ABSTRACT
Whatever problem the writer had with pilgrimages to Gilgal and Beersheba, the exhortations in 5:6 only turn into another opportunity to threaten Bethel and the Huse of Joseph. Rather than seek Bethel, one is advised to: 5:6 seek Yahweh and live! Lest he advance like a fire, House of Joseph! Here Yahweh is not the maker of the mountains but of the stars. Although astrology seems not to have been as developed in Judah and Israel as elsewhere in the ancient Near East, the belief that the stars were inscribed with divine plans was hardly unknown. There is very little in the accusations of 5:10-12 that has not been said earlier in the book of Amos. Still, the passage plays a role in developing the theme of manipulated speech. There is also a biting irony in 5:13-14.
