Amos 9:1-15 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

The Restoration of God's People. This section is probably a post-exilic appendix to the book. The point of view has changed, the fate of Israel being quite different from that contemplated in the rest of the book, and the ideas reflecting the mind of a much later Jewish community.

Yahweh will destroy, but He will not utterly destroy (cf. end of Amos 9:8, if genuine). Israel must be sifted and scattered among the nations (Amos 9:9). But it shall be like the sifting of corn in a sieve. The chaff is scattered, but the compact grains (rather than least grain) remain. The guilty indeed must suffer (Amos 9:10), and it is useless to say Disaster shall not touch or befall us (so translate with Kent). But for the faithful remnant a glorious day is dawning (Amos 9:11), the happy Messianic age, in which Israel will be reunited to Judah, as they were united in the happy days of old. Yahweh will repair the ruin in order that those over whom my name is called may inherit the remnant of Edom and all the nations (Amos 9:12; so translate with Ehrlich). In this glorious Messianic age seedtime and harvest will follow in rapid succession, and the harvests be wonderfully rich and abundant (Amos 9:13). The exiles shall return and enjoy a happiness and prosperity (Amos 9:14) that shall not again be interrupted (Amos 9:15). This is the promise of Yahweh, says the prophet, who has become again thy God.

Amos 9:13. the plowman shall overtake the reaper: Ehrlich reading wל -nâ gas, the plowman shall press the reaper. The plowman will press the reaper to finish his work, that he may start plowing the field again. sweet wine: the word denotes either must or wine made by a process in which fermentation was artificially arrested (ICC on Joel 1:5). and all the hills shall melt: Riessler would add, with milk (ḥ?â lâ b), comparing Jl. 4:18.

Amos 9:14. And I will bring again the captivity of: or, and I will turn the fortune of: more literally restore the restoration of.

Related Commentaries of Amos 9:1

Amos 9:1-15

1 I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:

3 And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

4 And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.

5 And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.

6 It is he that buildeth his storiesa in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name.

7 Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?

8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.

9 For, lo, I will command, and I will siftb the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.

10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.

11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that sowethc seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.