Amos 9

8. eyes . . . upon the sinful kingdom--that is, I am watching all its sinful course in order to punish it (compare Amos 9:4 , Psalms 34:15 Psalms 34:16 ).
not utterly destroy the house of Jacob--Though as a "kingdom" the nation is now utterly to perish, a remnant is to be spared for "Jacob," their forefather's sake (compare Jeremiah 30:11 ); to fulfil the covenant whereby "the seed of Israel" is hereafter to be "a nation for ever" ( Jeremiah 31:36 ).

9. sift--I will cause the Israelites to be tossed about through all nations as corn is shaken about in a sieve, in such a way, however, that while the chaff and dust (the wicked) fall through (perish), all the solid grains (the godly elect) remain (are preserved), ( Romans 11:26 ; compare Note, So spiritual Israel's final safety is ensured ( Luke 22:32 , John 10:28 , 6:39 ).

10. All the sinners--answering to the chaff in the image in Amos 9:9 , which falls on the earth, in opposition "to the grain" that does not "fall."
overtake . . . us--"come on us from behind" [MAURER].

11. In that day--quoted by James ( Acts 15:16 Acts 15:17 ), "After this," that is, in the dispensation of Messiah ( Genesis 49:10 , Hosea 3:4 Hosea 3:5 , Joel 2:28 , 3:1 ).
tabernacle of David--not "the house of David," which is used of his affairs when prospering ( 2 Samuel 3:1 ), but the tent or booth, expressing the low condition to which his kingdom and family had fallen in Amos' time, and subsequently at the Babylonian captivity before the restoration; and secondarily, in the last days preceding Israel's restoration under Messiah, the antitype to David ( Psalms 102:13 Psalms 102:14 , Jeremiah 30:9 , Ezekiel 34:24 , 37:24 ; ( Ephesians 2:20 ). The restoration under Zerubbabel can only be a partial, temporary fulfilment; for it did not include Israel, which nation is the main subject of Amos prophecies, but only Judah; also Zerubbabel's kingdom was not independent and settled; also all the prophets end their prophecies with Messiah, whose advent is the cure of all previous disorders. "Tabernacle" is appropriate to Him, as His human nature is the tabernacle which He assumed in becoming Immanuel, "God with us" ( John 1:14 ). "Dwelt," literally, tabernacled "among us" (compare Revelation 21:3 ). Some understand "the tabernacle of David" as that which David pitched for the ark in Zion, after bringing it from Obed-edom's house. It remained there all his reign for thirty years, till the temple of Solomon was built, whereas the "tabernacle of the congregation" remained at Gibeon ( 2 Chronicles 1:3 ), where the priests ministered in sacrifices ( 1 Chronicles 16:39 ). Song and praise was the service of David's attendants before the ark (Asaph, &c.): a type of the gospel separation between the sacrificial service (Messiah's priesthood now in heaven) and the access of believers on earth to the presence of God, apart from the former (compare 2 Samuel 6:12-17 1 Chronicles 16:37-39 2 Chronicles 1:3 ).
breaches thereof--literally, "of them," that is, of the whole nation, Israel as well as Judah.
as in . . . days of old--as it was formerly in the days of David and Solomon, when the kingdom was in its full extent and undivided.

12. That they may possess . . . remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen--"Edom," the bitter foe, though the brother, of Israel; therefore to be punished ( Amos 1:11 Amos 1:12 ), Israel shall be lord of the "remnant" of Edom left after the punishment of the latter. James quotes it, "That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles," &c. For "all the heathen" nations stand on the same footing as Edom: Edom is the representative of them all. The residue or remnant in both cases expresses those left after great antecedent calamities ( Romans 9:27 , Zechariah 14:16 ). Here the conversion of "all nations" (of which the earnest was given in James's time) is represented as only to be realized on the re-establishment of the theocracy under Messiah, the Heir of the throne of David ( Amos 9:11 ). The possession of the heathen nations by Israel is to be spiritual, the latter being the ministers to the former for their conversion to Messiah, King of the Jews; just as the first conversions of pagans were through the ministry of the apostles, who were Jews. Compare Isaiah 54:3 , "thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles" (compare Isaiah 49:8 , Romans 4:13 ). A remnant of Edom became Jews under John Hyrcanus, and the rest amalgamated with the Arabians, who became Christians subsequently.
which are called by my name--that is, who belong to Me, whom I claim as Mine ( Psalms 2:8 ); in the purposes of electing grace, God terms them already called by His name. Compare the title, "the children," applied by anticipation, Hebrews 2:14 . Hence as an act of sovereign grace, fulfilling His promise, it is spoken of God. Proclaim His title as sovereign, "the Lord that doeth this" ("all these things," Acts 15:17 , namely, all these and such like acts of sovereign love).

13. the days come--at the future restoration of the Jews to their own land.
ploughman shall overtake . . . reaper . . . treader of grapes him that soweth--fulfilling Leviticus 26:5 . Such shall be the abundance that the harvest and vintage can hardly be gathered before the time for preparing for the next crop shall come. Instead of the greater part of the year being spent in war, the whole shall be spent in sowing and reaping the fruits of earth. Compare Isaiah 65:21-23 , as to the same period.
soweth seed--literally, "draweth it forth," namely, from the sack in order to sow it.
mountains . . . drop sweet wine--an appropriate image, as the vines in Palestine were trained on terraces at the sides of the hills.

14. build the waste cities--( Isaiah 61:4 , Ezekiel 36:33-36 ).

15. plant them . . . no more be pulled up--( Jeremiah 32:41 ).
thy God--Israel's; this is the ground of their restoration, God's original choice of them as His.