The wise keep silent, for the days are evil

[Gail]

Therefore the wise will keep silent at such a time, for the days are evil- Amos 5:13

Amos prophesied before the Exile not only against Israel but the surrounding nations for the evil that was practiced there.

Is there a time when it is better off for the wise to just say nothing when perceiving the wickedness around them? 

[Gail]

The NET Bible mentions that the word translated, "wise," or, "prudent," has also been translated as, "wealthy." This would make an entirely different meaning, as the wealthy would be remaining silent when injustice reigned all around.

Is there anyone else with some light on this? 

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

perhaps the verse needs to be read with the one immediately preceding it:  

"There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
    and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
13 Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times,
    for the times are evil."

Perhaps it may be referring to the wealthy, advising them not to use their wealth to impose discrimination, e.g., bribery, against the poor and innocent who have no way to defend themselves...

don't know...just making a guess...

[Deaconess]

I wonder if it means avoid bringing attention to yourself when a prudent person would comprehend that their actions won't have any effect.    Trying to give Bible studies at an Ozzy Ozborne concert probably won't work and you would likely be wasting your time in that venue.      Maybe if means to use your speech and wealth to help others quietly without bringing attention to yourself.    There is a time to speak and a time to refrain from speaking.  

Edited September 8, 2015 by Deaconess

[joeb]

I don't think the "keep silence" is an accurate translation.  Here's why.  In the following verses in that chapter God goes on to say that justice must be established and right courses of action need to be taken.  To stop talking about the evil that is being done and stop opposing it is to ensure that justice will never be established for silence will ensure the status quo.  

The Hebrew word translated as "keep silence" can be translated other ways according to Strong's.

1826 damam daw-man' a prim root (compare 1724, 1820); to be dumb; by implication, to be astonished, to stop; also to perish:--cease, be cut down (off), forbear, hold peace, quiet self, rest, be silent, keep (put to) silence, be (stand) still, tarry, wait. see HEBREW for 01724 see HEBREW for 01820

By implication it can mean to be astonished.  To me that makes more sense for the prudent will be astonished at the depths of evil to which their fellow human beings can fall.  It also makes more sense when we take into account what God says about the same kinds of behaviors which He addressed through Isaiah.  He said, through Isaiah, to do the opposite of keep silent about evil.  He said to oppose injustice, evil, etc... and lead Isreal back to following God.  Jesus, also, never kept silent about evil.  He spoke out quite plainly.  He did not mince words when He told the Pharisees they were the children of their father the devil.. 

It is said that for evil to prevail all that needs to happen is for good men to do nothing, and that includes remaining silent.  That's like a law of human behavior for to descend into evil is the easy way out.  To remain silent about evil is to tacitly endorse it. 

[Gail]

There were times when Jesus kept silent regarding evil. Those were times when I believe He was working for the repentance of the ones He knew did evil. For example- He knew that Judas was a thief but in His dealings with Judas right up until the end He didn't expose Him. I think it is John that gives us that info. Or, when handling Simon at the party where Mary is shamed; Jesus knows Simon's past but doesn't bring that up. In reply to Simon's thought about the sinfulness of Mary (Luke 7:39) He rather tells him to leave Mary alone. He does not expose either Simon or Mary's pasts before the guests. 

[Gail]

I like the comment about being made silent. It could be that the wise, those in the know, saw the evil and were astonished. That seems to fit the context.

still looking...

[CoAspen]

Gail,

Tis common knowledge that reinforcing the positive brings about a greater benefit to the individual than than the negative. Look at the work of Christ, He only challenged those who directly challenged Him.

My continuing mantra, pointing out others is primarily about keeping others eyes off of us. The Bible, as always, is used in many wrong ways. That is why context, culture and time are often ignored or called wrong. It quite often doesn't give the meaning or desired effect that individuals seek.

[Gail]

The study note to the ESV Study Bible is interesting:

"5:13 keep silent. The reference is probably to the legal proceedings taking place in the gatehouse (see note on v.10). If someone were to speak out against the manifest injustice taking place, his own life might be in danger (v.10), while his objections would do no good because they could not stop the ongoing, entrenched evil."

This might be why those who keep their silence are called prudent, or wise, during times like this.

[JoeMo]

I wonder if it means avoid bringing attention to yourself when a prudent person would comprehend that their actions won't have any effect.    Trying to give Bible studies at an Ozzy Ozborne concert probably won't work and you would likely be wasting your time in that venue.      Maybe if means to use your speech and wealth to help others quietly without bringing attention to yourself.    There is a time to speak and a time to refrain from speaking. 

I respectfully disagree, Deaconess.  I don't know if you are familiar with Todd White.  He is a charismatic "itinerant" (for lack of a better word) minister  who openly prays for (and lays hands on) people at these types of venues, including wiccan fairs, rock festivals, strip clubs, bordellos, street protests, and witch doctor strongholds.  I have seen him and the front man for the hard rock band Korn (Brian "Head" Welch) roaming around in line before a Korn concert laying hands on and praying for people before the concert.  No one they asked to pray for had a problem with it; they seemed earnestly embrace it.

