See in Reader
11 KiB
Amos 9
Amos 9:1
General Information:
Yahweh shows Amos another vision.
Strike the tops ... Break them
It is uncertain to whom Yahweh is speaking these commands.
Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds will shake
It is implied that Yahweh is speaking about the pillars and thresholds of a temple. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
tops of the pillars ... thresholds
This merism implies that the whole temple will be destroyed. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-merism)
Break them in pieces on all of their heads
Here "heads" represents the whole person. Alternate translation: "Break the pillars so that the temple falls on all of the people and kills them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche)
I will kill the last of them with the sword
Here "sword" represents an army attacking with their weapons. Alternate translation: "I will send an enemy army to kill the rest of them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Amos 9:2
Though they dig into Sheol, there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to heaven, there I will bring them down
Yahweh uses an exaggerated image of people fleeing to Sheol or heaven to try to escape being killed. Here "Sheol" and "heaven" are a merism that represents all places. Alternate translation: "Even if they were to flee to Sheol or to heaven, they would not be able to escape me" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hyperbole and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-merism)
there my hand will take them
Here "hand" represents Yahweh's power. Alternate translation: "I will pull them up from there" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Amos 9:3
Though they hide on the top of Carmel ... Though they are hidden from my sight in the bottom of the sea
Yahweh gives an exaggerated image of the people fleeing to the top of mount Carmel or to the bottom of the sea to escape being killed. Here "top of Carmel" and "bottom of the sea" are a merism that represents all places. Alternate translation: "Even if they were to hide on the top of Carmel ... Even if they tried to go the bottom sea, thinking that I could not see them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hyperbole and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-merism)
serpent
an unknown fierce sea animal, not the snake in the garden of Eden and not a common snake
Amos 9:4
Though they go into captivity, driven by their enemies before them
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "Though enemies capture them and force them to go to a foreign land" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
there will I give orders to the sword, and it will kill them
Here "sword" represents their enemies. Alternate translation: "there I will cause their enemies to kill them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
I will keep my eyes on them for harm and not for good
Here "eyes" represents seeing. The phrase "keep my eyes on them" is an idiom that means to watch closely. Alternate translation: "I will watch closely and make sure only bad things happen to them and not good things" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
Amos 9:5
all of it will rise up like the River, and sink again like the river of Egypt
Here "the River" and "river of Egypt" both refer to the Nile river. Yahweh causing the land to shake violently is compared to the waters of the Nile river rising and sinking. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile)
Amos 9:6
he who builds his steps in the heavens
These are probably the steps that ancient people imagined led up to God's palace in the heavens. However, some modern versions understand the word translated as "steps" here to mean "upper rooms." In either case, "his steps" or "his upper rooms" is probably a metonym for God's palace. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
has established his vault over the earth
Here "vault" refers to the sky which biblical writers described as being a dome over the earth. Alternate translation: "he sets the sky over the earth" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
He calls for the waters of the sea ... on the surface of the earth
This represents God causing the sea water to fall on the earth as rain. See how you translated this in Amos 5:8. Alternate translation: "He takes the waters of the sea and makes them rain down on the surface of the earth" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Yahweh is his name
By declaring his name, Yahweh is declaring his power and authority to do these things. See how you translated this in Amos 5:8.
Amos 9:7
Are you not like the people of Cush to me, ... Israel—this ... declaration—did I not bring up Israel ... the Philistines ... the Arameans from Kir?
Yahweh uses a question to emphasize that the people of Israel are no more special to him than the people of Cush, the Philistines, and the Arameans. Alternate translation: "You people of Israel, you are certainly no more important to me than the people of Cush—this ... declaration—I brought up Israel ... the Philistines ... the Arameans from Kir." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
this is Yahweh's declaration
Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated these words in Amos 2:11. Alternate translation: "this is what Yahweh has declared" or "this i what I, Yahweh, have declared" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person)
Kir
See how you translated the name of this place in Amos 1:5.
Amos 9:8
the eyes of the Lord Yahweh are on the sinful kingdom
Here "eyes" represents seeing. Also, Yahweh speaks of himself in third person. Alternate translation: "I, the Lord Yahweh, see that the people of this kingdom are very sinful" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person)
I will destroy it from the face of the earth
The idiom "from the face of the earth" means "completely." Alternate translation: "I will completely destroy this kingdom" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
the house of Jacob
The word "house" is a metonym for the family that lives in the house. In this case it refers to Jacob's descendants. They were the people of Israel. See how you translated this in Amos 3:13. Alternate translation: "the descendants of Jacob" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Amos 9:9
house of Israel
The word "house" is a metonym for the family that lives in the house. In this case it refers to Israel's descendants. See how you translated this in Amos 5:1. Alternate translation: "you people of Israel" or "you Israelite people group" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
I will shake the house of Israel ... as one shakes grain in a sieve, so that not the smallest stone will fall to the ground
The picture here is of grain falling through the sieve and stones being kept out. The idea is that Yahweh will remove all of the sinful people from Israel. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile)
sieve
a surface with many small holes that allow small things to pass through and keep larger things from passing through
Amos 9:10
All the sinners of my people will die by the sword
Here "sword" represents their enemies. Alternate translation: "Enemies will kill all the sinners of my people" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Disaster will not overtake or meet us
Experiencing disaster is spoken of as disaster could overtake or meet someone. Alternate translation: "We will not experience disaster" or "Bad things will not happen to us" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Amos 9:11
In that day
"At that time"
I will raise up the tent of David that has fallen
Causing the people of Israel to be great again is spoken of as if David's kingdom were a tent that fell down and Yahweh will set it back up. Alternate translation: "David's kingdom will be like tent that has fallen down, but I will raise it back up again" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
close up its breaches
"I will repair its walls"
I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old
"I will rebuild its ruins and make it strong like it was long ago"
breaches
parts of a wall that have fallen down
Amos 9:12
the remnant of Edom
"the remaining part of Edom's territory"
all the nations that are called by my name
Here "name" represents Yahweh. The idiom "called by my name" means they once belonged to Yahweh. This means that in the past the people had conquered and taken control of these territories. Alternate translation: "all the nations that once belonged to me" or "all the nations that I caused the people of Israel to conquer in the past" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
Amos 9:13
Look
The writer is telling the reader that he is going to say something surprising. Your language may have a way of doing this.
the days will come ... when the plowman
A future time is spoken of as if "days will come." Alternate translation: "there will be a time ... when the plowman" or "in the future ... the plowman" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
when the plowman ... him who plants seed
These are two images of Yahweh restoring prosperity in Israel. This means grain will grow faster than the people can harvest it, and there will be so many grapes, those crushing the grapes will still be working when farmers start planting more vineyards.
this is Yahweh's declaration
Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in Amos 2:11. Alternate translation: "this is what Yahweh has declared" or "this is what I, Yahweh, have declared" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person)
The mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will flow with it
These two lines mean basically the same thing. The huge amount of grapes and wine in Israel is spoken of as if wine flows down the hills and mountains. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Amos 9:14
General Information:
This page has intentionally been left blank.
Amos 9:15
I will plant them upon their land, and they will never again be uprooted from the land
Bringing the people back to their land and keeping them safe from enemies is spoken of as if Israel were a plant that Yahweh would put in the ground and not let anyone pull the plant up from the ground. Alternate translation: "I will cause them to live in the land forever like a plant that is never uprooted" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
they will never again be uprooted from the land
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "no one will ever again uproot them from the land" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
uprooted
for a plant and its roots to be pulled out of the ground