Amos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Amos 9:1
רָאִ֨יתִי אֶת־אֲדֹנָ֜י נִצָּ֣ב עַֽל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ וַיֹּאמֶר֩ הַ֨ךְ הַכַּפְתּ֜וֹר וְיִרְעֲשׁ֣וּ הַסִּפִּ֗ים וּבְצַ֙עַם֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ כֻּלָּ֔ם וְאַחֲרִיתָ֖ם בַּחֶ֣רֶב אֶהֱרֹ֑ג לֹֽא־יָנ֤וּס לָהֶם֙ נָ֔ס וְלֹֽא־יִמָּלֵ֥ט לָהֶ֖ם פָּלִֽיט׃
I saw the Lord, standing near the altar, and He said, “Strike the caftors and the thresholds will shake and break them off on the head of all of them, and the last of them with the sword, I will kill; the one fleeing will not flee to them; a refugee will not escape to them.
Paraphrase: Now I will tell you what I saw in my fifth vision. This time, I saw the Lord. He had stationed Himself right next to the altar. Then He issued a terrible command: “Take your sledgehammers and smash the tops of these temple columns. Hit them so hard that the very door frames shake and come apart. This will bring down the roof on the heads of those who are gathered in the temple, and they will be crushed to death. Any who manage to escape this collapse, I will strike them dead with a sword. There will be no survivors; no one will be able to flee and escape to a place of safety.
Comments:
For the participle in לֹא־יָנוּס לָהֶם נָס, see §108c.
To which altar does this refer, the altar at Bethel? This would be consistent with the fact that Amos spoke to the ten northern tribes. or that altar in Jerusalem? See Keil.
Amos 9:2
אִם־יַחְתְּר֣וּ בִשְׁא֔וֹל מִשָּׁ֖ם יָדִ֣י תִקָּחֵ֑ם וְאִֽם־יַעֲלוּ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם מִשָּׁ֖ם אוֹרִידֵֽם׃
If they dig in Sheol, from there My hand will take them, and if they ascend to the heavens, from there I will cause them to descend.
Paraphrase: No matter where they flee, they will not be able to escape. Even if they could dig themselves a passageway to Sheol, I would find them, lay hold on them, and drag them back to my judgment seat. Even if they could fly up into the heavens, I would seize them and bring them back to face My justice.
Comments:
On Sheol, see here.
Amos 9:3
וְאִם־יֵחָֽבְאוּ֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ הַכַּרְמֶ֔ל מִשָּׁ֥ם אֲחַפֵּ֖שׂ וּלְקַחְתִּ֑ים וְאִם־יִסָּ֨תְר֜וּ מִנֶּ֤גֶד עֵינַי֙ בְּקַרְקַ֣ע הַיָּ֔ם מִשָּׁ֛ם אֲצַוֶּ֥ה אֶת־הַנָּחָ֖שׁ וּנְשָׁכָֽם׃
If they hide on the top of Carmel, from there, I will search, and I will take them, and if they are concealed from before My eyes on the bottom of the sea, from there, I will command serpent, and he will bite them.
Paraphrase: They could run all the way to the top of Carmel; it wouldn’t matter. I would go there, find them, and drag them back. Others might think to escape My justice by hiding on the bottom of the sea. Don’t they know that I control the sea-serpents and that, at any time, I can command these venomous beasts to find them and bite them? What kind of hiding place will this be for them then?
Comments:
Note the nifal triangle in the nifal verb here and in the previous verses. In יֵחָבְאוּ, it is harder to see because the guttural will not accept the dagesh but the qamats is the clue.
Amos 9:4
וְאִם־יֵלְכ֤וּ בַשְּׁבִי֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֹֽיבֵיהֶ֔ם מִשָּׁ֛ם אֲצַוֶּ֥ה אֶת־הַחֶ֖רֶב וַהֲרָגָ֑תַם וְשַׂמְתִּ֨י עֵינִ֧י עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם לְרָעָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א לְטוֹבָֽה׃
and if they go into captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword and it will kill them, and I will place My eyes on them for evil and not for good.
