thinking bible.

You asked

what were the specific business practices amos was condemning, and why were they so harmful then?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Amos 8:4-6

Hear this, you who trample the needy, and make the poor of the land fail, saying, ‘When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale? Making the ephah small, and the shekel large, and dealing falsely with balances, that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes, and sell the refuse of the wheat.’

Amos was a prophet from Judah sent to the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BCE. He delivered sharp criticisms against the social injustices and religious hypocrisy he observed among the wealthy and powerful, warning of impending judgment from God.

How do these ancient practices of economic exploitation resonate or challenge our understanding of business ethics today?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Micah 6:10-11

    This passage similarly condemns dishonest weights and measures, linking them to violence.

  • Deuteronomy 25:13-16

    This law explicitly commands honest weights and measures, underscoring their importance in the covenant.

  • James 5:1-6

    The New Testament also issues strong warnings against the rich who exploit laborers and hoard wealth.

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