Amos 9 The certainty of Israel’s desolation, Amos 9:1–10. The restoring of the tabernacle of David, and of the captivity of Israel.

I saw: as before, Amos 7:1, Amos 7:4, Amos 7:7, Amos 8:1; so here the prophet hath a fifth vision. The Lord; the great, glorious, just, and holy God, in some visible tokens of his majesty. Standing; either ready to execute sentence, or ready to depart, Ezek. 9:3, Ezek. 10:1, Ezek.

When David would describe the omnipresence of God, Ps. 139:7–12, he doth it most elegantly in almost the same manner as our inspired herdman here doth. Wherever these seek to hide themselves from the pursuing vengeance, they shall be found; he is with them, from whom they hide.

Though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel; one high woody mountain, shelter and hiding-place for wild beasts, by a figure put for all the rest; if they think to be safe where wild beasts find a refuge, they are deceived, I will search and take them out thence; I will, saith God, hunt them…

Though they go into captivity; those excluded from safety every where else may perhaps hope that yet the enemy may spare. Captives are the slaves, the possession of their conquering enemies; these make profit of them by selling them to others, or employing them in labour and service.

The prophet having foretold such sad, universal desolations, miseries beyond what this secure people could think possible, and such as the atheists among them censured, and derided as impossibilities, as Amos 9:10; now in this and the following verses to the 10th the prophet confirms his word, and…

It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven; he that threatens and will execute his just severities on you is that mighty, glorious King, whose palace inconceivably surpasseth all the royal palaces of the mightiest monarchs on earth; his chambers, as Ps.

Are ye not, who glory in your descent from Abraham, and are in truth the natural descendants of Israel, and think very highly of yourselves on this account, slighting all other nations, and presuming that God neither will nor can, because of his covenant, destroy you, whatever prophets say, as…

Behold; consider things better, and argue more like men of reason. The eyes of the Lord God; God of infinite purity and knowledge, whose nature hateth all sin, and whose office it is to punish sinners, his eyes behold all the children of men, they run to and fro, as 2 Chron. 16:9.

For, lo: as this confirms what the 8th verse promiseth, so it requireth a very diligent and full attention of us. I will command, or give a charge to all nations whither these exiled persons shall come, and they shall observe the charge, it shall as surely be done as it is spoken.

All the sinners of my people, the great, notorious sinners, idolaters, oppressors, perverters of law and equity, cruel and inhuman judges and others, shall die by the sword; either at home in the wars, or abroad by barbarous men that captivate them; as Amos 9:4.

This promise I nothing doubt hath a double aspect, both to the return out of captivity, and to the Messiah’s kingdom, and each part is to be considered by us: if we would duly explain this and the following verse, let us look first to the letter and historical reference, and next to the mystical…

That they; literally and historically the Jews, or they of the two tribes, and with them such of the ten tribes as did unite to them, and returned to Jerusalem. May possess, both the lands of Edom, and some of the posterity of Edom; these as servants, the other as their propriety.

Here is another promise made literally for assurance of abundant plenty to the returned captives, and mystically, of abundant grace poured forth in gospel days. But of the letter and history.

What is contained in this verse is an express promise of a return to captive Israel, and it is an implicit stating of the time when those former promises, Amos 9:11–13, should be fulfilled.

I will plant, or settle them, as trees that are well rooted, upon their land, by ancient gift, and by late restitution to it by the Lord. They shall no more be pulled up by the violence of their enemies which promise is an implicit condition that they seek, and not forsake the Lord, and was on…