Amos 9:1

Amos 9:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of all the people; those who are left I will kill with the sword. Not one will get away, none will escape.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said: "Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away; not one of them shall escape.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and He said: “Strike the doorposts, that the thresholds may shake, And break them on the heads of them all. I will slay the last of them with the sword. He who flees from them shall not get away, And he who escapes from them shall not be delivered.

Context of Amos 9:1

I saw [in a vision] the Lord standing at the altar, and He said, “Destroy the capitals (tops) of the pillars so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of all of the people! Then I will kill the rest of them with the sword; They will not have a fugitive who will get away, Or a survivor who will escape. 2Though they dig into Sheol [to hide in the deepest pit], From there My hand will take them [for judgment]; And though they climb up to heaven [to hide in the realm of light], From there will I bring them down [for judgment]. 3Though they hide on the summit of [Mount] Carmel, I will track them down and take them from there; And though they hide from My sight on the floor of the sea, From there I shall command the serpent and it will bite them.

Amos 9:1 word by word

רָאִ֨יתִי אֶת־אֲדֹנָ֜י נִצָּ֣ב עַֽל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ וַיֹּאמֶר֩ הַ֨ךְ הַכַּפְתּ֜וֹר וְיִרְעֲשׁ֣וּ הַסִּפִּ֗ים וּבְצַ֙עַם֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ כֻּלָּ֔ם וְאַחֲרִיתָ֖ם בַּחֶ֣רֶב אֶהֱרֹ֑ג לֹֽא־יָנ֤וּס לָהֶם֙ נָ֔ס וְלֹֽא־יִמָּלֵ֥ט לָהֶ֖ם פָּלִֽיט׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
• standingנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• upon the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• and he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• the lintel of the doorכַּפְתּוֹרkaphtôr kaphtôr · capitalH3730
• that the postsסַףsaph · thresholdH5592
• may shakeרָעַשׁrâ‛ash · to shakeH7493
• and cutבָּצַעbâtsa‛ · to cut offH1214
• them in the headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• all of them; and I will slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• the lastאַחֲרִית'achărîyth · endH319
• of them with the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• he that fleethנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• and he that escapethפָּלִיטpâlîyţ pâlêyţ pâlêţ · survivorH6412
• of them shall not be deliveredמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422

Cross-references for Amos 9:1

• 2 Chronicles 18:18So Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host (army) of heaven standing on His right and on His left.
• Isaiah 6:1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw [in a vision] the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, with the train of His royal robe filling the [most holy part of the] temple.
• Ezekiel 1:28As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory and brilliance of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell face downward and I heard a voice of One speaking.
• John 1:18No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father].
• Acts 26:13at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven surpassing the brightness of the sun, shining all around me and those who were traveling with me.
• Revelation 1:17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. And He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God],
• Amos 3:14“On that day when I punish Israel’s transgressions, I shall also punish the altars of Bethel [with their golden calves]; And the horns of the altar shall be cut off And fall to the ground.
• Ezekiel 9:2Behold, six men [angelic beings] came from the direction of the Upper Gate, which faces north, each with his battle-axe in his hand; and among them was a certain man clothed in linen, with a scribe’s writing case at his side. They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
• Ezekiel 10:4Then the glory and brilliance of the Lord moved upward from the cherubim to [rest over] the threshold of the temple; and the temple was filled with the cloud and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the Lord’s glory.
• Isaiah 6:3And one called out to another, saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is filled with His glory.”
• Zechariah 11:1Open your doors, O Lebanon, That fire may devour your cedars.
• Psalms 68:21Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, The hairy scalp of one who goes on in his guilty ways.
• Habakkuk 3:13You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For the salvation and rescue of Your anointed [people Israel]. You struck the head from the house of the wicked To lay him open from the thigh to the neck. Selah (pause, and calmly think of that).
• Amos 2:14Flight will be lost to the swift [so they will be unable to escape], And the strong shall not strengthen nor maintain his power, Nor shall the mighty man save his own life.
• Isaiah 24:17Terror and pit [of destruction] and snare Confront you, O inhabitant of the earth.
• Isaiah 30:16And you said, “No! We will flee on horses!” Therefore you will flee [from your enemies]! And [you said], “We will ride on swift horses!” Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.

Commentaries on Amos 9:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1I 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1I saw the Lord - He saw God in vision; yet God no more, as before, asked him what he saw. God no longer shows him emblems of the destruction, but the destruction itself. Since Amos had just been speaking of the idolatry of Samaria, as the ground of its utter destruction, doubtless this vision of such utter destruction of the place of worship, with and upon the worshipers, relates to those same idolaters and idoltries. True, the condenmation of Israel…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The ruin of Israel. (1-10) The restoration of the Jews and the gospel blessing. (11-15) Verses 1-10 The prophet, in vision, saw the Lord standing upon the idolatrous altar at Bethel. Wherever sinners flee from God's justice, it will overtake them. Those whom God brings to heaven by his grace, shall never be cast down; but those who seek to climb thither by vain confidence in themselves, will be cast down and filled with shame. That which makes escape…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1I saw the Lord (see Amos 7:1): God stopped explaining how or why he would punish Israel; he was ready to act. beside the altar: Judgment must start at the center of worship (compare 1 Peter 4:17). This altar likely refers to the Bethel shrine, but it could also mean the temple in Jerusalem.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-15None 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Amos 9:1

• Judgments
• Prophets
• Readings, Select
• Sin
• Vision
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Lintel
• Raise
• Amos (1)
• Bethel
• Cut; Cutting

Commentaries on Amos 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings