Amos 5:8

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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;
• 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.

Context of Amos 5:8

6Search for the Lord and live! If you don’t, he will spread like a fire through the house of Joseph and burn it down. Bethel will have no one to put it out. 7You, Israel, turn justice into poison and throw righteousness on the ground. God made the ⌞constellations⌟ Pleiades and Orion. He turns deep darkness into dawn. He turns day into night. He calls for water from the sea to pour it over the face of the earth. His name is the Lord. 9He destroys strongholds and ruins fortresses. 10Israel, you hate anyone who speaks out against injustice. You are disgusted by anyone who speaks the truth.

Amos 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 9:9He made ⌞the constellations⌟ Ursa Major, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the clusters of stars in the south.
• Job 38:31“Can you connect the chains of the ⌞constellation⌟ Pleiades or untie the ropes of Orion?
• Job 12:22He uncovers mysteries ⌞hidden⌟ in the darkness and brings gloom into the light.
• Job 38:12“Have you ever given orders to the morning or assigned a place for the dawn
• Psalms 107:10Those who lived in the dark, in death’s shadow were prisoners in misery. They were held in iron chains
• Matthew 4:16The people who lived in darkness have seen a bright light. A light has risen for those who live in a land overshadowed by death.”
• Luke 1:79He will give light to those who live in the dark and in death’s shadow. He will guide us into the way of peace.”
• Amos 4:13God forms the mountains and creates the wind. He reveals his thoughts to humans. He makes dawn and dusk ⌞appear⌟. He walks on the high places of the earth. His name is the Lord God of Armies.
• Amos 8:9On that day, declares the Almighty Lord, I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
• Exodus 10:21Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky, and a darkness ⌞so thick⌟ that it can be felt will come over Egypt.”
• Exodus 14:24Just before dawn, the Lord looked down from the column of fire and smoke and threw the Egyptian camp into a panic.
• Psalms 104:20He brings darkness, and it is nighttime, when all the wild animals in the forest come out.
• Psalms 105:28He sent darkness and made ⌞their land⌟ dark. They did not rebel against his orders.
• Isaiah 59:10We grope like blind men along a wall. We grope like people without eyes. We stumble at noon as if it were twilight. We are like dead people among healthy people.
• Amos 9:6The one who builds stairs up to heaven and sets their foundation on the earth, the one who calls for the water in the sea and pours it over the face of the earth— His name is the Lord.
• Genesis 7:11On the seventeenth day of the second month of the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, all the deep springs burst open. The sky 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

• Astronomy
• Colors
• Constellations
• Evaporation
• God
• Orion
• Pleiades
• Seekers
• Seven
• Stars
• War

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Seven Stars
• Shadow of Death
• Astronomy
• Manifold
• Orion
• Pleiades
• Seek
• Stars
• Amos (1)

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