-seated problem in Israel's heart.
Amos uses the wilderness period not to say sacrifices never happened, but to highlight that the worship offered then was flawed, just like the worship of his own day.
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The Cycle of Idolatry
Scholars note that the idolatry practiced by the people Amos addressed was a revival of the same idolatry their ancestors committed in the wilderness. They were repeating the spiritual sins of their forefathers, who worshipped other gods alongside (or instead of) the Lord.
Unacceptable Rituals
Even when sacrifices were offered in the wilderness, they were often tainted. Think of the rebellion of Korah, or the people's constant murmuring and desire to return to Egypt. This created a spirit of insurrection and divided loyalty, making their offerings unacceptable because their hearts weren't truly committed to the God who had delivered them.
Understand the original words
zebach · Hebrew Noun
A general term for animal or grain gifts presented to God. These were intended to be external signs of inner repentance, faith, and covenant obedience.
nasa · Hebrew Verb
A term referring to the act of lifting, carrying, or bearing; in this context, it implies the active participation in the idolatrous worship of false deities.
Sikkuth · Hebrew Noun
A name for a deity, likely derived from the Akkadian 'Sakkud', associated with the planet Saturn; representing an idol that the Israelites had adopted and enthroned as their own sovereign in place of the true God.
Kiyyun · Hebrew Noun
A term derived from the Akkadian 'Kaiwanu', referring to the planet Saturn; it describes a celestial body worshipped as a divine entity, illustrating the Israelites' shift toward astral idolatry.
tselem · Hebrew Noun
A term denoting a physical representation or likeness, often used in Scripture to describe objects used in false worship; strictly forbidden by the Decalogue.
Amos' question highlights that while Israel did offer sacrifices during their wilderness journey, their hearts were often divided, worshipping idols alongside God. This hypocrisy, present from the very beginning of their national life, is precisely what makes their current rituals meaningless and offensive to God.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt and Mount Sinai Covenant
After their liberation from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites received God's Law and established a covenant at Mount Sinai, which included instructions for sacrifices and worship.
c. 1446-1406 BC— this verse
Wandering in the Wilderness
For forty years, the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness. This period was marked by both divine provision and repeated instances of disobedience and idolatry, including the worship of the golden calf.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites entered and began conquering the Promised Land after the death of Moses.
c. 1070 BC
Establishment of the Divided Kingdom
Following the reign of Solomon, the united kingdom split into two: the northern Kingdom of Israel (ten tribes) and the southern Kingdom of Judah (two tribes).
c. 760 BC
Amos Prophesies
Amos, a prophet from the southern Kingdom of Judah, delivered his message of judgment and call to repentance to the northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of apparent prosperity but deep spiritual corruption.
This passage describes the Israelites offering sacrifices to a golden calf in the wilderness, directly illustrating Amos's point that their sacrifices were not truly offered 'to Me' (God), but to idols, even during that foundational period.
Deuteronomy 32:17Moses accuses the Israelites of sacrificing 'to demons, not to God,' echoing Amos's rhetorical question and highlighting the historical precedent of idolatry disguised as worship during the wilderness journey.
Ezekiel 20:7-8Ezekiel recounts how God found the Israelites 'defiling themselves with the idols of Egypt' even after being brought out of Egypt and into the wilderness, reinforcing the idea that their service was compromised from the start.
Psalm 78:36-37This psalm describes the people's deceitfulness during their wilderness wanderings, noting that 'they did not keep God's covenant, and refused to walk in his law. They forgot his works and his wondrous works that he had shown them,' which aligns with the idea that their offerings were not wholehearted worship.
Acts 7:42-43Stephen quotes Amos directly (referencing the Septuagint translation) when accusing the Israelites of worshipping the 'host of heaven,' specifically mentioning their idols 'Molech' and 'star of your god,' which confirms the historical and theological context of Amos's accusation.
barnesAmos 5:25: "Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?"
Have ye offered - (better, "Did ye offer") unto Me sacrifices and offerings? Israel justified himself to himself by his half-service. This had been his way from the first. "Their heart was not whole with God, neither abode they in His covenant" Psalm 78:37 . He thought to be accepted by God, because he did a certain homage to Him. He acknowledged God in his own way. God sets before hi…
pulpitAmos 5:25: "Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?"
Verse 25. - Ye have always been idolaters, corrupters of pure worship. Your service in the wilderness, when you were little exposed to external influence, was no more true and faithful than that which you offer now; that was as unacceptable as this. Have ye offered unto me? Did ye offer unto me? The answer expected is "No;" i.e. you did not so really, because your worship was mixed wi…
The question isn't whether Israel offered sacrifices, but whether they offered them to God. The prophet points out that even during their wilderness wanderings, their hearts were divided, worshipping idols alongside their covenant God, making their offerings unacceptable and, in effect, not truly offered to Him.
Amos is confronting the people of Israel, accusing them of a superficial and corrupted worship. He’s essentially asking if their ancestors’ wilderness wanderings, a period of God's direct guidance and provision, were characterized by genuine devotion. The prophet implies that even back then, their hearts were divided, and their worship was mixed with idolatry, just as it is in his own time.
Amos is confronting the people of Israel, accusing them of a superficial and corrupted worship. He’s essentially asking if their ancestors’ wilderness wanderings, a period of God's direct guidance and provision, were characterized by genuine devotion. The prophet implies that even back then, their hearts were divided, and their worship was mixed with idolatry, just as it is in his own time.
"“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves," — The question isn't whether Israel offered sacrifices, but whether they offered them to God. The prophet points out that even during their wilderness wanderings, their hearts were divided, worship…
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Last reviewed October 2026