English Standard Version
Amos 5:8
8He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name;
Amos 5:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name:
- New International Version (NIV)He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the Lord is his name.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The Lord is His name.
- New Living Translation (NLT)It is the Lord who created the stars, the Pleiades and Orion. He turns darkness into morning and day into night. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The Lord is his name!
Context of Amos 5:8
6Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, 7O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth! He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name; 9who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress. 10They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth.
Read all of Amos 5Amos 5:8 word by word
עֹשֵׂ֨ה כִימָ֜ה וּכְסִ֗יל וְהֹפֵ֤ךְ לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ צַלְמָ֔וֶת וְי֖וֹם לַ֣יְלָה הֶחְשִׁ֑יךְ הַקּוֹרֵ֣א לְמֵֽי־הַיָּ֗ם וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכֵ֛ם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ יְהוָ֥ה שְׁמֽוֹ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- that makethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- the seven starsכִּימָהkîymâh · PleiadesH3598
- and Orionכְּסִילkesîyl · OrionH3685
- and turnethהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
- the shadow of deathצַלְמָ֫וֶתtsalmâveth · shadowH6757
- into the morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
- and maketh the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- darkחָשַׁךְchâshak · to darkenH2821
- with nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- that callethקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- for the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- of the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- and poureth them outשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: pourH8210
- upon the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
- of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- his nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
Cross-references for Amos 5:8
- Job 9:9who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;
- Job 38:31"Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion?
- Job 12:22He uncovers the deeps out of darkness and brings deep darkness to light.
- Job 38:12"Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place,
- Psalms 107:10Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons,
- Matthew 4:16the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned."
- Luke 1:79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
- Amos 4:13For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!
- Amos 8:9"And on that day," declares the Lord God, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
- Exodus 10:21Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt."
- Exodus 14:24And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic,
- Psalms 104:20You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
- Psalms 105:28He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel against his words.
- Isaiah 59:10We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men.
- Amos 9:6who builds his upper chambers in the heavens and founds his vault upon the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth— the Lord is his name.
- Genesis 7:11In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.
Commentaries on Amos 5:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8That maketh the seven stars and Orion - Or, Hyades and Arcturus, Kimah and Kesil. See my notes on Job 9:9; Job 38:32, where the subject of this verse is largely considered. Turneth the shadow of death into the morning - Who makes day and night, light and darkness. Calleth for the waters of the sea - Raising them up by evaporation, and collecting them into clouds. And poureth them out - Causing them to drop down in showers upon the face of the earth. Who…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Seek Him that maketh the seven stars - Misbelief effaces the thought of God as He Is. It retains the name God, but means something quite different from the One True God. So people spoke of “the Deity,” as a sort of First Cause of all things, and did not perceive that they only meant to own that this fair harmony of things created was not (at least as it now exists,) self-existent, and that they had lost sight of the Personal God who had made known to them…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-17Verses 7-17 The same almighty power can, for repenting sinners, easily turn affliction and sorrow into prosperity and joy, and as easily turn the prosperity of daring sinners into utter darkness. Evil times will not bear plain dealing; that is, evil men will not. And these men were evil men indeed, when wise and good men thought it in vain even to speak to them. Those who will seek and love that which is good, may help to save the land from ruin. It…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9Amos quotes another hymn fragment (see Amos 4:13; 9:5–6). The prophet highlights the difference between the cosmic God and local gods. Stars, celestial bodies, and constellations like Pleiades and Orion were seen as gods in ancient times. Amos says this is not true; the Lord created them and placed them in the sky. waters: People in ancient times observed a process they did not understand, such as evaporation and condensation (when water turns into vapor…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. the seven stars--literally, the heap or cluster of seven larger stars and others smaller (Job 9:9; 38:31). The former whole passage seems to have been in Amos' mind. He names the stars well known to shepherds (to which class Amos belonged), Orion as the precursor of the tempests which are here threatened, and the Pleiades as ushering in spring. shadow of death--Hebraism for the densest darkness. calleth for the waters of the sea--both to send deluges…Read the comment
Topics related to Amos 5:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Amos 5
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries