Amos 5:21-22

5:21 “I absolutely despise ¹  your festivals!

I get no pleasure ²  from your religious assemblies!

5:22 Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, ³  I will not be satisfied;

I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. ⁴ 

[5:21]  ¹ tn Heb “I hate”; “I despise.”

[5:21]  ² tn Heb “I will not smell.” These verses are full of vivid descriptions of the Lord’s total rejection of Israelite worship. In the first half of this verse two verbs are used together for emphasis. Here the verb alludes to the sense of smell, a fitting observation since offerings would have been burned on the altar ideally to provide a sweet aroma to God (see, e.g., Lev 1:9, 13, 17; Num 29:36). Other senses that are mentioned include sight and hearing in vv. 22-23.

[5:22]  ³ tn Heb “burnt offerings and your grain offerings.”

[5:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “Peace offering[s], your fattened calves, I will not look at.”