Amos 9:5-7

5 The Lord, the LORD Almighty— he touches the earth and it melts, and all who live in it mourn; the whole land rises like the Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt;
6 he builds his lofty palace[a] in the heavens and sets its foundation[b] on the earth; he calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the LORD is his name.
7 “Are not you Israelites the same to me as the Cushites[c] ?” declares the LORD. “Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor[d]and the Arameans from Kir?

Amos 9:5-7 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References 8

  • 1. S Psalms 46:2; Micah 1:4
  • 2. S Amos 8:8
  • 3. Jeremiah 43:9
  • 4. Ps 104:1-3,5-6,13; S Amos 5:8
  • 5. S 2 Chronicles 12:3; Isaiah 20:4; Isaiah 43:3
  • 6. S Genesis 10:14
  • 7. S Deuteronomy 2:23; Jeremiah 47:4
  • 8. S 2 Kings 16:9; S Isaiah 22:6; S Amos 1:5; Amos 2:10

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  • [b]. The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  • [c]. That is, people from the upper Nile region
  • [d]. That is, Crete
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.