Amos 9:4-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Amos 9:1-10

We have here the justice of God passing sentence upon a provoking people; and observe, I. With what solemnity the sentence is passed. The prophet saw in vision the Lord standing upon the altar (Amos 9:1), the altar of burnt-offerings; for the Lord has a sacrifice, and multitudes must fall as victims to his justice. He is removed from the mercy-seat between the cherubim, and stands upon the altar, the judgment-seat, on which the fire of God used to fall, to devour the sacrifices. He stands upon... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 9:4

And though they go into captivity before their enemies ,.... Alluding to the manner in which captives are led, being put before their enemies, and so carried in triumph; see Lamentations 1:5 ; though some think this refers to their going voluntarily into a foreign country, in order to escape danger, as Johanan the son of Kareah with the Jews went into Egypt, Jeremiah 43:5 ; in whom Kimchi instances: thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them ; or them that kill with the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 9:5

And the Lord God of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt ,.... Which is another reason why it is impossible to escape the hands of a sin revenging God, because he is omnipotent as well as omniscient; he is the Lord of all the armies above and below; and if he but touch the land, any particular country, as the land of Israel, it shakes and trembles, and falls into a flow of water, or melts like wax; as when he toucheth the hills and mountains they smoke, being like fuel to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 9:6

It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven ,.... The three elements, according to Aben Ezra, fire, air, and water; the orbs, as Kimchi, one above another; a word near akin to this is rendered "his chambers", which are the clouds, Psalm 104:3 ; perhaps the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, which are three stories high, may be meant; we read of the third heaven, 2 Corinthians 12:2 ; and particularly the throne of God is in the highest heaven; and the "ascents" F25 מעלותיו ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 9:7

Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord ,.... And therefore had no reason to think they should be delivered because they were the children of Israel, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; since they were no more to God than the children of the Ethiopians, having behaved like them; and were become as black as they through sin, and were idolaters like them; and so accustomed to sin, and hardened in it, that they could no more change their course and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 9:8

Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom ,.... God is omniscient, and his eyes are everywhere, and upon all persons, good and bad, and upon all kingdoms, especially upon a sinful nation: "the sinning kingdom" F14 ממלכה החטאה "hoc regnum peccans", V. L. Junius & Tremellius, Drusius, Mercerus; "peccatrix", Piscator. , or "the kingdom of sin" F15 "Regnum peccati", Pagninus, Montanus. , as it may be rendered; that is addicted to sin, where it prevails... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 9:4

I will set mine eyes upon them for evil - I will use that very providence against them which before worked for their good. Should they look upward, they shall see nothing but the terrible lightning-like eye of a sin-avenging God. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 9:5

The Lord God of hosts is he - So powerful is he that a touch of his hand shall melt or dissolve the land, and cause all its inhabitants to mourn. Here is still a reference to the earthquake. See the note Amos 8:8 , where the same images are used. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 9:6

Buildeth his stories in the heaven - There is here an allusion to large houses, where there are cellars, or places dug in the ground as repositories for corn; middle apartments, or stories, for the families to live in; and the house-top for persons to take the air upon. There may be here a reference to the various systems which God has formed in illimitable space, transcending each other, as the planets do in our solar system: and thus we find Solomon speaking when addressing the Most High:... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Amos 9:7

Children of the Ethiopians - Or Cushites. Cush was the son of Ham, Genesis 10:6 ; and his descendants inhabited a part of Arabia Petraea and Arabia Felix. All this stock was universally despised. See Bochart. The Philistines from Caphtor - The island of Crete, the people of which were the Cherethim. See, 1 Samuel 30:14 ; Ezekiel 25:16 ; Zephaniah 2:5 . The Syrians from Kir? - Perhaps a city of the Medes, Isaiah 22:6 . Aram, from whom Syria had its name, was the son of Shem,... read more

Group of Brands