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

2Though they dig into Sheol, From there will My hand take them; And though they ascend to heaven, From there will I bring them down. 3Though they hide on the summit of Carmel, I will search them out and take them from there; And though they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea, From there I will command the serpent and it will bite them. And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword that it slay them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good.” 5The Lord God of hosts, The One who touches the land so that it melts, And all those who dwell in it mourn, And all of it rises up like the Nile And subsides like the Nile of Egypt; 6The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth, He who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth, 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

• And thoughאִם'im · ifH518
• they goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• captivityשְׁבִיshebîy · captivityH7628
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• their enemiesאָיַב'âyab · be hostileH340
• From thereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
• I will commandצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• that it slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• My eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• againstעַל‛al · uponH5921

Cross-references for Amos 9:4

• Leviticus 26:33You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.
• Deuteronomy 28:64Moreover, the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known.
• Ezekiel 5:2One third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. Then you shall take one third and strike it with the sword all around the city, and one third you shall scatter to the wind; and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.
• Zechariah 13:8It will come about in all the land,” Declares the Lord, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it.
• Leviticus 17:10‘And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.
• Deuteronomy 28:63It shall come about that as the Lord delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the Lord will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you; and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it.
• 2 Chronicles 16:9For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”
• Psalms 34:15The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.
• Jeremiah 24:6For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.
• Jeremiah 44:11“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to set My face against you for woe, even to cut off all Judah.

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