And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
I let you go hungry in every city, left you with nothing to eat, teeth clean because there was no food to chew. But even then, you didn't come back to me, says the Lord.
God allowed hunger to get their attention, but they still wouldn't turn back to him.
📚 Historical Context
In the 8th century BC, the prophet Amos was sent by God to confront the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of relative prosperity but moral decline, warning them of their social injustices, idolatry, and exploitation of the poor. This verse describes a famine that God allowed as a judgment, using the phrase "cleanness of teeth" as a metaphor for hunger and lack of bread, to urge the people to repent. Despite these divine interventions, the Israelites persisted in their rebellion, illustrating God's patience and call for genuine return.
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