Amos 9:4

Amos 9:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
• New International Version (NIV)Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. “I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword, And it shall slay them. I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good.”

Context of Amos 9:4

2They might try to dig deep into the earth to save themselves. But my strong hand will pull them out of there. They might climb up into the sky. But I will pull them down from there. 3They might try to hide on the top of Mount Carmel. But I will find them and I will take them from there. They might try to hide from me deep down in the sea. But I will command the great sea snake to bite them. Even when their enemies take them away as prisoners, I will cause them to die in battle. I have decided to destroy them. I will not help them.’ 5The Lord God Almighty will do this! When he touches the earth, it shakes. Everyone who lives there weeps. The ground rises up, like the water of the Nile river in Egypt. Then it goes down again, like the river. 6The Lord builds his palace up into heaven, with its foundation on the earth. He takes up the water from the sea, and he pours it out on the earth as rain. The Lord is his name.

Amos 9:4 word by word

וְאִם־יֵלְכ֤וּ בַשְּׁבִי֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֹֽיבֵיהֶ֔ם מִשָּׁ֛ם אֲצַוֶּ֥ה אֶת־הַחֶ֖רֶב וַהֲרָגָ֑תַם וְשַׂמְתִּ֨י עֵינִ֧י עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם לְרָעָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א לְטוֹבָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And though they goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• into captivityשְׁבִיshebîy · captivityH7628
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• their enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• thence will I commandצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• and it shall slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• them: and I will setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• mine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• upon them for evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
• and not for goodטוֹבָהţôb · welfareH2896

Cross-references for Amos 9:4

• Leviticus 26:33God will push you out. He will send your people away to other countries. He will destroy your cities. And he will make your land a desert.
• Deuteronomy 28:64If that happens, the Lord will send you away to live among many other nations, all over the world. There you will worship other gods. They are gods that people have made from wood and from stone. Neither you nor your ancestors have ever known those gods before.
• Ezekiel 5:2Wait until all the days when you are lying on your side have finished. Take one part of your hair and burn it on the brick which has the picture of Jerusalem. Take another part and use a sword to cut it into small pieces. Let the pieces fall all around the brick which shows the city. Then take the third part and throw the hairs into the wind. I will run after them with a sword.
• Zechariah 13:8In the whole country,’ says the Lord, ‘two thirds of the people will die. But one third will still be living there.
• Leviticus 17:10An Israelite or a foreigner who lives among you must not eat blood. And they must not drink it. If somebody does, God will turn away from him. He will take that person away from his people.
• Deuteronomy 28:63At one time, the Lord was happy to help you with good things. He gave you many children. But if you do not obey him, he will be happy to destroy you. He will remove you from the land that will soon become your new home.
• 2 Chronicles 16:9The Lord carefully watches over the whole earth. If people serve him faithfully, he makes them strong. But you have done a foolish thing. As a result, you will now always be fighting wars.’
• Psalms 34:15The Lord watches over righteous people. He hears them when they call to him for help.
• Jeremiah 24:6I will watch them carefully and I will take care of them. I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and make them strong. I will not knock them down. I will help them to grow in the land, like plants with good roots. I will not pull them up.
• Jeremiah 44:11So the Lord Almighty, Israel's God, says, “Listen to me! I will certainly cause you to have great trouble. I will destroy all Judah's people.

Commentaries on Amos 9:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4I will set mine eyes upon them for evil - I will use that very providence against them which before worked for their good. Should they look upward, they shall see nothing but the terrible lightning-like eye of a sin-avenging God.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Captivity - , at least, seemed safe. The horrors of war are over. Men enslave, but do not commonly destroy those whom they have once been at the pains to carry captive. Amos describes them in their misery, as “going” willingly, gladly, “into captivity before their enemies,” like a flock of sheep. Yet “thence” too, out of “the captivity,” God would command the sword, and it should slay them. So God had forewarned them by Moses, that captivity should be an…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-4God is everywhere (compare Psalm 139:7–12). When people trust, believe, and obey God, his presence is a great blessing. However, because Israel rejected God's message, his presence would bring judgment instead of comfort.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. though they go into captivity--hoping to save their lives by voluntarily surrendering to the foe.Read the comment

Topics related to Amos 9:4

• God Continued...
• Judgments
• Readings, Select
• Sin
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Raise
• Amos (1)

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