AMOS 9

“For if Israel’s rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” -Romans 11:15

​Amos 9 (Author’s translation)
 
1 I saw the Adonay standing upon the altar, and He said, “Strike the top of the pillars and quake the thresholds, and cause them to cut into the head of them all! And afterward with the sword I will slay them; they will not escape, to them fleeing will not deliver not even the refugee. 2 Though they dig into Sheol, the holding place of the departed, from there My hand will fetch them; and though they ascend to the heavens, from there I will bring them down. 3 And though they withdraw, hiding in the head of the Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them forth; and though they attempt to conceal themselves from My eyes on the floor of the sea, from there I will command the serpent, and it will bite them. 4 And though they go into captivity before the face of their enemies, from there I will command the sword and it will kill them, and I will set My eyes upon them for evil and not for good.” 5 The Adonay YHVH Who goes warring, the One who touches on the land so that it melts, and mourning will come on all those who live in it, and ascend like a river on all and they will sink like the flooding river of Egypt; 6 The Builder of the heavens which ascend and are bound upon earth has founded the calling to the waters of the sea and poured them out upon the face of the land, YHVH is His Name. 7 “You are not like children of Ethiopia to Me, you children of Israel?” declares YHVH. “Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines, from Caphtor and the Arameans, from Kir? 8  Behold, now, pay attention, the eyes of the Adonay YHVH are on the kingdom of sin (missing the mark set by God’s holiness), and I will destroy her from upon the face of the earth; ceasing nevertheless, for I will not utterly eliminate the peculiar house of Yaakov (Israel),” declares YHVH (Mercy). 9 “For behold, now, pay attention, I with a command will shake all the nations and the peculiar house of Israel as when sifting in a sieve, but not one kernel will fall to the ground. 10 In the sword, death will come to all the sinners of My people, those who say, ‘No evil will overtake or come against us.’ 11 “In that day I will raise up the specific fallen sukkah of David, and I will wall up its breaches; And its ruins I will raise up and I will rebuild it because of the days of eternity; 12 For the purpose that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My Name,” declares YHVH who fashions this. 13 “Behold, now, pay attention, days are coming,” declares YHVH, “When the ploughman will overtake the reaper, and the one who treads grapes will overtake the one who sows the seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will melt. 14 I will return the captivity of My people Yisrael and rebuild the cities left desolate and they will live in them; and plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 And I will plant them on their land, and they will not be uprooted perpetually again from their land which I have given them,” says YHVH your God.
 
Amos 9 (Line Upon Line)
 
1 Raiytiy I saw et the Adonay (Master, Lord) nitzav standing al upon ha-mizbeiach the altar, vayomer and He said, “Hach Strike ha-kaftor the top of the pillars ve’yir’ashu and quake hasipiym the thresholds, uvetza’am and cause them to cut berosh into the head kulam of them all! Veachariytam And afterward ba’cherev with the sword eherog I will slay them; lo they will not yanus escape, lahem to them nas fleeing v’lo will not yimaleit deliver lahem not even the paliyt refugee.
 
1 I saw the Adonay standing upon the altar, and He said, “Strike the top of the pillars and quake the thresholds, and cause them to cut into the head of them all! And afterward with the sword I will slay them; they will not escape, to them fleeing will not deliver not even the refugee.
 
I saw the Adonay standing upon the altar,
 
We note that while in the previous chapter the text spoke about “a temple” (at Bethel) and not “the Temple” (in Jerusalem), the present text uses the definite article when referring to “the altar” in Jerusalem and not to “an altar” anywhere outside of Jerusalem. Therefore, this last chapter of Amos brings to mind the first two chapters in which Judah and the surrounding nations are indicted along with the northern tribes, and thus draws together the 12 tribes under a nation-wide judgement both in the land of Israel and in exile among the nations, who are also judged in verse 9.
 
