Amos 9:1 “I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the top…”

Amos 9:1

I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Topple them on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the rest with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of the fugitives will escape.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

World English Bible

I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said, “Strike the tops of the pillars, that the thresholds may shake. Break them in pieces on the head of all of them. I will kill the last of them with the sword. Not one of them will flee away. Not one of them will escape.

American Standard Version

I saw the Lord standing beside the altar: and he said, Smite the capitals, that the thresholds may shake; and break them in pieces on the head of all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: there shall not one of them flee away, and there shall not one of them escape.

Geneva Bible 1599

I sawe the Lord standing vpon the altar, and he sayde, Smite the lintel of the doore, that the postes may shake: and cut them in pieces, euen the heads of them all, and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them, shall not flee away: and he that escapeth of them, shall not be deliuered.

Darby Translation

I saw the Lord standing upon the altar; and he said, Smite the chapiter that the thresholds may shake; and break all of them in pieces, in the head; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not get away by flight, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

Young's Literal Translation

I have seen the Lord standing by the altar, and He saith: 'Smite the knob, and the thresholds shake, And cut them off by the head — all of them, And their posterity with a sword I do slay, Not flee to them doth the fleer, Nor escape to them doth a fugitive.

Bible in Basic English

I saw the Lord stationed by the side of the altar, giving blows to the tops of the pillars so that the doorsteps were shaking: and he said, I will let all of them be broken with earth-shocks; I will put the last of them to the sword: if any one of them goes in flight he will not get away, not one of them will be safe.

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Cross references

“I saw”

Isaiah 6:1 John 1:18 Revelation 1:17 2 Chronicles 18:18 Ezekiel 1:28 John 1:32

Isaiah 6:1 · BSB

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.

John 1:18 · BSB

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

Revelation 1:17 · BSB

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,

2 Chronicles 18:18 · BSB

Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left.

Ezekiel 1:28 · BSB

The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a…

John 1:32 · BSB

Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.

“upon”

Amos 3:14 Ezekiel 9:2 Ezekiel 10:4

Amos 3:14 · BSB

On the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off, and they will fall to the ground.

Ezekiel 9:2 · BSB

And I saw six men coming from the direction of the Upper Gate, which faces north, each with a weapon of slaughter in his hand. With them was another man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. And they came i…

Ezekiel 10:4 · BSB

Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and stood over the threshold of the temple. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.

“Smite”

Isaiah 6:3 Isaiah 6:4 Zechariah 11:1 Zechariah 11:2

Isaiah 6:3 · BSB

And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”

Isaiah 6:4 · BSB

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.

Zechariah 11:1 · BSB

Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may consume your cedars!

Zechariah 11:2 · BSB

Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen; the majestic trees are ruined! Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the dense forest has been cut down!

“in the head”

Psalm 68:21 Habakkuk 3:13

Psalm 68:21 · BSB

Surely God will crush the heads of His enemies, the hairy crowns of those who persist in guilty ways.

Habakkuk 3:13 · BSB

You went forth for the salvation of Your people, to save Your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked and stripped him from head to toe. Selah

“shall not flee”

Isaiah 30:16 Jeremiah 48:44 Amos 2:14 Amos 2:15 Isaiah 24:17 Isaiah 24:18

Isaiah 30:16 · BSB

“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.

Jeremiah 48:44 · BSB

“Whoever flees the panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For I will bring upon Moab the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.

Amos 2:14 · BSB

Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life.

Amos 2:15 · BSB

The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet of foot will not escape, and the horseman will not save his life.

Isaiah 24:17 · BSB

Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth.

Isaiah 24:18 · BSB

Whoever flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Also

Zephaniah 2:14

Zephaniah 2:14 · BSB

Herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind. Both the desert owl and screech owl will roost atop her pillars. Their calls will sound from the window, but desolation will lie on the threshold, for He will ex…

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

2Though they dig down to Sheol, from there My hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, from there I will pull them down.

Read Amos 9