Amos 9:8
in Amos 9Surely the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” declares the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, the eyes of the Lord Jehovah are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; save that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith Jehovah.
KJV
Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord.
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This verse in Amos 9
Commentary
8 notes on this verseAre you not like the children of Ethiopia to me, O sons of Israel, says the Lord? Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Cappadocia, and the Syrians from Cyrene? Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth: yet will I not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, says the Lord. LXX: Are you not like the children of Ethiopia to me, O sons of Israel, says the Lord?
This site's exposition
the sinful kingdom
on Amos 9:8-10
The eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful kingdom to destroy it, yet saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob draws the line the whole book has been driving toward, judgment on the kingdom as a political and religious order without the extinction of the people as such. The sifting among all nations like corn in a sieve, yet not the least grain falling upon the earth, is read by the bench as the same distinction in agricultural picture, a scattering that loses no true grain even while the sinners who deny the evil will overtake them die by the sword.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
) and make him our friend, as it is here made a reason why we should fear him and dread having him for our enemy. How justly God passes this sentence upon the people of Israel. He does not destroy them by an act of sovereignty, but by an act of righteousness; for (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom,....
Note, When those kingdoms that in name and profession were holy kingdoms, and kingdoms of priests, as Israel was, become sinful kingdoms, no other can be expected than that they should be cut off and abandoned.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom - The kingdom of Israel, peculiarly sinful; and therefore to be signally destroyed by the Assyrians. I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob - The race shall not become extinct: I will reserve them as monuments of my justice, and finally of my mercy.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Ps 34:15, 16). not utterly destroy the house of Jacob--Though as a "kingdom" the nation is now utterly to perish, a remnant is to be spared for "Jacob," their forefather's sake (compare Jer 30:11); to fulfil the covenant whereby "the seed of Israel" is hereafter to be "a nation for ever" (Jer 31:36).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Behold the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful kingdom - The sinful kingdom may mean each “sinful kingdom,” as Paul says, God “will render unto every man according to his deeds - unto them who do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile” Rom 2:6-9. His “Eyes” are “on the sinful kingdom,” whatsoever or wheresoever it be, and so on Israel also: “and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth.” In this case, the emphasis would be on the, “I will not “utterly” destroy.” God would destroy sinful kingdoms, yet Israel, although sinful, He would not “utterly” destroy, but would leave a remnant, as He had so often promised. Yet perhaps, and more probably, the contrast is between “the kingdom” and “the house of Israel. The kingdom,” being founded in sin, bound up inseparably with sin, God says, “I will destroy from off the face of the earth,” and it ceased forever. Only, with the kingdom, He says, “I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” to whom were the promises, and to whose seed, whosoever were the true Israel, those promises should be kept. So He explains;
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִנֵּ֞ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עֵינֵ֣י׀ | ʾeinei | [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֣י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| בַּמַּמְלָכָה֙ | bamamlakhah | [are] on the kingdom | H4467 → | 117 times |
| הַֽחַטָּאָ֔ה | hachataah | <the> sinful | H2400 → | |
| וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּ֣י | vehishmadti | and I will destroy | H8045 → | 90 times |
| אֹתָ֔הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֵעַ֖ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּנֵ֣י | penei | [the] surface of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הָאֲדָמָ֑ה | haadamah | the ground | H127 → | 225 times |
| אֶ֗פֶס | ʾefes | nevertheless | H657 → | |
| כִּ֠י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הַשְׁמֵ֥יד | hashmeid | certainly <to be destroying> | H8045 → | 90 times |
| אַשְׁמִ֛יד | ʾashmid | I will destroy | H8045 → | 90 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֖ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
הִנֵּ֞הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
עֵינֵ֣י׀[the] eyes of
ʾeineiH5869 →887 times
אֲדֹנָ֣י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
בַּמַּמְלָכָה֙[are] on the kingdom
bamamlakhahH4467 →117 times
הַֽחַטָּאָ֔ה<the> sinful
hachataahH2400 →
וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּ֣יand I will destroy
vehishmadtiH8045 →90 times
אֹתָ֔הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
מֵעַ֖לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
פְּנֵ֣י[the] surface of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הָאֲדָמָ֑הthe ground
haadamahH127 →225 times
אֶ֗פֶסnevertheless
ʾefesH657 →
כִּ֠יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הַשְׁמֵ֥ידcertainly <to be destroying>
hashmeidH8045 →90 times
אַשְׁמִ֛ידI will destroy
ʾashmidH8045 →90 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֵּ֥ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יַעֲקֹ֖בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 5:21For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
it leads to
- Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
- Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
- Jeremiah 32:19
the One great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are on all the ways of the sons of men, to reward each one according to his ways and according to the fruit…
- Job 34:21
For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.
- Jeremiah 23:24
“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
- Hebrews 4:13
Through
Jeremiah 30:11For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I will completely destroy all the nations to which I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. Yet I will…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 4:27
For this is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be desolate, but I will not finish its destruction.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 10:24
Correct me, O LORD, but only with justice—not in Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.
- Jeremiah 1:19
They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 4:27
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Amos
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Amos; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.