Amos 9:4 kjv
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
Amos 9:4 nkjv
Though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword, And it shall slay them. I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good."
Amos 9:4 niv
Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. "I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good."
Amos 9:4 esv
And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good."
Amos 9:4 nlt
Even if their enemies drive them into exile,
I will command the sword to kill them there.
I am determined to bring disaster upon them
and not to help them."
Amos 9 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Amos 9:4 | “And though they creep into the pit, or into the sea, thence shall mine hand take them; and though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, thence shall I seek them and take them thence; and though they hide themselves from my sight at the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the sea, and it shall bite them.” | Amos 9:4 (direct quote) |
| Jeremiah 23:24 | “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.” | God's omnipresence |
| Psalm 139:7-12 | “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there... If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” | God's inescapable presence |
| Isaiah 43:2 | “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” | God's protection in distress (context of judgment implies consequences of disobedience) |
| Hebrews 4:13 | “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” | All are known to God |
| Romans 2:16 | “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” | God's future judgment |
| Revelation 6:15-17 | “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” | Final judgment hiding |
| Job 34:22 | “He hath no need that one should careful him to put him in place, for as in that he were brought up they know him not.” | God's perfect knowledge |
| Proverbs 15:3 | “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” | God's constant observation |
| Jeremiah 16:17 | “For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.” | God sees all actions |
| Ezekiel 9:4-6 | "...Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to these said he unto me with a loud voice, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every one with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, the six men came from the way of the higher gate which lieth toward the north, and every one with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and with them certain men with the apparel of linen: and they entered in, and stood beside the brazen altar." | Judgment and protection |
| Amos 3:14-15 | "For I have testified against this house also, that they shall visit the iniquity of Ephraim upon him, and upon his house. The palaces shall flee away. Therefore, saith the LORD, a day of tribulation shall come upon it, with all its plague and distress. Their palaces shall be brought down, and their buildings overturned.” | Judgment on Israel |
| Psalm 90:4 | “For a thousand years are as one day in thy sight, and as the watch in the night.” | God's timeless perspective |
| Isaiah 2:12 | “For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:” | Day of the Lord judgment |
| Hosea 14:1 | “O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.” | Consequence of sin |
| Amos 5:2 | “The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall be no more raised: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.” | Desolation judgment |
| Amos 9:1-2 | "I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintels of the door, that the posts thereof may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be escaped.” | Earlier, related judgment decree |
| Luke 12:2 | “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.” | Secrets revealed |
| Romans 3:12 | "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” | Universal sinfulness |
| Nahum 1:3 | "The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquure the guilty: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” | God's power and justice |
| Zephaniah 1:12 | “And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.” | God searches for hidden sin |
Amos 9 verses
Amos 9 4 Meaning
This verse is a declaration of divine judgment upon those who evade God's punishment. It asserts that no matter how cleverly or thoroughly one attempts to hide or escape, God's searching eye will find them, and His hand of judgment will bring them to account. The inescapable nature of God's justice is emphasized.
Amos 9 4 Context
Amos chapter 9 begins with a vision of divine judgment so complete that it shakes the very foundations of Israel's religious and national life. The prophet sees God standing by the altar, ordering the destruction of the temple and its inhabitants. The subsequent verses continue this theme, emphasizing that no one will escape God's judgment, regardless of their attempts to hide or flee. Amos is delivering a stark message of unavoidable retribution for the sins of Israel, particularly the elite who have oppressed the poor and perpetuated injustice. Historically, this period in Israel's history (around the 8th century BCE) was one of apparent prosperity and religious observance, yet it was marred by deep social inequality and a perversion of justice, leading God's condemnation through Amos.
Amos 9 4 Word Analysis
- וְאִם־יִפָּקְדוּ (və’im-yippāqəḏû): "And if they are sought out" or "visited" (Niphal perfect). Implies God's active attention or reckoning.
