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At first sight, Amos 5:13 interrupts the prophetic discourse in Amos 5. Many scholars read 5:13 as a wisdom text that is added by a late redactor. Basic to this view is the interpretation of the noun maśkîl as a ‘sage’ and the translation of the verb dāmam with ‘to be silent’. To both assumptions, I will formulate an alternative: maśkîl is not necessarily connected to a wisdom context and the verb dāmam should in this verse be rendered with ‘to moan’. By implication, Amos 5:13 should not be construed as a later addition but seen as an organic part of Amos 5:1-17.