New King James Version
Amos 9:4
4Though 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.”
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 Living Translation (NLT)Even if their enemies drive them into exile, I will command the sword to kill them there. I am determined to bring disaster upon them and not to help them.”
Context of Amos 9:4
2“Though they dig into hell, From there My hand shall take them; Though they climb up to heaven, From there I will bring them down; 3And though they hide themselves on top of Carmel, From there I will search and take them; Though they hide from My sight at the bottom of the sea, From there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them; 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.” 5The Lord God of hosts, He who touches the earth and it melts, And all who dwell there mourn; All of it shall swell like the River, And subside like the River of Egypt. 6He 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.
Read all of Amos 9Amos 9:4 word by word
וְאִם־יֵלְכ֤וּ בַשְּׁבִי֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֹֽיבֵיהֶ֔ם מִשָּׁ֛ם אֲצַוֶּ֥ה אֶת־הַחֶ֖רֶב וַהֲרָגָ֑תַם וְשַׂמְתִּ֨י עֵינִ֧י עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם לְרָעָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א לְטוֹבָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And though they goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- into captivityשְׁבִיshebîy · captivityH7628
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- their enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
- thence will I commandצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
- the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- and it shall slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- them: and I will setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- mine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- upon them for evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
- and not for goodטוֹבָהţôb · welfareH2896
Cross-references for Amos 9:4
- Leviticus 26:33I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.
- Deuteronomy 28:64“Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known—wood and stone.
- Ezekiel 5:2You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after them.
- Zechariah 13:8And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one–third shall be left in it:
- Leviticus 17:10‘And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, 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 28:63And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess.
- 2 Chronicles 16:9For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”
- Psalms 34:15The eyes of the Lord are on 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 back to this land; I will build them and not pull them down, 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 will set My face against you for catastrophe and for cutting 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
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries