Amos 9:1-4

1. I saw The other visions are introduced with “Jehovah showed unto me.”

The Lord He is the central figure in this vision, not a symbolic object or act.

Standing As in Amos 7:7. A more accurate rendering would be stationed, since the word denotes a more formal attitude than is indicated by the simple standing.

Beside Literally, upon (Numbers 23:3; Numbers 23:6; 1 Kings 21:1).

Altar It is most natural to suppose that the prophet has in mind the altar at Beth-el, the chief sanctuary of the north, where he was delivering his message.

He said To whom? See on “publish ye” (Amos 3:9; compare Amos 3:13).

Lintel The Hebrew has the singular, which is used in a collective sense, therefore R.V. reads the plural, “capitals”; the ornaments on top of the columns which support the roof (Zephaniah 2:14; compare Exodus 25:31). A blow upon these capitals would cause the roof to fall, especially if the blow was severe enough to cause the foundations to tremble.

Posts Better, thresholds, since the word is used almost exclusively in the latter sense. Threshold is equivalent to foundation, and the clause indicates the force of the blow.

Cut [“break”] them The Hebrew underlying this translation is peculiar (G.-K., 61g). The pronoun (plural in Hebrew) is interpreted most naturally as referring back to “capitals” (singular in Hebrew). Such construction is unusual; it may be a construction according to the sense (G.-K., 1350), or the prophet may be thinking of the pieces made by the blow. Most commentators suspect a corruption of the text.

All of them The worshipers gathered within the sanctuary.

The last of them Or, the residue of them, that is, any who may escape from the sanctuary; they shall fall subsequently by the sword.

For the rest of Amos 9:1 R.V. reads, perhaps less literally than A.V., “there shall not one of them flee away, and there shall not one of them escape.” Not from the smitten sanctuary, for both the preceding clause and Amos 9:2 imply that some will escape from it, but from Jehovah (Amos 5:19). If any succeed in escaping from the ruins Jehovah will follow them, until he overtakes them and somehow causes their destruction.

This thought is expanded in 2-4, with which may be compared Psalms 139:0. The prophet enumerates the places which might be expected to provide safe hiding places, but Jehovah will penetrate all.

Hell Better, R.V., “Sheol”; the place of the departed (Hosea 13:14; Habakkuk 2:5; see article “Sheol” in Hastings’s Dictionary of the Bible). Sheol was thought to be located in the center of the earth (Ephesians 4:9).

Heaven The dwelling place of God on high. The two represent the lowest depth and the highest height (Isaiah 7:11; Job 11:8); both are inaccessible to living men. If somehow the survivors should succeed in reaching the places Jehovah’s wrath will pursue them.

Amos 9:3 mentions two other ordinarily inaccessible places, which in this instance will offer no safety.

Top of Carmel See on Amos 1:2. Mount Carmel would be a promising hiding place, because (1) it was rich in natural caves there are said to be about two thousand “close together and so serpentine as to make the discovery of a fugitive entirely impossible”; (2) its top was thickly wooded. Strabo relates (xvi, 2, 28) that in the first century A.D. the forests of Carmel were favorite hiding places of robbers. If hunted from Mount Carmel they might seek refuge in the neighboring Mediterranean, but even the deep sea bottom will offer no shelter.

Serpent This is not an ordinary marine serpent, such as are found in tropical climates in the sea not in the Mediterranean but a mythological sea monster (Genesis 1:21; compare Isaiah 27:1), called also Leviathan (Job 41:1); it is probably to be connected with the Babylonian Tiamat. With no other agent near, this serpent will be called upon to execute judgment.

Go into captivity The enemy may be willing to spare their lives; not so Jehovah. He has decreed their utter destruction.

Set mine eyes upon An expression used frequently in a good sense, equivalent to keep watch over (Genesis 44:21; Jeremiah 24:6); here in a bad sense, to look upon in anger.

For evil In order to destroy (compare Jeremiah 21:10; Ezekiel 15:7).