- שְׁאוּל (šə’ûl): "Sheol," the grave, the underworld, the abode of the dead. Represents the deepest possible place of concealment.
- וּמִשָּׁם (ūmišām): "and from there." Continues the enumeration of evasive locations.
- יָמִינִי (yəmīnî): "my right hand." A metonym for God's power, might, and action.
- תִּקָּחֶם (tiqqāḥem): "shall take them" (Qal perfect). The act of seizing or apprehending.
- וְאִם־יִסָּתְרוּ (və’im-yissātərû): "And if they hide themselves" (Niphal perfect). Denotes intentional concealment.
- רֹאשׁ (rō’š): "head" or "top." Refers to the summit.
- הַכַּרְמֶל (hakarmel): "Carmel." A prominent mountain range known for its beauty and fertile slopes, symbolizing a place of refuge or concealment.
- וּמִשָּׁם (ūmišām): "and from there."
- אֶדְרְשֶׁנּוּ (’eḏərəšeNNû): "I will seek them" (Qal imperfect). God's active search.
- וּלְקַחְתִּי (ūləqaḥtî): "and I will take them" (Qal perfect). The finality of God's action.
- וְאִם־יִתְחַבְּאוּ (və’im-yiṯḥabbə’û): "And if they hide themselves" (Hitpael perfect). Another form of hiding, implying joining together in concealment.
- מִפְּנֵי־עֵינַי (mippənê-‘ênaY): "from before mine eyes." Emphasizes that even hiding from God's sight is futile.
- מִתַּחַת (miṯtaḥaṯ): "from beneath" or "from under."
- פְּנֵי־הַיָּם (pənê-hayyām): "the sea." Another vast expanse, representing the ultimate hiding place.
- וּמִשָּׁם (ūmišām): "and from there."
- אֲצַוֶּה־ (’əṣavveh-): "I will command" (Qal perfect). God's sovereign decree.
- הַנַּחַשׁ (hannaḥaš): "the serpent" or "the snake." Often symbolizes cunning, deception, or destructive power.
- וּנְשָׁכָה (ūnəšākâ): "and it shall bite" (Qal imperfect). The agent of punishment unleashed by God.
- וּמֵת) (ūmêṯ): "and they shall die." The ultimate consequence.
Words-group analysis:
- The repeated use of "And if... from there..." ("וְאִם... וּמִשָּׁם...") structures the verse to demonstrate the universality of God's reach across different extreme locations – the grave, the mountain heights, and the depths of the sea.
- The phrases "my right hand" and "I will seek them" underscore God's active and personal involvement in judgment, dispelling any notion of escape from His gaze or power.
- "From before mine eyes" and the concluding action of commanding "the serpent" to bite emphasize that concealment from God is impossible, and His judgment can employ any means necessary for enforcement.
Amos 9 4 Bonus Section
The imagery of the "serpent" (נָחָשׁ, naḥash) in this context could allude to various forms of destructive power, natural or supernatural, which God commands. It evokes ancient Near Eastern cosmologies where the sea was often depicted as a realm of chaos and powerful monsters, a realm God controls. By commanding this power, God demonstrates His supreme authority over the very forces that humans might seek as hiding places. This also reflects the judicial concept of lex talionis, the law of retaliation or "an eye for an eye," though here it is God's sovereign administration of it.
Amos 9 4 Commentary
This verse is a powerful testament to God's omniscience and omnipotence in executing judgment. It counters any attempt to escape divine accountability, whether through the lowest depths (Sheol), the highest refuges (Mount Carmel, symbolizing extreme places), or the vastness of the sea. God's reach is absolute; His "right hand" symbolizes His active, unwavering power to seize offenders wherever they hide. Even hiding "from His eyes" is futile, as He is sovereign over all creation, including its most destructive elements, personified here by the "serpent" of the sea. This conveys that no stratagem of evasion can succeed against the Creator and Judge. It’s a profound reminder that true safety and refuge are found only in obedience to God.