Paraphrase: Even if they are captured by the enemies and taken alive to a foreign country, I will still bring them to justice. I will command swords in that country to find them and cut them down. I will watch over them, not to do them any good, but only to bring them to their well-deserved punishment.
Comments:
Amos 9:5
וַאדֹנָ֨י יְהוִ֜ה הַצְּבָא֗וֹת הַנּוֹגֵ֤עַ בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙ וַתָּמ֔וֹג וְאָבְל֖וּ כָּל־י֣וֹשְׁבֵי בָ֑הּ וְעָלְתָ֤ה כַיְאֹר֙ כֻּלָּ֔הּ וְשָׁקְעָ֖ה כִּיאֹ֥ר מִצְרָֽיִם
and the Lord, YHWH of armies, who touches on the land and it melted, and all the residents in her mourned, and all of her, as the Nile, ascends, and she subsides as the Nile of Egypt.
Paraphrase: YHWH, the great King is the Lord of all. He stretches out His hand and touches the land. Immediately, it melts away like snow before the sun. The people of the land suffer and are weeping bitterly. Everything is subject to His sovereign power and control. Just like the Nile river rises and falls, so the land responds to the sovereign, powerful touch of its great Master and Creator. When He blesses the land, the people flourish; when He curses the land, everything suffers and withers.
Comments:
Amos 9:6
הַבּוֹנֶ֤ה בַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ מַעֲלוֹתוֹ וַאֲגֻדָּת֖וֹ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ יְסָדָ֑הּ הַקֹּרֵ֣א לְמֵֽי־הַיָּ֗ם וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכֵ֛ם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ יְהוָ֥ה שְׁמֽוֹ׃
Building in the heights of his ascents and his vaults on the land, he established her. Calling to the waters of the sea, and He pours them out on the face of the land. YHWH is His Name.
Paraphrase: YHWH has built His home in the heavens while its foundations are on the earth. He has established a palace of unspeakable majesty, strength, and beauty. He summons water from the sea, gathers it up, and pours it out on the land. All the seasons are entirely in His Hand. His Name is YHWH, the Great King of heaven and earth.
Comments:
Amos 9:7
הֲל֣וֹא כִבְנֵי֩ כֻשִׁיִּ֨ים אַתֶּ֥ם לִ֛י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה הֲל֣וֹא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הֶעֱלֵ֙יתִי֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּפְלִשְׁתִּיִּ֥ים מִכַּפְתּ֖וֹר וַאֲרָ֥ם מִקִּֽיר׃
Are you not as the sons of Cushim to Me, oh sons of Israel? An utterance of YHWH. Did not I cause Israel to go up from the land of Egypt and the Philistines from Caftor and the Arameans from Kir?
Paraphrase: Oh My people, you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. I told you at that time that if you obeyed My voice and kept My covenant, then you would be My own special treasure from among all the peoples on the earth, for I am sovereign over all the earth. Yes, you would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation for My glory.” (Exodus 19:4-6) But, now, dear people, look at how dreadfully you have violated the terms of the covenant between us. You have transgressed the laws I have written out for you and treated them with contempt. Indeed, you are no more faithful to me than the Ethiopians and the Philistines. Don’t forget that just as I led you out of Egypt, so also I led the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir. In spite of My grace to them, I eventually poured out My judgments on them. (Amos 1:3, 6) So also I will destroy you without mercy.
Comments:
Amos 9:8
הִנֵּ֞ה עֵינֵ֣י׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה בַּמַּמְלָכָה֙ הַֽחַטָּאָ֔ה וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּ֣י אֹתָ֔הּ מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֑ה אֶ֗פֶס כִּ֠י לֹ֣א הַשְׁמֵ֥יד אַשְׁמִ֛יד אֶת־בֵּ֥ית יַעֲקֹ֖ב נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
Behold, the eyes of Lord YHWH are on the kingdom of sinners and I will exterminate her from off the face of the land. But I will not completely exterminate the house of Jacob. An utterance of YHWH.
