God’s Word Translation
Amos 9:6
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.
Amos 9:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he 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 builds his lofty palace in the heavens and sets its foundation on the earth; he 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)who 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He who builds His layers in the sky, And has founded His strata in the earth; Who 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 9:6
4Even if they go into exile ahead of their enemies, I will command a sword to kill them. I will keep my eyes on them so that I can bring disaster on them and not help them. 5The Almighty Lord of Armies touches the earth. It quakes, and all who live on it mourn. All of it rises like the Nile and sinks like Egypt’s river. The 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. 7You people of Israel are like the people from Sudan, says the Lord. Didn’t I bring Israel from Egypt? Didn’t I bring the Philistines from Crete and the Arameans from Kir? 8I, the Almighty Lord, have my eyes on this sinful kingdom. I will wipe it off the face of the earth. But I won’t totally destroy the descendants of Jacob, declares the Lord.
Read all of Amos 9Amos 9:6 word by word
הַבּוֹנֶ֤ה בַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ מַעֲלוֹתָ֔יו וַאֲגֻדָּת֖וֹ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ יְסָדָ֑הּ הַקֹּרֵ֣א לְמֵֽי־הַיָּ֗ם וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכֵ֛ם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ יְהוָ֥ה שְׁמֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- he that buildethבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- his storiesמַעֲלָהma‛ălâh · stepH4609
- in the heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and hath foundedיָסַדyâsad · to foundH3245
- his troopאֲגֻדָּה'ăgûddâh · bandH92
- in the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- he 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
- The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- his nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
Cross-references for Amos 9:6
- Psalms 104:3You lay the beams of your home in the water. You use the clouds for your chariot. You move on the wings of the wind.
- Genesis 2:1Heaven and earth and everything in them were finished.
- Amos 5:8God 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.
- 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,
- Jeremiah 5:22Don’t you fear me?” asks the Lord. “Don’t you tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, a permanent barrier that it cannot cross. Although the waves toss continuously, they can’t break through. Although they roar, they can’t cross it.
- 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.
- Exodus 3:14God answered Moses, “I Am Who I Am. This is what you must say to the people of Israel: ‘I Am has sent me to you.’ ”
Commentaries on Amos 9:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Buildeth his stories in the heaven - There is here an allusion to large houses, where there are cellars, or places dug in the ground as repositories for corn; middle apartments, or stories, for the families to live in; and the house-top for persons to take the air upon. There may be here a reference to the various systems which God has formed in illimitable space, transcending each other, as the planets do in our solar system: and thus we find Solomon…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6He that buildeth His stories - The word commonly means “steps,” nor is there any reason to alter it. We read of “the third heavens 2 Corinthians 12:2, the heavens of heavens Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 148:4; that is, heavens to which this heaven is as earth. They are different ways of expressing the vast unseen space which God has created, divided, as we know, through the distance of the fixed stars, into countless portions, of which the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6Amos uses a third hymn fragment (also Amos 4:13; 5:8–9) to remind Israel that God rules over everything.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. stories--literally, "ascents," that is, upper chambers, to which the ascent is by steps [Maurer]; evidently referring to the words in Psa 104:3, 13. Grotius explains it, God's royal throne, expressed in language drawn from Solomon's throne, to which the ascent was by steps (compare 1Ki 10:18, 19). founded his troop--namely, all animate creatures, which are God's troop, or host (Ge 2:1), doing His will (Psa 103:20, 21; Joe 2:11). Maurer translates, "His…Read the comment
Topics related to Amos 9:6
In the dictionaries
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
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