Further to this, the proper Noun YHVH is not used here. Rather the Hebrew Adonay (Master Lord) is used and this with the very particular proto-definite article “et”. In short, the Adonay being referred to is the person of YHVH manifest in a particular form. It is therefore clear that the LORD Who stands al “upon” the altar, and not “beside” it (as many English translations mis-render the text) is Imanu-El (God with us) the King Messiah.
 
We are reminded that mizbeach (altar) comes from the root zabach (slaughter). Where Judah (and Israel) had failed to properly honour the altar of YHVH, God would bring slaughter. Not the slaughter of annihilation but the slaughter of discipline.
 
Interestingly the Targum reads:
 
"Amos the prophet said, I saw the glory of the Lord removing from the cherub, and it dwelt upon the altar;''
 
The inference of the Aramaic Targum paraphrase is that because Israel had not offered acceptable sacrifices on the altar the manifest presence of God had moved from between the cherubim in the Holy of Holies and was standing upon the altar. The positional representation of the Person of God standing on the altar is therefore understood as an indication that His manifest presence was about to ascend. Thus, the inference is that God’s manifest presence will depart from Israel for a time.
 
and He said, “Strike the top of the pillars and quake the thresholds, and cause them to cut into the head of them all!
 
In the context of the altar the striking of the top of the pillars is a reference to the top of the pillars of the temple which are used metaphorically to denote the religious leaders of Judah and Israel respectively. The quaking is yet another reference to the great earthquake prophesied in chapter 1, and the cutting of the heads denotes the slaughter of the heads of the tribes of Israel beginning with the kings (of both Judah & Israel), priests, and nobles, and ending with the heads of the lowliest families.
 
The Targum understands this prophecy to refer to the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. Given that the nature of Hebrew prophecy is cyclical and that numerous fulfilments are possible, it is equally acceptable to say that the prophecy also points forward to the destruction of the re-established Temple later modified and restored by Herod the Great and its complete destruction at the hands of the Romans in 70 C.E.
 
"and he said, unless the people of the house of Israel return to the Torah, the menorah shall be extinguished, King Josiah shall be killed, and the house destroyed, and the courts dissipated, and the vessels of the house of the sanctuary shall go into captivity; and the rest of them I will slay with the sword,” -Targum Yonatan 2nd Century Aramaic Paraphrase
 
And afterward with the sword I will slay them; they will not escape, to them fleeing will not deliver not even the refugee.
 
Simply put, with regard to the wicked among the people of Israel, not even those who flee the initial invasion will be able to escape the discipline of God. His discipline will follow them all the way into their captivity.
 
2 Im-yachteru Though they dig (row) bi’sheol into the holding place of the departed, misham from there yadiy My hand tikacheim will fetch them; ve’im-ya’alu and though they ascend to hashamayim the heavens (skies, sky waters), misham from there oriydem I will bring them down. 3 Ve’im-yeichave’u And though they withdraw, hiding berosh in the head of hakarmel the Carmel (garden land) [on the summit of Mt Carmel], misham from there achapeis I will search them out ulekachtiym and take them out; veim-yisateru and though they conceal themselves mineged eiynay from My eyes bekarka on the floor of ha-yam the sea (body of water), misham from there atzaveh I will command ha-nachash the serpent, uneshacham and it will bite them.
 
2 Though they dig into Sheol, the holding place of the departed, from there My hand will fetch them; and though they ascend to the heavens, from there I will bring them down. 3 And though they withdraw, hiding in the head of the Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them forth; and though they attempt to conceal themselves from My eyes on the floor of the sea, from there I will command the serpent, and it will bite them.
 
The Hebrew poetic mechanism of repetition is employed here in order to emphasis the firmly established future disciplining of the people. The depths of Sheol are coupled with the depths of the sea and the heights of the heavens with the heights of the Carmel mountain range (specifically the highest peak in that range) in the north west of the land of Israel.
 