[JoeMo]

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Edmund Burke

[Deaconess]

I respectfully disagree, Deaconess.  I don't know if you are familiar with Todd White.  He is a charismatic "itinerant" (for lack of a better word) minister  who openly prays for (and lays hands on) people at these types of venues, including wiccan fairs, rock festivals, strip clubs, bordellos, street protests, and witch doctor strongholds.  I have seen him and the front man for the hard rock band Korn (Brian "Head" Welch) roaming around in line before a Korn concert laying hands on and praying for people before the concert.  No one they asked to pray for had a problem with it; they seemed earnestly embrace it.

Okay, I learned something new today!  

[joeb]

There were times when Jesus kept silent regarding evil. Those were times when I believe He was working for the repentance of the ones He knew did evil. For example- He knew that Judas was a thief but in His dealings with Judas right up until the end He didn't expose Him. I think it is John that gives us that info. Or, when handling Simon at the party where Mary is shamed; Jesus knows Simon's past but doesn't bring that up. In reply to Simon's thought about the sinfulness of Mary (Luke 7:39) He rather tells him to leave Mary alone. He does not expose either Simon or Mary's pasts before the guests. 

Nme me a time that Jesus kept silent about the direction the people were being led.  Yes, He was kind to the individual sinner, but when the leaders were unjust, led the people in the wrong direction, oppressed those they should have protected, Jesus always spoke out.  That's what I'm referring to.  One example would be the woman Jesus kept from being stoned for adultery.  Another example would be the sermon on the mount. There is really no other explanation for the deep abiding hatred the Jewish leaders had for Him than that He exposed them for who they were and led the people in another direction.

[Gail]

How about, that the evil was so rampant that the wise (prudent) were dumbfounded. The situation was beyond them.

[joeb]

How about, that the evil was so rampant that the wise (prudent) were dumbfounded. The situation was beyond them.

I have no problem with that at all.  That's why I pointed out Strong's definition with its inclusion of astonishment. 

Liberty cannot be maintained by silence.  There have to be those who are willing to do their duty and speak out against evil, no matter what the cost.   Does the Bible really teach silence in the presence of evil?  If so, why does it hold up Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, Paul, etc... as heroes, as great examples?   

[Gail]

There is a time to speak and a time to keep silence... I guess in this part of Amos, like Pam mentioned in including the context of the preceding verses, it was his way of reiterating how bad the situation really was. And perhaps it was a bit unexpected on my part when I encountered it that it popped out at me.

Currently I am reading through the HCSB, an easier-reading translation. One thing that this exercise has done for me is to bump into things I got maybe too accustomed to in the KJV. When something seems very different I feel like going to another, more literal translation such as Young's or the Emphasized to check it out. Sometimes an easy read will seem "way out there", but at other times they are backed up AND word the phrase in a way much more clear to me.

[Gail]

Going back to the context... The Good News Translation uses the "wise" as being the wise among the evil ones (see v10->)

And so, keeping quiet in such evil times is the smart thing to do!

[Unchained]

Jesus grew up in a society where people expected the Messiah to come as a mighty warrior King. He attended the synagogue each Sabbath, but he didn't confront the numerous theological errors of his day until his public ministry began. How do we know that he kept a low profile over these years? Well, what we do know is that when he eventually opened his mouth in his home town, they all tried to kill him! (Nazareth was a rough place! See Luke 4:29.)

Also Jesus told us to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16), and he cautioned us against “casting pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6). What this means is that we shouldn't make things unnecessary difficult for ourselves. There are times when speaking the truth does nothing good, it will only enrage the wicked and cause them to harden their hearts. It's not our duty to bring a time of trouble on ourselves prematurely.

The Bible is filled with advice about how silence is our best course of action in certain situations, so it's definitely not lack of faith that makes silence a viable option in many cases. Solomon did for instance say: “The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.” - Proverbs 12:23

As @Gail said above, there is a time and place for everything… It's certainly our duty to stand firm for truth and justice, but it's also our duty to spend our talents in the best possible way. This means that sometimes we should retreat rather than sounding the trumpet and alerting our enemies.

[JoeMo]

Unchained,

I found your post extremely insightful.  The only change I would make is to change to word "silent" to "discrete".  I believe we all need a group of like believers and spiritual mentors to share with.  There are things I share with "like believers" face-to-face that I would never share on the internet.  I don't stay silent; I just carefully choose with whom I want to share certain things.

[Gail]

I thought that I had seen a related passage further along in my reading but cannot relocate it now.

Thanks so much, everyone, for your helpful comments. I love discussions such as this! Your input has been very appreciated  :)