Amos 5:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As if making a covenant with God for moral correction, they declared, “We hate the evil, and love the good.” Therefore, the Lord admonishes, “Call for good and not evil, that you may obtain the good of life and salvation, and that the Lord God, who has power over all things, may be with you.” Furthermore, you shall establish justice at the city gates, acting as righteous judges who do not pervert justice for the weak or abuse the disadvantaged (v. 11), nor forsake the path of the humble, so that God may extend His mercy to the descendants of Joseph, those who survived the earlier captivities.

It is essential to remember that Ephraim represents the ten tribes, derived from Joseph. We must therefore align our thoughts to what is pleasing to God and engage in virtuous living, holding firm to righteousness and pursuing justice, for in doing so, we shall find the God of all creation as our refuge and protector.

Many individuals sin, and once the fervor of passion subsides, they feel remorse and repent. However, those who not only do not regret their wrongdoing but also boast in their transgressions fulfill the scripture: “when the sinner enters into the depths of evil, he does not care” (Proverbs 18:3). Therefore, strive for the good and not the evil. For when you seek good, you necessarily turn away from evil. You cannot pursue goodness without first renouncing evil, as the Psalmist states: “Turn away from evil, and do good” (Psalm 36:27). When you seek goodness and shun wickedness, you will live in Him who proclaimed, “I am the life” (John 14:6). The one who seeks good believes in Him who claims in the Gospel, “I am the good Shepherd” (John 10:11). The one who rejects evil avoids that of which it is said, “the world lies in evil” (1 John 5:19). The Lord's Prayer implores, “deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). Furthermore, when you seek good and forsake evil to remain alive, then indeed the Lord God of Hosts will be with you, as you have proclaimed, for He is present with you since you are descendants of Abraham. Nevertheless, it is insufficient merely to pursue good and eschew evil; you must genuinely detest evil and wholeheartedly embrace good. The individual who abhors evil is not only unyielding to temptation but also despises the works of temptation, while the one who loves good performs righteous acts, not out of obligation or fear of the law, but because it is right, hoping for the reward of good deeds in their conscience and in their love for goodness. Thus, the apostle teaches, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Not all acts of charity are pleasing to God, but only those given joyfully. When you despise evil and love good, you will restore justice in your community, as previously mentioned, so that when wrongdoing is eliminated, truth may flourish. If you commit to this, it is possible that the Lord God Almighty will show mercy to the remnants of the tribe of Ephraim and the ten tribes, allowing them to escape from captivity. This principle also applies to heretics, who must abandon their invented errors and return to the Church, abounding in their loathing for past doctrines while embracing the truth found in the Church of the Lord, restoring justice between vice and virtue, leaving behind the former and approaching the latter, so that those who aspire to escape the snares of the devil may have hope for forgiveness. In light of the LXX translation, by rearranging the order, one could present the reading more clearly: since you have declared, “We have hated evil and loved good,” strive for good and abandon evil, that you may live, and since the Lord God Almighty is with you, restore justice in the community, so that the Lord God Almighty may show mercy to the remnants of Joseph.