The positional language regarding Sheol and the heavens is not distinguishing between the revisionist Christian notions of heaven and hell, rather the point being made is that no matter how deep you go or how high you ascend there is no place you can go to escape God, in Whom all things exist and have their being.
 
“If I ascend to the heavens, You are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!” -Tehillim (Psalms) 139:8
 
The heavens are the metaphorical footstool of God and the representation of life  and the depths of Sheol are the positional representation of death, that is, the defeated fruit of sin, which resides (positionally speaking) far beneath His footstool. Death has been overcome by Life in God through Messiah.
 
Sheol is not hell but is divided into Gan Eden (Paradise) and Gehennom (torment)[hell]. Sheol is not the grave, the Hebrew word for grave is kever (above ground burial, piled stones, caves, tombs etc.). Sheol is the temporal holding place of both the departed righteous and the departed wicked, the former dwelling in Gan Eden and the latter in Gehenom. At the resurrection all will rise and be judged, the righteous in Messiah unto eternal life and the wicked into eternal torment.
 
there I will command the serpent, and it will bite them.
 
The serpent of the depths of the sea can be understood to refer to a number of enormous carnivorous sea creatures. As figurative imagery the text connects the serpent that seeded sin in Gan Eden (Eden) as the devourer of sinners. In other words, Satan despises his own children. We note that the serpent is not afforded the power to work of its own accord but is under God’s control.
 
4 Veim-yeilechu And though they go vasheviy into captivity lifneiy before the face of their ’yveiyhem enemies, misham from there atzaveh I will command et-hacherev the sword vaharagatam and it will kill them, vesamtiy and I will set eiyniy My eyes aleiyhem upon them lera’ah for evil velo letovah and not for good.”
 
4 And though they go into captivity before the face of their enemies, from there I will command the sword and it will kill them, and I will set My eyes upon them for evil and not for good.”
 
The captives of the ancient Levant were taken away at the head of invading armies. In this case even while being led away there will be many who are cut down on the journey to their final captive destination.
 
“Her enemies have become the head; her enemies prosper, because the LORD has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the enemy.” -Lamentations 1:5
 
My eyes upon them for evil and not for good.”
 
“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good.” -Proverbs 15:3 NIV
 
The forces of evil are given temporal permission, they are subject to God and His redemptive purposes. Evil is the fruit of a created being and will therefore one day cease and implode, whereas Good is an attribute of the all existing Creator and will therefore remain forever.
 
The Targum reads “my Word shall be against them.”
 
5 The Adonay YHVH Ha-tzevaot Who goes warring, hanogeia the One who touches ba’aretz on the land vatamog so that it melts, veavelu and mourning kol-yusheveiy va will come on all those who live in it, ve’altah and ascend chayor like a river kulah on all veshakeah and they will sink kiyor like the flooding river mitzrayim of Egypt (double distress);
 
5 The Adonay YHVH Who goes warring, the One who touches on the land so that it melts, and mourning will come on all those who live in it, and ascend like a river on all and they will sink like the flooding river of Egypt;
 
The Adonay YHVH Who goes warring, the One who touches on the land so that it melts,
 
It is God in His war against evil Who is depicted here as the destroyer of vile things in the land of Israel. The melting land is a euphemism for an earthquake which is the prophesied mechanism of destruction alluded to throughout the scroll of Amos.
 
and mourning will come on all those who live in it,
 
Not all will be destroyed but all will be affected. Even the righteous remnant will mourn because of the loss of friends and family members who had not repented of wicked lifestyles. All alike will mourn the exile of the nation.
 
We are fools to think that God will not bring discipline on the modern body of believers if we continue to syncretise paganism and walk in error. It is out of love born of holiness that God disciplines us as a people. The outworking of His justice begins with His children. Therefore, the days are coming when we will all mourn. However, this is not a story of doom and gloom but one of redemption. In Scripture mourning is synonymous with repentance.
 
“And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son, and shall weep bitterly for Him as one who weeps bitterly for his firstborn.” -Zechariah 12:10
 
and ascend like a river on all and they will sink like the flooding river of Egypt;
 
The reference to the Nile of Egypt invokes a memory of bondage and a return to that which God had delivered Israel from. Israel was responsible for her own return to captivity. Her bondage the result of corporate self-harm.
 
6 Haboneh The Builder vashamayim of the heavens (sky waters) ma’alotav which ascend va’agudato and are bound al upon eretz earth/land yesadah has founded hakorei the calling lemay-hayam to the waters of the sea vayishpecheim and poured them out al-peneiy upon the face of ha’aretz the land, YHVH (Mercy) Shemo is His Name.
 
6 The Builder of the heavens which ascend and are bound upon earth has founded the calling to the waters of the sea and poured them out upon the face of the land, YHVH is His Name.
 
"who causes to dwell in a high fortress the Shekhinah of His glory:'' -Targum
 
Once again God is being described as Creator, the One Who formed the heavens and the earth, the sky waters and the earth waters. Israel had sought to create a God like those of the nations around them, the calves of Jeroboam being a perfect example of the pathetic limitations that they had placed on their perception of God. Therefore, YHVH the God Whose Name is beyond human understanding, the Creator of all things Who chose a tribe for Himself but is not limited by concepts of tribal deity, reminds His myopic and self-deluded people Israel that before He was called El Eloheiy Yisrael (God the God of Israel) He is the all existing God in Whom all things have their being.
 
7 “Halo chivneiy You are not like children chushiyiym atem liy of Ethiopia to Me, beneiy Yisrael you children of Israel?” neum declares YHVH. “Halo et Yisrael he’eleiytiy Have I not brought up Israel mei’eretz from the land mitzrayim of Egypt (double distress), ufelishtiyiym and the Philistines, mikaftor from Caphtor va’aram and the Arameans (Syrians), mikiyr from Kir (a city of Mesopotamia)?
 
7 “You are not like children of Ethiopia to Me, you children of Israel?” declares YHVH. “Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines, from Caphtor and the Arameans, from Kir?
 
The Hebrew commentator Yarkhi paraphrases the text as:
 
"from the sons of Noah you came as the rest of the nations.''
 
In other words, “You are like all other human beings in respect to your origin and your  propensity for sin…”
 
However, this seems an unlikely conclusion given that the latter clause denotes Israel’s uniqueness among the nations and God’s deliverance of Israel from several of her enemies even so far as inferring her future deliverance from the approaching Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.
 
Therefore, the Targum understands it best when it renders the text:
 
"are you not reckoned as beloved children before me, O house of Israel?''
 
The best understanding of this verse is that Israel is not like the children of Ethiopia, or any other nation for that matter. To the contrary, God has chosen Israel to be His peculiar people, set apart, delivered, free for freedom.
 
8 Hineih, Behold, now, pay attention, eiyneiy the eyes of the Adonay YHVH bamamlachah are on the kingdom ha-chata’ah of sin (missing the mark set by God’s holiness), vehishmadtiy and I will destroy otah her meial from upon peneiy ha’adamah the face of the earth; efes ceasing nevertheless, kiy lo for I will not hashmeiyd utterly ashmiyd eliminate et ha beiyt the peculiar house of Yaakov (Israel),” neum declares YHVH (Mercy).
 
8  Behold, now, pay attention, the eyes of the Adonay YHVH are on the kingdom of sin (missing the mark set by God’s holiness), and I will destroy her from upon the face of the earth; ceasing nevertheless, for I will not utterly eliminate the peculiar house of Yaakov (Israel),” declares YHVH (Mercy).
 
The hineih refrain calls Israel to attention once more.
 
the eyes of the Adonay YHVH are on the kingdom of sin
 
We note that Adonay’s eyes are on the kingdom of sin and not on the kingdom of Israel. This is equivalent to reading “Adonay’s eyes are on the sins of Israel”. The all seeing, omnipresent nature of God is emphasised.
 
