Amós 9

1 Vi al Señor de pie junto al altar, y me dijo: Golpea los capiteles y que se estremezcan los umbrales, y rómpelos sobre la cabeza de todos. Entonces mataré a espada al resto de ellos; no habrá entre ellos fugitivo que huya, ni refugiado de ellos que escape.

2 Aunque caven hasta el Seol , de allí los tomará mi mano; y aunque suban al cielo, de allí los haré bajar.

3 Aunque se escondan en la cumbre del Carmelo, allí los buscaré y los tomaré; aunque se oculten de mis ojos en el fondo del mar, allí ordenaré a la serpiente que los muerda.

4 Aunque vayan al cautiverio delante de sus enemigos, allí ordenaré a la espada que los mate, y pondré sobre ellos mis ojos para mal y no para bien.

5 El Señor, DIOS de los ejércitos: el que toca la tierra, y ésta se derrite, y se lamentan todos los que en ella habitan, sube toda ella como el Nilo y mengua como el Nilo de Egipto;

6 el que edifica en los cielos sus altos aposentos, y sobre la tierra ha establecido su bóveda; el que llama a las aguas del mar y las derrama sobre la faz de la tierra: el SEÑOR es su nombre.

7 ¿No sois vosotros para mí como hijos de Etiopía, oh hijos de Israel?declara el SEÑOR. ¿No hice yo subir a Israel de la tierra de Egipto y a los filisteos de Caftor y a los arameos de Kir?

8 He aquí, los ojos del Señor DIOS están sobre el reino pecador, y yo lo destruiré de sobre la faz de la tierra; sin embargo, no destruiré totalmente a la casa de Jacob declara el SEÑOR.

9 Porque he aquí, yo daré un mandato, y zarandearé a la casa de Israel entre todas las naciones, como se zarandea el grano en la criba, sin que caiga ni un grano en tierra.

10 A espada morirán todos los pecadores de mi pueblo, los que dicen: "No nos alcanzará ni se nos acercará la desgracia."

11 En aquel día levantaré el tabernáculo caído de David, repararé sus brechas, levantaré sus ruinas, y la reedificaré como en tiempo pasado,

12 para que tomen posesión del remanente de Edom y de todas las naciones donde se invoca mi nombre declara el SEÑOR, que hace esto.

13 He aquí, vienen díasdeclara el SEÑOR cuando el arador alcanzará al segador, y el que pisa la uva al que siembra la semilla; cuando destilarán vino dulce los montes, y todas las colinas se derretirán.

14 Restauraré el bienestar de mi pueblo Israel, y ellos reedificarán las ciudades asoladas y habitarán en ellas; también plantarán viñas y beberán su vino, y cultivarán huertos y comerán sus frutos.

15 Los plantaré en su tierra, y no serán arrancados jamás de la tierra que les he dado dice el SEÑOR tu Dios.

Amós 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The ruin of Israel. (1-10) The restoration of the Jews and the gospel blessing. (11-15)

Verses 1-10 The prophet, in vision, saw the Lord standing upon the idolatrous altar at Bethel. Wherever sinners flee from God's justice, it will overtake them. Those whom God brings to heaven by his grace, shall never be cast down; but those who seek to climb thither by vain confidence in themselves, will be cast down and filled with shame. That which makes escape impossible and ruin sure, is, that God will set his eyes upon them for evil, not for good. Wretched must those be on whom the Lord looks for evil, and not for good. The Lord would scatter the Jews, and visit them with calamities, as the corn is shaken in a sieve; but he would save some from among them. The astonishing preservation of the Jews as a distinct people, seems here foretold. If professors make themselves like the world, God will level them with the world. The sinners who thus flatter themselves, shall find that their profession will not protect them.

Verses 11-15 Christ died to gather together the children of God that were scattered abroad, here said to be those who were called by his name. The Lord saith this, who doeth this, who can do it, who has determined to do it, the power of whose grace is engaged for doing it. Verses ( 13-15 ) may refer to the early times of Christianity, but will receive a more glorious fulfilment in the events which all the prophets more or less foretold, and may be understood of the happy state when the fulness both of the Jews and the Gentiles come into the church. Let us continue earnest in prayer for the fulfilment of these prophecies, in the peace, purity, and the beauty of the church. God marvellously preserves his elect amidst the most fearful confusions and miseries. When all seems desperate, he wonderfully revives his church, and blesses her with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. And great shall be the glory of that period, in which not one good thing promised shall remain unfulfilled.

Footnotes

• [a]. I.e., regin de los muertos

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 9

This chapter contains the fifth and last vision the prophet saw; which represents the certain desolation of the land, city, and temple, and the slaughter of all sorts of persons, high and low, none should escape it, Am 9:1; be they where they would, they should be found out, whether in hell or heaven, on the tops of the highest mountains, or in the bottom of the sea, or in a foreign land, since the eyes of the Lord were upon them for evil, Am 9:2-4; nor could they hope to escape, when they considered his greatness and his power, and what he could do, and had done; and how they had behaved towards him, even though they were the people he had brought out of Egypt, Am 9:5-7; but though the sinful kingdom should be destroyed, yet not utterly, a remnant should be saved, Am 9:8-10; and the chapter is concluded with gracious promises of raising up the tabernacle of David fallen down, and of the return of the people of Israel to their own land; and of their settlement and continuance in it, never more to depart from it, Am 9:11-15.