English Standard Version
Amos 7:4
4This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, the Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land.
Amos 7:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, the Lord God called for conflict by fire, and it consumed the great deep and devoured the territory.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then the Sovereign Lord showed me another vision. I saw him preparing to punish his people with a great fire. The fire had burned up the depths of the sea and was devouring the entire land.
Context of Amos 7:4
2When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said, "O Lord God, please forgive! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!" 3The Lord relented concerning this: "It shall not be," said the Lord. This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, the Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. 5Then I said, "O Lord God, please cease! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!" 6The Lord relented concerning this: "This also shall not be," said the Lord God.
Read all of Amos 7Amos 7:4 word by word
כֹּ֤ה הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה קֹרֵ֛א לָרִ֥ב בָּאֵ֖שׁ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ אֶת־תְּה֣וֹם רַבָּ֔ה וְאָכְלָ֖ה אֶת־הַחֵֽלֶק׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus hath the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- shewedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- to contendרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
- by fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- and it devouredאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the greatרַבrab · manyH7227
- deepתְּהוֹםtehôm tehôm · abyssH8415
- a partחֵ֫לֶקchêleq · portionH2506
Cross-references for Amos 7:4
- Amos 7:1This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.
- Revelation 4:1After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."
- Amos 1:4So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
- Amos 4:11"I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me," declares the Lord.
- Amos 5:6Seek 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,
- Exodus 9:23Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
- Leviticus 10:2And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
- Numbers 16:35And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.
- Isaiah 27:4I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would march against them, I would burn them up together.
- Isaiah 66:15"For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
- Jeremiah 4:4Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds."
- Jeremiah 21:12O house of David! Thus says the Lord: "'Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds.'"
- Joel 2:30"And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
- Micah 1:4And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.
- Nahum 1:6Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
- Hebrews 1:7Of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire."
Commentaries on Amos 7:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The Lord God called to contend by fire - Permitted war, both civil and foreign, to harass the land, after the death of Jeroboam the second. These wars would have totally destroyed it, had not the prophet interceded. It devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part - We are here to understand the partially destructive wars which afterwards took place; for the Lord causes all these things to pass before the eyes of Amos in the vision of prophecy; and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4God called to contend by fire - that is, He “called” His people to maintain their cause with Him “by fire,” as He says, “I will plead” in judgment “with him” (Gog) “with” (that is,” by”) pestilence and blood” Ezekiel 38:22; and, “by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh” Isaiah 66:16; and, “The Lord standeth up to plead and standeth to judge the people” Isaiah 3:13. Man, by rebellion, challenges God‘s Omnipotence. He will have none of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4This fire represents extreme heat and drought. the great deep: The Hebrew word refers to the sea, but Amos likely did not think the Mediterranean would vanish. It is probably a poetic reference to large freshwater bodies, like the Kinnereth Sea or Sea of Galilee, which Israel could use for irrigation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. called to contend--that is, with Israel judicially (Job 9:3; Is 66:16; Eze 38:22). He ordered to come at His call the infliction of punishment by "fire" on Israel, that is, drought (compare Am 4:6-11), [Maurer]. Rather, war (Nu 21:28), namely, Tiglath-pileser [Grotius]. devoured the ... deep--that is, a great part of Israel, whom he carried away. Waters are the symbol for many people (Re 17:15). did eat up a part--namely, all the land (compare Am 4:7)…Read the comment
Topics related to Amos 7:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Amos 7
- 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
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