I will destroy her from upon the face of the earth
 
The “her” here is the “kingdom of sin”, that is those who are practicing a lifestyle of wickedness within Israel. We know that this does not denote the elimination of all Israel because of the following clause.
 
ceasing nevertheless, for I will not utterly eliminate the peculiar house of Yaakov
 
The righteous remnant of Yaakov (Israel) are called peculiar, unique, unusual and Adonay’s wrath is predetermined to cease so as not to eliminate the entire ethnic religious people of Israel whom He has chosen for His own possession.
 
“Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.” -Jeremiah 30:10
 
9 “Kiy For hineih behold, now, pay attention, Anochiy I metzaveh with a command, vahaniotiy will shake vechol-hagoyim all the nations et-beiyt Yisrael and the peculiar house of Israel ka’asher as when yinoa sifting bakevarah in a sieve, vlo-yipol tzeror aretz but not one kernel will fall to the ground.
 
9 “For behold, now, pay attention, I with a command will shake all the nations and the peculiar house of Israel as when sifting in a sieve, but not one kernel will fall to the ground.
 
We note that the indictment prophesied in chapters one and two against the surrounding nations, Judah and Israel, has come full circle. The physical, historical, regional earthquake will shake all the nations of the Levant so that no matter where Israel is exiled she too will be shaken and so all will be sifted like wheat and the wicked like chaff thrown on the fire will perish. But, not one kernel of the righteous remnant of Israel will fall to the ground.
 
10 Bacherev yamutu In the sword death will come kol chataeiy to all the sinners amiy of My people, haomriym those who say, ‘lo-tagiysh vetakdiym ba’adeiynu hara’ah No evil will overtake or come against us.’
 
10 In the sword, death will come to all the sinners of My people, those who say, ‘No evil will overtake or come against us.’
 
It is very specifically the “sinners” of God’s people who will be cut down by the sword of the invading armies. Death will come to those who have been wilfully refusing to repent and have consistently turned away from God and toward evil. Those who qualify as being the “sinners” are those who in spite of their lifestyles are certain that they are blessed, even godly, who say “No evil will overtake or come against us!”
 
11 “Bayom hahu In that day akiym I will raise up et-sukat David hanofelet the specific fallen sukkah of David (beloved), vegadartiy and I will wall up et pirtzeiyhen its breaches; vaharisotav And its ruins akiym I will raise up uvniytiyah and I will rebuild it kiymeiy because of the days olam of eternity;
 
11 “In that day I will raise up the specific fallen sukkah of David (beloved), and I will wall up its breaches; And its ruins I will raise up and I will rebuild it because of the days of eternity;
 
The day being spoken of here is far into the future. While Israel does return from exile and the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt by Nehemiah, and Israel’s spiritual path re-established by Ezra following the Babylonian exile, the city of Jerusalem was to be again destroyed. Therefore, while this prophecy may in part refer to Israel’s return from the Babylonian exile it is nonetheless not the ultimate goal of the prophecy.
 
On the historical eve of Israel’s disciplining God speaks in His prophet Amos the yet future restoration of Israel, the re-establishment of the house and dwelling of king David through David’s greater Son the King Messiah and the repairing and eternal establishment of Jerusalem. This is of course a reference to the King Messiah Yeshua, the preparation made among the Jewish people in the latter days and the descending of the New Jerusalem, when YHVH will shakan (dwell) with His people both Jewish and Gentile, forever, perpetually.
 
We note that YHVH does all this “because of eternity”, that is, because of His redemptive love for humanity and the eternal dwelling of His majesty in relationship to the reconciled children of God among all nations, first for the Jew and also for the Gentile.
 
