Amos 9 Study Notes

9:8-10 The text moves abruptly from God’s destruction of Israel to his restoration of the nation. Although he will scatter his people among the nations, not one person will be lost to him, and one day he will bring them back.

9:11-12 The fallen shelter of David refers to the dynasty and empire of David (normally called the “house” of David but here a “shelter,” symbolic of the pathetic condition of this once-mighty line of kings). The restoration will take place first at the resurrection of Christ but after that in the eternal kingdom of the new heaven and new earth (Rv 21:1). Edom is representative of the Gentiles that hated and persecuted Israel. The point is that some day all nations, however hostile they have been, will submit either willingly or unwillingly. Paul likewise declared that some day every knee will bow to Jesus (Php 2:10). But clearly Amos did not envision simple domination of the Gentiles. Many will bear my name, implying that they will belong to Yahweh. This promise is fulfilled now, as Gentiles all over the world worship Israel’s God and Messiah. James understood the passage in this way and cited it as being fulfilled in the mission to the Gentiles (Ac 15:14-18). James’s citation of Am 9:12 in Ac 15:17 differs somewhat from the Hebrew because he seems to be loosely quoting from the Greek Septuagint translation of Amos. Also, the Hebrew word for “Edom” is similar to the word for “humanity” (adam), which explains why Amos has “Edom” but James has “humanity.”

This root appears in Aramaic (Dn 11:44) outside of Hebrew. Shamad means destroy (Am 2:9). It describes objects (Lv 26:30) and individuals (2Sm 14:11) but usually groups of people. Shamad suggests demolish (Nm 33:52) and devastate (Dt 9:3). It is annihilate (Dt 7:24), exterminate (1Kg 16:12), or eliminate (Ps 37:38). It connotes obliterate (Dt 6:15), wipe out (1Sm 24:21), and remove (Jos 7:12). Occurring twenty-nine times in Deuteronomy, shamad describes God’s destruction of earlier peoples (Dt 2:21-23) and intended destruction of Canaanites (Dt 7:23). Shamad often warns Israel of potential destruction (Dt 6:15), seven times in Dt 28 (Dt 28:51). Shamad appears fourteen times with ’abad (“perish, destroy,” Dt 28:20), ten with yarash (“drive out, take possession,” Dt 2:12), six with karat (“cut off,” Is 10:7), five with nachah (“strike down,” Jos 11:14), four with harag (“kill,” Est 3:13), and three with charam (“annihilate,” Dn 11:44).

9:13-15 Just as God had promised to bring famine to Israel and nearly to exterminate the nation, he promises in these verses to give them abundant crops and a large population. The statement that the plowman will overtake the reaper is hyperbole for fruitfulness and served to assure the people that they would enjoy eternal well-being.