Amos 9:9 kjv
For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.
Amos 9:9 nkjv
"For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
Amos 9:9 niv
"For I will give the command, and I will shake the people of Israel among all the nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, and not a pebble will reach the ground.
Amos 9:9 esv
"For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the earth.
Amos 9:9 nlt
"For I will give the command
and will shake Israel along with the other nations
as grain is shaken in a sieve,
yet not one true kernel will be lost.
Amos 9 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Amos 9:9 | "For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth." | Amos 9:9 |
| Jeremiah 30:11 | "For I am with thee, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee with judgment, and will not utterly destroy thee." | Jer 30:11 (Divine preservation) |
| Ezekiel 34:11-16 | "For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out." | Ezek 34:11-16 (Shepherd caring for scattered sheep) |
| Luke 22:31-32 | "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." | Luke 22:31-32 (Jesus praying for Peter's sifting) |
| Romans 11:5 | "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." | Rom 11:5 (Remnant in exile) |
| Isaiah 1:3 | "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." | Isa 1:3 (Israel's lack of discernment) |
| Jeremiah 31:31-34 | "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:" | Jer 31:31-34 (New Covenant implies preservation) |
| Psalm 125:1 | "They that trust in the LORD are as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever." | Ps 125:1 (Steadfastness of those in God) |
| Acts 17:26 | "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;" | Acts 17:26 (God's sovereign control over nations) |
| John 10:28-29 | "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." | John 10:28-29 (Eternal security of believers) |
| Zechariah 13:8-9 | "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein." | Zech 13:8-9 (Purification through judgment) |
| 1 Corinthians 1:10 | "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." | 1 Cor 1:10 (Call for unity) |
| Philippians 1:6 | "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" | Phil 1:6 (God's work of completion) |
| 1 Peter 1:6-7 | "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold which perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" | 1 Pet 1:6-7 (Faith tested by trials) |
| Hebrews 12:5-8 | "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." | Heb 12:5-8 (Chastening as proof of sonship) |
| Amos 9:7 | "Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?" | Amos 9:7 (God's past redemptions) |
| Deuteronomy 28:64 | "And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, made of wood and stone." | Deut 28:64 (Scattering due to disobedience) |
| Amos 3:2 | "You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." | Amos 3:2 (Chosen but accountable) |
| Isaiah 43:1-2 | "But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 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." | Isa 43:1-2 (God's presence in trial) |
| Malachi 3:3 | "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer in righteousness the offerings of the LORD." | Mal 3:3 (Purification process) |
| Revelation 7:1-4 | "And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." | Rev 7:1-4 (Sealing of God's servants) |
Amos 9 verses
Amos 9 9 Meaning
This verse speaks of the Lord sifting His people like grain, scattering them among nations, yet assuring that no true believer, no kernel of His chosen, will be lost. It signifies a difficult purification process that affects all His people, but ultimately results in their preservation.
Amos 9 9 Context
Amos is a prophet who delivered his message during a time of prosperity and religious formality in Israel, yet underlying moral decay and injustice. Chapter 9 continues God's pronouncements of judgment upon Israel. Verse 9 follows a description of God's universal judgment and His establishment of a future kingdom. It places the people of Israel, despite their covenant status, within this wider sweep of divine justice and cleansing. The verse addresses both the scattering (judgment) and the preservation (election) of the house of Israel. The "house of Israel" here refers to the northern kingdom, which would soon face Assyrian exile, but the principle extends to all of God's people. The ultimate fulfillment is seen in the preservation of a faithful remnant through judgment and dispersion, and then ingathering into God's restored kingdom.
Amos 9 9 Word Analysis
כִּֽי (ki) - "for," "indeed," "surely." Introduces a reason or confirmation for what has just been stated.
הִנֵּה (hinneh) - "behold," "lo," "see." Draws attention, emphasizing the significance of the following statement.
אֲנִי (ani) - "I." Refers to the Lord Himself, emphasizing His active involvement.
מְפַקֵּד (m'faqed) - "command," "appoint," "muster." Implies a divine directive, an organized action by God.
וְהִפְרַתִּי (w'hiphrarti) - "and I will sift." The verb parath (פָּרַת) describes the action of sifting or winnowing, separating the grain from the chaff. This denotes a process of examination and separation.
אֶת־בֵּית (et-beit) - "the house of." Refers to the entire lineage or household of Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrael) - "Israel." The people of God.
בְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִם (b'chol-hagoyim) - "among all the nations." Indicates dispersion and mingling with other peoples.
כְּאַשֶׁר (k'asher) - "as," "like." Introduces a simile for the sifting process.
תֻּפְרַד (tufred) - "is sifted," "is winnowed." Passive form of the verb parath.
הַבָּר (habar) - "the grain," "the corn." Specifically refers to the valuable product of the harvest.
בַּנָּפָה (bannafeh) - "in the sieve," "in the fan." The tool used for sifting and winnowing.
וְאָבַד (w'avad) - "and shall perish," "and shall be lost." Indicates destruction or complete disappearance.
לֹא־חֹל (lo-chol) - "not the least," "not one." Emphasizes complete preservation of what is valuable.
אֶבֶן (even) - "grain," "kernel," "pebble." Refers to a single unit of grain. In this context, a significant kernel of grain.
בָּאָרֶץ (ba'aretz) - "in the earth," "on the ground." The place where chaff might fall and be lost.
Words-group analysis:
- "I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations": This highlights God's sovereign control over His people, including their scattering as a form of judicial process and purification. The dispersion is not random but divinely ordained.
- "as corn is sifted in a sieve": The imagery powerfully depicts a thorough process of examination and separation. The chaff (what is useless or wicked) is removed, while the grain (the righteous, the remnant) is preserved.
- "yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth": This assurance is crucial. It guarantees that no true believer, no genuinely chosen individual, will be irrevocably lost during this sifting. The faithful will be preserved through the tribulation.
Amos 9 9 Bonus Section
The prophecy here carries both a literal historical implication for the ancient Israelites, particularly regarding the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, and a theological implication for all believers throughout the ages. The scattering is a consequence of judgment for disobedience, but the preservation underscores God's eternal election and His covenant faithfulness. The assurance of "not the least grain" falling signifies divine protection and perseverance for the elect, ensuring that God's redemptive purposes will not be thwarted. It is a reminder that God's judgment is also a purifying process intended to bring forth a cleansed and faithful people.
Amos 9 9 Commentary
Amos 9:9 is a profound statement of God's sovereign judgment and His unwavering commitment to preserving a faithful remnant. The sifting metaphor signifies a period of severe testing and purging for Israel, involving dispersion among the nations. This would happen as a consequence of their sin and rebellion. However, the critical promise is that none of the truly valuable grain—the elect, the faithful—will be lost. This means that while the community might be scattered, individual believers are kept secure by God. This speaks to the discipline God administers to His children, purifying them so they might endure and ultimately be gathered into His kingdom. This promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who intercedes for His people, ensuring their eternal security through trials, just as He prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail (Luke 22:31-32). The scattered yet preserved people of God, through every trial and dispersal throughout history, demonstrate His faithfulness.