Amos 2 · Verse 14

Amos 2:14

Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:
Amos 2:14, King James Version

Amos 2:14 in other translations

BSBEscape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life.
WEBFlight will perish from the swift. The strong won’t strengthen his force. The mighty won’t deliver himself.
ASVAnd flight shall perish from the swift; and the strong shall not strengthen his force; neither shall the mighty deliver himself;
YLTAnd perished hath refuge from the swift, And the strong strengtheneth not his power, And the mighty delivereth not his soul.
DARBYAnd flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver his soul.
BBEAnd flight will be impossible for the quick-footed, and the force of the strong will become feeble, and the man of war will not get away safely:
WebsterTherefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

What does Amos 2:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
14. flight shall perish from ... swift--Even the swift shall not be able to escape. strong shall not strengthen his force--that is, shall not be able to use his strength. himself--literally, "his life."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 The flight shall perish from the swift - The swiftest shall not be able to save himself from a swifter destruction. None, by might, by counsel, or by fleetness, shall be able to escape from the impending ruin. In a word, God has so fully determined to avenge the quarrel of his broken covenant, that all attempts to escape from his judgments shall be useless.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Amos 2:9-16

We need often to be reminded of the mercies we have received; which add much to the evil of the sins we have committed. They had helps for their souls, which taught them how to make good use of their earthly enjoyments, and were therefore more valuable. Faithful ministers are great blessings to any people; but it is God that raises them up to be so. Sinners' own consciences will witness that he has not been wanting…

Read the full comment on Amos 2:9-16 →

Amos 2:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאָבַ֤דve.'a.Vadand it will be lostH6
מָנוֹס֙ma.nOsa place of escapeH4498
מִקָּ֔לmi.Kalfrom a swift [person]H7031
וְחָזָ֖קve.cha.Zakand a strong [person]H2389
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
יְאַמֵּ֣ץye.'a.Metzhe will make firmH553
כֹּח֑וֹko.Chopower hisH3581
וְגִבּ֖וֹרve.gi.Borand a mighty [person]H1368
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
יְמַלֵּ֥טye.ma.Lethe will saveH4422
נַפְשֽׁוֹ\׃naf.Sholife hisH5315

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Amos 2:14

  • Jeremiah 9:23

    Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

  • Ecclesiastes 9:11

    I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

  • Psalms 33:16

    There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.

  • Amos 9:1-3

    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:

  • Job 11:20

    But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.

  • Isaiah 30:16-17

    But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the flight.
9:1-3; Job 11:20; *marg:
Ec 9:11; Isa 30:16; Jer 9:23
himself. Heb. his soul, or life.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Amos 2:13

    Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.

  • Amos 2:14

    Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

  • Amos 2:15

    Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.

Read all of Amos 2

Amos 2:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y la huída perecerá del ligero, y el fuerte no esforzará su fuerza, ni el valiente librará su vida;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et la fuite manquera à celui qui est agile; et le fort n’affermira pas sa force; et l’homme vaillant ne sauvera pas sa vie;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und dem Schnellen wird die Flucht entschwinden; und der Starke wird seine Kraft nicht befestigen, und der Held sein Leben nicht erretten;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et peribit fuga a veloce, et fortis non obtinebit virtutem suam, et robustus non salvabit animam suam: