Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version 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.” New Living Translation 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.” English Standard Version 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.” Berean Standard Bible Though they are driven by their enemies into captivity, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will fix My eyes upon them for harm and not for good.” Berean Literal Bible And if they go into captivity before the face of their enemies, from there I will command the sword, and it will kill them; and I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good!” King James Bible 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 King James Version 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.” New American Standard Bible “And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword and it will kill them, And I will set My eyes against them for harm and not for good.” NASB 1995 “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.” NASB 1977 “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.” Legacy Standard Bible And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword that it kill them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good.” Amplified Bible “And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I shall command the sword to kill them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil (judgment, punishment) and not for good [that is, not for correction leading to restoration].” Berean Annotated Bible Though they are driven by their enemies into captivity, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will fix My eyes upon them for harm and not for good. Christian Standard Bible And if they are driven by their enemies into captivity, from there I will command the sword to kill them. I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good. Holman Christian Standard Bible And if they are driven by their enemies into captivity, from there I will command the sword to kill them. I will fix My eyes on them for harm and not for good. American Standard Version 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. Contemporary English Version I'll send a sword to kill them, wherever their enemies drag them off as captives. I'm determined to hurt them, not to help them." English Revised Version 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation Even 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. Good News Translation If they are taken away into captivity by their enemies, I will order them to be put to death. I am determined to destroy them, not to help them." International Standard Version Even if they go into exile among their enemies, from there I will order the sword to kill them. I will fix my gaze on them to inflict disaster, and not to do good. NET Bible Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, from there I will command the sword to kill them. I will not let them out of my sight; they will experience disaster, not prosperity." New Heart English Bible Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes on them for disaster, and not for good. Webster's Bible Translation And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set my eyes upon them for evil, and not for good. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThough they are driven by their enemies into captivity, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will fix My eyes upon them for harm and not for good.” World English Bible Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes on them for evil, and not for good. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd if they go into captivity before their enemies, "" From there I command the sword, "" And it has slain them, "" And I have set My eye on them for evil, "" And not for good.” Berean Literal Bible And if they go into captivity before the face of their enemies, from there I will command the sword, and it will kill them; and I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good!” Young's Literal Translation And if they go into captivity before their enemies, From thence I command the sword, And it hath slain them, And I have set Mine eye on them for evil, And not for good. Smith's Literal Translation If they shall go into captivity before the face of their enemies, from thence I will command the sword and it slew them: and I set mine eyes upon them for evil and not for good. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd if they go into captivity before their enemies, there will I command the sword, and it shall kill them. And I will set my eyes upon them for evil, and not for good. Catholic Public Domain Version And if they go into captivity in the sight of their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. And I will set my eyes over them for harm and not for good.” New American Bible Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will fix my gaze upon them for evil and not for good. New Revised Standard Version And though they go into captivity in front of their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes on them for harm and not for good. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall slay them; and I will set my eyes upon them for evil and not for good; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And if they shall go into captivity before their enemies, there I shall command the sword and it shall kill them, and I shall set my eyes upon them for evil and not for good OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And 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. Brenton Septuagint Translation And if they should go into captivity before the face of their enemies, there will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes against them for evil, and not for good. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Destruction of Israel…3Though they hide themselves atop Carmel, there I will track them and seize them; and though they hide from Me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. 