Paraphrase: Yes, truly the eyes of YHWH, the Great King, are on the kingdom of Israel as they pursue their path of fraud, deception, and oppression from day to day. I will wipe her off from the face of the land; she will never be heard from again. Yet, for all that, I will not wipe out every member of the house and family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There will yet be a remnant who will bring praise and honor to My Name. This is an utterance of YHWH.
Comments:
Waltke & O’Connor: “Both אפס and אפס כּי restrict general preceding material, offering clarifications, and the latter combination can also restrict the immediately preceding clause.” (p672)
Amos 9:9
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֤ה אָֽנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֔ה וַהֲנִע֥וֹתִי בְכָֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם אֶת־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר יִנּ֙וֹעַ֙ בַּכְּבָרָ֔ה וְלֹֽא־יִפּ֥וֹל צְר֖וֹר אָֽרֶץ׃
For behold, I am commanding and will shake the house of Israel with all the nations as a sieve, it will be shaken and a stone will not fall to the ground.
Paraphrase: Now listen, I am going to issue a command. Here is what that command is. Let the house of Israel be shaken as one shakes dirt in a sieve. Yes, let all the nations of the world be so shaken. Then, note this; not a single stone, not the smallest pebble will fall through that sieve along with the dirt and sand. No, I will carefully guard those of My people who are faithful and will preserve them from all harm.
Comments:
Amos 9:10
בַּחֶ֣רֶב יָמ֔וּתוּ כֹּ֖ל חַטָּאֵ֣י עַמִּ֑י הָאֹמְרִ֗ים לֹֽא־תַגִּ֧ישׁ וְתַקְדִּ֛ים בַּעֲדֵ֖ינוּ הָרָעָֽה׃
By the sword, all the sinners of My people will die, those saying, “The evil will not draw near and confront us.
Paraphrase: On the contrary, all those who violate My covenant and transgress My laws will die by the sword. They will be cut down by invading armies. They are the very ones who are now saying, “There’s nothing to be concerned about here; Amos is not preaching the truth; don’t worry; we are God’s chosen people and His treasured possession. He would never let such disasters fall on us. We are perfectly safe.”
Comments:
Amos 9:11
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא אָקִ֛ים אֶת־סֻכַּ֥ת דָּוִ֖יד הַנֹּפֶ֑לֶת וְגָדַרְתִּ֣י אֶת־פִּרְצֵיהֶ֗ן וַהֲרִֽסֹתָיו֙ אָקִ֔ים וּבְנִיתִ֖יהָ כִּימֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃
In that day, I will raise up the fallen succoth of David, and I will wall up her breaches and its ruins I will raise up and I will build her as the days of old.
Paraphrase: Now a day is coming, when I will remember the promises I made to David (2 Samuel 7) and will turn again to My people. I will look again at the kingdom of David which by this time will have fallen and will have been destroyed by the enemies. I will repair those parts of her wall which were broken down; I will rebuild the ruined houses and buildings. The same splendor Israel had in the days of David and Solomon, I will bring those days back.
Comments:
Stuart says that Succoth here refers to the city by that name. He rejects the translation “hut” since it’s hard to see how a hut could have “breaches” and “ruins” as described here. Hosea–Jonah, vol 31, Word Biblical Commentary, 398. For myself, the verse doesn’t seem to be about the city Succoth but about the kingdom of David in light of the promises made to her.
Amos 9:12
לְמַ֨עַן יִֽירְשׁ֜וּ אֶת־שְׁאֵרִ֤ית אֱדוֹם֙ וְכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָ֥א שְׁמִ֖י עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה עֹ֥שֶׂה זֹּֽאת׃פ
In order that they might possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations over which My Name is called, says YHWH, who is doing this.
Paraphrase: My purpose in all this is to give My people the power to possess the nations of their enemies. Just as in the days of old, my people will thrust out the nations and take their land. My sovereign control extends over all nations, even over those nations who hate Me and oppress My people. Now, I am going to make My power visible and obvious to all those who are looking on. All these nations will come to My people cringing and submissive, acknowledging Me as the Great King. (Deuteronomy 33:29)
Comments:
For יִירְשׁוּ, see §107k.
עֲלֵיהֶם is resumptive. Usually, it is Israel or Jerusalem or the temple over which God’s Name is called. Here, all the nations are are said to be such. Gill references the Targum which suggested the words should be understood as reversed; “that all the people on whom My Name is called, may possess the remnant of Edom;”
Amos 9:13
הִנֵּ֨ה יָמִ֤ים בָּאִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְנִגַּ֤שׁ חוֹרֵשׁ֙ בַּקֹּצֵ֔ר וְדֹרֵ֥ךְ עֲנָבִ֖ים בְּמֹשֵׁ֣ךְ הַזָּ֑רַע וְהִטִּ֤יפוּ הֶֽהָרִים֙ עָסִ֔יס וְכָל־הַגְּבָע֖וֹת תִּתְמוֹגַֽגְנָה׃
Behold, the days are coming, says YHWH, and the plowman will draw near to the reaper and the treader of grapes to the sower of seed, and the mountains will drop sweet wine and all the hills will flow.
Paraphrase: These are the days, says YHWH, the Great King, when the harvest will be so great, that the reapers will still be working on gathering in the harvest when the men who plow the fields are ready to start planting again. Same thing with the wine makers. (Leviticus 26:5) There will be so many grapes to press into wine that those who tread the winepresses will still be working when the planters head out to plant more vines. In these days, it will seem as though clouds of wine are forming on the mountains, and this “rain” will then fall on the land. The wine will flow off the hills like rivers and streams. It will be a time of unprecedented prosperity and flourishing.
Comments:
Amos 9:14
וְשַׁבְתִּי֮ אֶת־שְׁב֣וּת עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וּבָנ֞וּ עָרִ֤ים נְשַׁמּוֹת֙ וְיָשָׁ֔בוּ וְנָטְע֣וּ כְרָמִ֔ים וְשָׁת֖וּ אֶת־יֵינָ֑ם וְעָשׂ֣וּ גַנּ֔וֹת וְאָכְל֖וּ אֶת־פְּרִיהֶֽם׃
and I will return the captivity of My people, Israel, and they will build the cities which were desolated, and they will return and plant vineyards, and drink wine and they will make orchards and and eat their fruits.
Paraphrase: Then I will bring My people back from captivity. They will return to their cities which were sacked and destroyed. They will will rebuild these cities; they will again work the land and plant gardens and vineyards. They will drink the wine and eat the produce of these gardens. The harvests will be plentiful; there will be enough for everyone.
Comments:
Amos 9:15
וּנְטַעְתִּ֖ים עַל־אַדְמָתָ֑ם וְלֹ֨א יִנָּתְשׁ֜וּ ע֗וֹד מֵעַ֤ל אַדְמָתָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תִּי לָהֶ֔ם אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
and I will plant them on their land, and they will not be uprooted again from on their land which I am giving to them, says YHWH, your God.
Paraphrase: And just as My people are busy planting and harvesting, so I will, as it were, plant My people in this land. This is truly their land because I promised it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Genesis 50:24) Now even as I have planted them in this land, so I swear a solemn oath that they will never be uprooted from this land again. This is the word of YHWH, the Great King and your God who has spoken and it will be, who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. (Revelation 3:7; also Isaiah 52:6; Daniel 4:35; Luke 1:45; 2 Timothy 2:19)
Comments: