Amos Chapter 9
Amos 9:1–4 — Full KJV Text
“I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts 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 delivered.
Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:
And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:
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.”
The prophet declares, “I saw the Lord standing upon the altar,” showing that this final vision of Amos places the Lord Himself at the place of worship, personally directing judgment. God is not distant from the destruction; He is present at the altar, the very place where Israel should have been offering true worship, but instead their corrupt religion must now be torn down. As a commander of judgment or master of demolition, the Lord orders the destruction to begin at the sanctuary, because judgment must start at the house of God when His people persist in rebellion.
God commands, “Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them.” The lintel and doorposts form the strongest part of a structure. If even those foundations collapse, the whole building is gone. This vivid language signifies total ruin. God’s judgment would not be partial. The structure of false worship would fall on the heads of the worshippers who trusted in it rather than trusting in the Lord. None would escape; God said, “I will slay the last of them with the sword.” Those who flee will not flee away, and those who escape shall not be delivered. Israel may run, but they cannot hide from the God who sees all.
God emphasizes that His judgment is inescapable by describing every possible refuge man could imagine. “Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.” Whether in the deepest depths or the highest heights, God is sovereign over all places. If they attempt to hide in the heights of Mount Carmel, dense with caves and forests, God says He will search and seize them. If they go to the bottom of the sea, He will command the serpent of the deep to bite them. Even captivity among their enemies would not protect them, for God declares, “Thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them.” When God sets His face against a people, no land, no mountain, no sea, no nation can shield them.
The most terrifying statement is at the end of verse 4: “I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.” Under the covenant God made with Israel, His eyes could rest on His people to bless or to curse depending on their obedience (Deuteronomy 28, Leviticus 26). Here, God announces that because of their unrepentant sin, His covenant gaze is now fixed upon them for judgment. This fulfills what He had already warned: “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God… that the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought” (Deuteronomy 28:15, 63). Likewise, “If ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you” (Leviticus 26:23–25). Israel is experiencing the vengeance of the covenant they had broken.
For the believer under the New Covenant, this passage reminds us of the mercy given to us in Christ. In Jesus, the wrath we deserved was fully poured out on Him at the cross. Therefore, we can say with Romans 8:31, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” But this promise is only for those in Christ. For the rebellious, the words of Amos 9 still stand just as true: judgment is certain and inescapable unless there is repentance.
Amos 9:5–10 — Full KJV Text
“And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.
It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name.
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?
Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.
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.
All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.”
Amos begins by reminding Israel of who is speaking to them. “And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt.” This is not poetic exaggeration. The prophet brings Israel face to face with the majesty and power of God. At a mere touch from the Lord, the earth trembles, nations mourn, and the land swells like the river Nile when it floods and then recedes like the rivers of Egypt. God is not a tribal deity, nor a powerless idol; He is the Lord of hosts, the Commander of the armies of heaven, sovereign over land, sky, and sea. If Israel truly remembered who He is, they would fear Him and obey Him, instead of treating Him casually while clinging to their sin.
He continues, “It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth.” This verse speaks of God as the architect of creation. His upper chambers, His layered dwellings are in the heavens, and His foundation stretches into the earth beneath. He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the earth. The cycle of rain, the seas, the clouds, the storms, all testify to His authority. The prophet then seals this truth with a solemn reminder: “The LORD is his name.” That name — Jehovah — is the covenant name of the self-existent, eternal God. Whenever Amos uses the title Lord GOD (“Adonai Yahweh”), he is emphasizing God’s absolute mastery and covenant authority.
Then God confronts Israel’s pride. “Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel?” Israel considered Ethiopians distant and insignificant. Yet God tells them, You are no different in My sight when you live in rebellion. Israel thought their chosen status exempted them from judgment. God corrects this by saying, “Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?” In other words, Yes, I delivered you from Egypt, but I also moved other nations by My hand. If I sovereignly rule nations, I can also judge My own. Being chosen does not mean being excused from holiness.
Then comes the most severe declaration: “Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth.” God calls Israel “the sinful kingdom.” Their religious heritage did not shield them. His eyes — which once watched to bless — now watch to judge. Yet grace is still present even here. “Saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob.” God will discipline, scatter, and judge, but He will preserve a remnant because of His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God explains His purpose: “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.” Exile will be His sieve. Israel will be shaken among the nations. The wicked — like chaff — will be blown away, while the faithful remnant — the grain — will remain. Not a single true grain, not even the smallest, will be lost. This is judgment, but it is a purifying judgment. God’s people will not be annihilated — they will be refined.
Yet not all will survive. “All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.” These are the arrogant ones who scoffed at Amos, who said disaster will not touch us because we are God’s people. They claimed safety while living in rebellion. God says these presumptuous sinners will be the first to fall.
Amos 9:11–12 — Full KJV Text
“In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.”
The Lord declares, “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen.” This is a direct promise that after judgment, God Himself will restore the fallen house of David. The northern kingdom had long rejected the Davidic line, choosing instead the counterfeit thrones of Jeroboam and his descendants. Yet God never abandoned His covenant with David. Even though David’s royal house had become like a collapsed tent rather than a royal palace, God promises to raise it up again. This is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of David, who came in humility the first time, but will return to reign in glory and restore the kingdom in fullness. This marks a dramatic shift from judgment to restoration. The destruction described in earlier verses is not the end; God's plan always included rebuilding.
This shift is sudden and deliberate. Many scholars note that this is the most abrupt transition in the book of Amos: from ruin to rebuilding, from sword to restoration. God reveals that His judgment is not revenge; it is a necessary step to prepare the way for renewal. Without this final promise, the book of Amos would feel incomplete — judgment with no hope. But here we see that God's heart is for restoration, not annihilation. His wrath clears the way for His mercy to rebuild what sin has corrupted.
God continues, “And close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.” This reveals the manner of God's work: He does not merely sweep away the ruins and start from nothing. Instead, He takes what is broken and restores it. Sometimes God creates something entirely new, as when He makes us new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Other times, He takes what is ruined and rebuilds it — a marriage, a nation, a ministry, or a kingly line — as He does here with David's dynasty. The word “tabernacle” rather than “house” implies how low the dynasty had fallen. It was no longer a strong palace but a weathered tent. Yet even this tent will be raised and made strong again by the Lord Himself.
The Lord then says, “That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name.” Here God declares that the restored kingdom under David’s Son will include not only Israel, but also Gentiles. Edom often represents the enemies of God’s people, yet even a remnant of Edom will be brought under the rule of the Messiah. Moreover, “all the heathen, which are called by my name” points to Gentiles who belong to the Lord. This was not fully understood by Israel at the time, but it is made clear in the New Testament. James, the brother of Jesus, quotes this passage in Acts 15:16–17 during the Jerusalem Council to prove that Gentiles could be saved and included in God’s kingdom without first becoming Jews. The Septuagint translation reads “that the residue of men” instead of “remnant of Edom,” because the Hebrew words for Edom and mankind are nearly identical. This difference in translation does not change the meaning; it clarifies it. God’s restored kingdom under the Messiah will include people from every nation, not only Israel.
Amos 9:13–15 — Full KJV Text
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.”
The Lord begins this final promise with the words, “Behold, the days come,” showing that after judgment there is still covenant hope. Amos, who spent most of his prophecy announcing doom, now ends by looking forward to a future time of blessing, abundance, and security. This was not the prosperity of Jeroboam II, which was materialistic and godless. This is a prosperity given by the Lord Himself, rooted in righteousness and repentance. God shows that His final purpose for Israel is not destruction, but restoration.
The Lord describes supernatural abundance: “That the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed.” In normal agricultural cycles, the reaper gathers the harvest and only afterward does the plowman begin preparing the ground for the next planting. But in this future blessing, the harvest will be so plentiful and continuous that those harvesting the crops will still be working when the plowman is already preparing the next field. Likewise, the one treading grapes will still be at work when the next sower comes behind him. This is a picture of constant, overflowing productivity — blessing that outruns human ability to manage it. This means that when God truly restores, fruit comes quickly, and in waves, as if the land cannot contain its eagerness to yield.
God also says, “And the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.” Wine does not normally flow from mountains, nor do hills run like rivers. This is poetic language describing impossible levels of fruitfulness becoming reality under God’s hand. Vineyards will flourish in places formerly barren. The quality of the fruit is emphasized — not just wine, but sweet wine. When God blesses, He does not give leftovers or mediocrity; He gives what is rich, satisfying, and sweet. This abundance does not mean the people will be idle. The plowman, reaper, grape-treader, and sower are still working. God blesses the work of His people, not their laziness. Under His favor, labor becomes joyful rather than burdensome. As Spurgeon said, true revival does not make God’s servants passive — it makes them more active.
The Lord continues, “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel.” This directly answers the earlier warnings of exile. God will reverse the captivity. Those who were uprooted will be brought home. He promises they “shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.” The cities ruined by judgment will be rebuilt. Vineyards that were destroyed will be replanted. Fields that were desolate will once again feed families. There is dignity in this promise — God does not merely restore them to survive; He restores them to build, to plant, to enjoy fruit, to live in stability and peace.
The final promise is one of permanence: “And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.” God Himself plants them — meaning He establishes them firmly. The land is not theirs because they earned it, but because He gave it. And in this restored future, they will never again be uprooted. This looks beyond the temporary returns from Babylonian exile. It points ultimately to the Messianic Kingdom when Jesus, the Son of David, rules from Jerusalem, and Israel dwells securely in the land under the New Covenant. Every previous exile was temporary; this one will be final and everlasting.