4Though they are driven by their enemies into captivity, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will fix My eyes upon them for harm and not for good.” 5The Lord GOD of Hosts, He who touches the earth and it melts, and all its dwellers mourn—all the land rises like the Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt—… Cross References Though they are driven by their enemies into captivity, Lamentations 1:3 Judah has gone into exile under affliction and harsh slavery; she dwells among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress. Deuteronomy 28:64 Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. Leviticus 26:33 But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste. there I will command the sword to slay them. Jeremiah 15:2 If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.’ Leviticus 26:25 And I will bring a sword against you to execute the vengeance of the covenant. Though you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be delivered into the hand of the enemy. I will fix My eyes upon them for harm and not for good.” Jeremiah 44:27 I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine, until they are finished off. Ezekiel 8:18 Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.” Jeremiah 44:11-14 Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I will set My face to bring disaster and to cut off all Judah. / And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have resolved to go to the land of Egypt to reside there; they will meet their end. They will all fall by the sword or be consumed by famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine; and they will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and reproach. / I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, just as I punished Jerusalem, by sword and famine and plague, … Deuteronomy 28:65-67 Among those nations you will find no repose, not even a resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despairing soul. / So your life will hang in doubt before you, and you will be afraid night and day, never certain of survival. / In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’—because of the dread in your hearts of the terrifying sights you will see. Leviticus 26:36-39 As for those of you who survive, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that even the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. And they will flee as one flees the sword, and fall when no one pursues them. / They will stumble over one another as before the sword, though no one is behind them. So you will not be able to stand against your enemies. / You will perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies will consume you. … Ezekiel 5:12 A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine within you, a third will fall by the sword outside your walls, and a third I will scatter to every wind and unleash a sword behind them. Jeremiah 16:16-18 But for now I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from the clefts of the rocks. / For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes. / And I will first repay them double their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and they have filled My inheritance with their abominations.” Isaiah 65:12 I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.” Jeremiah 24:9-10 I will make them a horror and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and an object of scorn, ridicule, and cursing wherever I have banished them. / And I will send against them sword and famine and plague, until they have perished from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.’” 2 Kings 17:20-23 So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence. / When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin. / The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed and did not turn away from them. … Hosea 9:17 My God will reject them because they have not obeyed Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations. Treasury of Scripture And though they go into captivity before their enemies, there will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set my eyes on them for evil, and not for good. go. Leviticus 26:33,36-39 And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste… Deuteronomy 28:64,65 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone… Ezekiel 5:2,12 Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them… set. Leviticus 17:10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. Deuteronomy 28:63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. Jump to Previous Attackers Captivity Command Death Driven Enemies Evil Exile Eye Eyes Fix Fixed Good Kill Orders Prisoners Slain Slay Sword ThenceJump to Next Attackers Captivity Command Death Driven Enemies Evil Exile Eye Eyes Fix Fixed Good Kill Orders Prisoners Slain Slay Sword ThenceAmos 9 1. The certainty of the desolation.11. The restoring of the tabernacle of David. Though they are driven by their enemies into captivity This phrase reflects the historical context of the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, where the Israelites were taken captive due to their disobedience to God. The captivity serves as a fulfillment of the covenant curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28:36-37, where God warns Israel of the consequences of turning away from Him. The driving into captivity signifies God's judgment and the use of foreign nations as instruments of His divine justice. there I will command the sword to slay them I will fix My eyes upon them for harm and not for good. Persons / Places / Events 1. AmosA prophet from the southern kingdom of Judah, called by God to deliver a message of judgment to the northern kingdom of Israel. 2. Israel The northern kingdom, which had turned away from God, engaging in idolatry and injustice. 3. Captivity Refers to the impending exile of the Israelites due to their disobedience and sin. 4. Enemies The foreign nations, particularly Assyria, that God would use as instruments of judgment against Israel. 5. The Sword Symbolizes the instrument of God's judgment, often representing war and destruction. Teaching Points The Certainty of God's JudgmentGod's judgment is inescapable for those who persist in sin. Just as Israel could not escape His decrees, neither can we if we choose to live in disobedience. The Sovereignty of God God is sovereign over all nations and events. He uses even the enemies of His people to accomplish His purposes, demonstrating His ultimate control over history. The Consequences of Disobedience Disobedience to God leads to severe consequences. This passage serves as a warning to remain faithful and obedient to God's commands. God's Omniscience God sees all actions and intentions. His eyes are upon us, whether for blessing or judgment, reminding us to live with integrity and righteousness. Hope in Repentance While this passage focuses on judgment, the broader biblical account offers hope through repentance. Turning back to God can restore our relationship with Him. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Amos 9:4?2. How does Amos 9:4 illustrate God's omnipresence and sovereignty over all creation? 3. What does Amos 9:4 reveal about God's judgment and mercy balance? 4. How can we apply Amos 9:4's message to our personal accountability to God? 5. In what ways does Amos 9:4 connect with Romans 11:22 on God's kindness and severity? 6. How does understanding Amos 9:4 deepen our comprehension of God's justice in our lives? 7. How does Amos 9:4 reflect God's judgment and mercy simultaneously? 8. What historical context influenced the message of Amos 9:4? 9. How does Amos 9:4 align with the theme of divine retribution? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Amos 9? 11. Amos 4:2-3 - Is there any historical evidence that the Assyrians or other invaders literally led Israel into captivity with hooks? 12. Is there any archaeological evidence that confirms the captivity described in Ezekiel 19:4 and 19:9? 13. Amos 7:11 - The text predicts Jeroboam's death by the sword; does this claim conflict with other biblical or extra-biblical accounts regarding Jeroboam's end? 14. Isaiah 66:15-16: How can a loving deity be reconciled with the depiction of fiery vengeance and widespread destruction? What Does Amos 9:4 Mean Though they are driven by their enemies into captivity- The phrase acknowledges Israel’s looming exile, a direct consequence of covenant disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:64–65; 2 Kings 17:6). - Captivity, far from removing them from God’s reach, simply places them under a different phase of His discipline (Jeremiah 24:9; Ezekiel 12:13). - It reminds us that geography never limits God’s authority; His sovereignty extends “from the ends of the earth” (Psalm 139:7–10). There I will command the sword to slay them - Even in foreign lands, the Lord “commands” the sword—He is not passively observing but actively directing judgment (Leviticus 26:33; Ezekiel 14:17). - The “sword” represents violent, decisive justice, echoing warnings in Jeremiah 42:16–17 that flight from God’s will only intensifies danger. - This shows that human schemes of escape—alliances, migration, self-reliance—cannot shield anyone from divine reckoning (Isaiah 31:1). I will fix My eyes upon them for harm and not for good - God’s “eyes” typically connote protection (Psalm 34:15), but persistent rebellion reverses the blessing (Jeremiah 21:10; 44:27). - The contrast is deliberate: the same omniscient gaze that could comfort now guarantees accountability (Proverbs 15:3). - Yet Amos later notes a remnant will survive (Amos 9:8b, 11–12), underscoring that judgment and mercy coexist, though mercy never nullifies holiness. summary Amos 9:4 teaches that no exile, fortress, or strategy can hide unrepentant people from God’s righteous judgment. He sovereignly directs events—captivity, sword, even His own gaze—to fulfill covenant warnings. The verse is a sobering call: take God at His word, turn from sin, and seek the grace that He stands ready to extend to all who repent. Verse 4. - Captivity itself, in which state men generally, at any rate, are secure of their lives, shall not save them from the sword (Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 28:65, etc. comp. Tobit 1:17, 18 Tobit 2:3, where we see that the murder of captives was not unusual). The prophet looks forward to the Assyrian deportation. For evil. The people are indeed subject to God's special attention, but only in order to punish them (Psalm 34:15, 16; Jeremiah 44:11).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Thoughוְאִם־ (wə·’im-) Conjunctive waw | Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not they are driven יֵלְכ֤וּ (yê·lə·ḵū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk by לִפְנֵ֣י (lip̄·nê) Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct Strong's 6440: The face their enemies אֹֽיבֵיהֶ֔ם (’·ḇê·hem) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary into captivity, בַשְּׁבִי֙ (ḇaš·šə·ḇî) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 7628: Exiled, captured, exile, booty there מִשָּׁ֛ם (miš·šām) Preposition-m | Adverb Strong's 8033: There, then, thither I will command אֲצַוֶּ֥ה (’ă·ṣaw·weh) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order the sword הַחֶ֖רֶב (ha·ḥe·reḇ) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword to slay them. וַהֲרָגָ֑תַם (wa·hă·rā·ḡā·ṯam) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine plural Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent I will fix וְשַׂמְתִּ֨י (wə·śam·tî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set My eyes עֵינִ֧י (‘ê·nî) Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain upon them עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם (‘ă·lê·hem) Preposition | third person masculine plural Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against for harm לְרָעָ֖ה (lə·rā·‘āh) Preposition-l | Adjective - feminine singular Strong's 7451: Bad, evil and not וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no for good.” לְטוֹבָֽה׃ (lə·ṭō·w·ḇāh) Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good Links Amos 9:4 NIVAmos 9:4 NLT Amos 9:4 ESV Amos 9:4 NASB Amos 9:4 KJV Amos 9:4 BibleApps.com Amos 9:4 Biblia Paralela Amos 9:4 Chinese Bible Amos 9:4 French Bible Amos 9:4 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Amos 9:4 Though they go into captivity before their (Amo. 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