12 Lema’an yiyreshu For the purpose that they may possess et she’eiriyt edom the remnant of Edom vechol-hagoyim and all the nations asher who nikra are called Shemiy aleiyhem by My Name,” neum declares YHVH (Mercy) oseh zot who fashions this.
 
12 For the purpose that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My Name,” declares YHVH (Mercy) who fashions this.
 
What is the purpose of Israel’s restoration? The purpose of Israel’s restoration is the restoration of all those who are called by God’s Name beginning with Yaakov’s estranged brother Esau (Edom) and spreading throughout the world.
 
“For if Israel’s rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” -Romans 11:15
 
We note that it is YHVH Who fashions this.
 
13 “Hineih Behold, now, pay attention, yamiym days baiym are coming,” neum declares YHVH (Mercy), “Venigash choresh bakotzeir When the ploughman will overtake the reaper, vedorech and the one who treads anaviym grapes will overtake bemosheich the one who sows hazara the seed; Vehitiyfu hahariym asiys When the mountains will drip sweet wine, vechol hagevaot titmogagnah and all the hills will melt.
 
13 “Behold, now, pay attention, days are coming,” declares YHVH (Mercy), “When the ploughman will overtake the reaper, and the one who treads grapes will overtake the one who sows the seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will melt.
 
The days being spoken of here correspond to the establishment of David’s tent in the King Messiah David’s greater Son and the restoration of Jerusalem. The agricultural references describe processes that will precede and follow on from the entry of the righteous into the Olam haba (world to come)
 
14 Veshavtiy I will return et-shevut the captivity amiy of My people Yisrael uvanu ariym and rebuild the cities neshamot left desolate veyashavu and they will live in them; venateu and plant cheramiym vineyards veshatu et-yiyinam and drink their wine, ve’asu and make ganot gardens veachelu and eat et-periyham their fruit.
 
14 I will return the captivity of My people Yisrael and rebuild the cities left desolate and they will live in them; and plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit.
 
This prophecy has been fulfilled in a significant way at least twice in history to date and will find its ultimate fulfilment in the return of the Messiah and the return of all the remnant of Israel in Him.
 
The resurgence of Israel in the establishment of the modern state in 1948 has seen the draining of swamps, the revitalising of water ways and replanting on a massive scale resulting in an increase in annual precipitation and subsequent rainfall throughout the land of Israel over the last 74 years.
 
The mention of vineyards and wine is symbolic of life, celebration and prosperity.
 
15 Uneta’tiym And I will plant them al-admatam on their land, velo yinateshu and they will not be od meial uprooted perpetually again from admatam their land asher natatiy which I have given lahem them,” amar says YHVH (Mercy) Elohaycha your God.
 
15 And I will plant them on their land, and they will not be uprooted perpetually again from their land which I have given them,” says YHVH (Mercy) your God.
 
While Israel was again uprooted following her return from Babylon, and subsequently returned some two thousand years after the exile which resulted following the Roman desecration of the land, this prophecy does not say “they will not be uprooted” but “they will not be uprooted perpetually”. In other words, there will be a final fulfilment of this prophecy that places Israel in the land eternally. The covenant for the land of Israel is made first with Abraham and then restated over Isaac and Jacob. It is a covenant which is entirely incumbent on God because Avraham was unconscious when it was ratified through blood (Gen. 15; Psalm 105:6-11). The establishment of Israel’s eternal possession of the land will of course come about at the redemption of the entire remnant of the ethnic religious Jewish people at the return of the King Messiah and convergent with the Olam Haba (world to come)[Rom. 11:].
 
“O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
7 He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
10 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,” -Psalm 105:6-11 (NKJV)
 
“25 For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be ignorant of this mystery—lest you be wise in your own eyes[m]—that a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; [n] 26 and in this way[o] all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer shall come out of Zion.
    He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
27 And this is My covenant with them,[p]
    when I take away their sins.”[q]  -Romans 11:25-27 (TLV)
 
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