Amos 9:1
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.
Amos 9:1 in other translations
| BSB | I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Topple them on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the rest with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of the fugitives will escape. |
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| WEB | I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said, “Strike the tops of the pillars, that the thresholds may shake. Break them in pieces on the head of all of them. I will kill the last of them with the sword. Not one of them will flee away. Not one of them will escape. |
| ASV | I saw the Lord standing beside the altar: and he said, Smite the capitals, that the thresholds may shake; and break them in pieces on the head of all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: there shall not one of them flee away, and there shall not one of them escape. |
| YLT | I have seen the Lord standing by the altar, and He saith: ‘Smite the knob, and the thresholds shake, And cut them off by the head--all of them, And their posterity with a sword I do slay, Not flee to them doth the fleer, Nor escape to them doth a fugitive. |
| DARBY | I saw the Lord standing upon the altar; and he said, Smite the chapiter that the thresholds may shake; and break all of them in pieces, in the head; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not get away by flight, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered. |
| BBE | I saw the Lord stationed by the side of the altar, giving blows to the tops of the pillars so that the doorsteps were shaking: and he said, I will let all of them be broken with earth-shocks; I will put the last of them to the sword: if any one of them goes in flight he will not get away, not one of them will be safe. |
| Webster | 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. |
What does Amos 9:1 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Am 9:1-15. Fifth and Last Vision.
None can escape the coming judgment in any hiding-place: for God is omnipresent and irresistible (Am 9:1-6). As a kingdom, Israel shall perish as if it never was in covenant with Him: but as individuals the house of Jacob shall not utterly perish, nay, not one of the least of the righteous shall fall, but only all the sinners (Am 9:7-10). Restoration of the Jews finally to their own land after the re-establishment of the fallen tabernacle of David; consequent conversion of all the heathen (Am 9:11-15). 1. Lord ... upon the altar--namely, in the idolatrous temple at Beth-el; the calves which were spoken of in Am 8:14. Hither they would flee for protection from the Assyrians, and would perish in the ruins, with the vain object of their trust [Henderson]. Jehovah stands here to direct the destruction of it, them, and the idolatrous nation. He demands many victims on the altar, but they are to be human victims. Calvin and Fairbairn, and others, make it in the temple at Jerusalem. Judgment was to descend both on Israel and Judah. As the services of both alike ought to have been offered on the Jerusalem temple-altar, it is there that Jehovah ideally stands, as if the whole people were assembled there, their abominations lying unpardoned there, and crying for vengeance, though in fact committed elsewhere (compare Eze 8:1-18). This view harmonizes with the similarity of the vision in Amos to that in Is 6:1-13, at Jerusalem. Also with the end of this chapter (Am 9:11-15), which applies both to Judah and Israel: "the tabernacle of David," namely, at Jerusalem. His attitude, "standing," implies fixity of purpose. lintel--rather, the sphere-like capital of the column [Maurer]. posts--rather, "thresholds," as in Is 6:4, Margin. The temple is to be smitten below as well as above, to ensure utter destruction. cut them in the head--namely, with the broken fragments of the capitals and columns (compare Psa 68:21; Ha 3:13). slay the last of them--their posterity [Henderson]. The survivors [Maurer]. Jehovah's directions are addressed to His angels, ministers of judgment (compare Eze 9:1-11). he that fleeth ... shall not flee away--He who fancies himself safe and out of reach of the enemy shall be taken (Am 2:14).Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Introduction
The first part of this chapter contains another vision, in which God is represented as declaring the final ruin of the kingdom of Israel, and the general dispersion of the people, Amo 9:1-10. The prophet then passes to the great blessedness of the people of God under the Gospel dispensation, Amo 9:11-15. See Act 15:15, Act 15:16. Verse 1 I saw the Lord standing upon the altar - As this is a continuation of the preceding prophecy, the altar here may be one of those either at Dan or Beer-sheba. Smite the lintel - Either the piece of timber that binds the wall above the door, or the upper part of the door frame, in which the cheeks, or side posts, are inserted, and which corresponds to the threshold, or lower part of the door frame. And cut them in the head - Let all the lintels of all the doors of all those temples be thus cut, as a sign that the whole shall be thrown down and totally demolished. Or this may refer to their heads - chief men, who were principals in these transgressions. Mark their temples, their priests, their prophets, and their princes, for destruction. He that fleeth - shall not flee away - He shall be caught before he can get out of the reach of danger. And he that escapeth (that makes good his flight) shall not be delivered - Captivity, famine, or sword, shall reach him even there.Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Amos 9:1-10
Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain
Amos 9:1 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.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Amos 9:1
- Psalms 68:21
But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
- Amos 3:14
That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Beth–el: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.
- John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
- Revelation 1:17
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
- Isaiah 6:1
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
- Isaiah 6:3-4
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
- Habakkuk 3:13
Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
- Ezekiel 9:2
And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
- Zechariah 11:1-2
Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.
- Ezekiel 10:4
Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory.
- Ezekiel 1:28
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
- Amos 2:14-15
Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: 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.
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
11 The restoring of the tabernacle of David.
I saw.
2Ch 18:18; Isa 6:1; Eze 1:28; Joh 1:18,32; Ac 26:13; Re 1:17
upon.
3:14; Eze 9:2; 10:4
Smite.
Isa 6:3,4; Zec 11:1,2
lintel. or, chapiter, or knop. cut them. or, wound them.in the head.
Ps 68:21; Hab 3:13
shall not flee.
2:14,15; Isa 24:17,18; 30:16; Jer 48:44
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Amos 9:1
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.
- Amos 9:2
Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:
Amos 9:1 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | VI al Señor que estaba sobre el altar, y dijo: Hiere el umbral, y estremézcanse las puertas: y córtales en piezas la cabeza de todos; y el postrero de ellos mataré á cuchillo: no habrá de ellos quien se fugue, ni quien escape. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | *Je vis le Seigneur se tenant debout sur l’autel, et il dit: Frappe le linteau, afin que les seuils soient ébranlés, et brise-leur la tête à tous; et ce qui restera d’eux, je le tuerai par l’épée. Celui d’entre eux qui s’enfuira, ne se sauvera pas par la fuite, et celui d’entre eux qui échappera, ne sera pas délivré. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Und ich sah den Herrn an dem Altar stehen; und er sprach: Schlage auf den Säulenknauf, daß die Schwellen erbeben, und zerschmettere sie auf ihrer aller Haupt; und ich werde ihren Rest mit dem Schwerte umbringen; kein Flüchtling von ihnen soll entfliehen und kein Entronnener von ihnen davonkommen. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Vidi Dominum stantem super altare, et dixit: Percute cardinem, et commoveantur superliminaria: avaritia enim in capite omnium, et novissimum eorum in gladio interficiam; non erit fuga eis. Fugient, et non salvabitur ex eis qui fugerit. |