Amos 5:9 With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin.

◄ Amos 5:9 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin.

English Standard Version
who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

New American Standard Bible
It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress.

King James Bible
That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He brings destruction on the strong, and it falls on the stronghold.

International Standard Version
It is he who is raining sudden destruction upon the strong like lightning, so that ruin comes upon the fortress.

American Standard Version
that bringeth sudden destruction upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He that with a smile bringeth destruction upon the strong, and waste upon the mighty.

Darby Bible Translation
He causeth destruction to break forth suddenly upon the strong, and bringeth destruction upon the fortress.

Young's Literal Translation
Who is brightening up the spoiled against the strong, And the spoiled against a fortress cometh.

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

5:7-17 The same almighty power can, for repenting sinners, easily turn affliction and sorrow into prosperity and joy, and as easily turn the prosperity of daring sinners into utter darkness. Evil times will not bear plain dealing; that is, evil men will not. And these men were evil men indeed, when wise and good men thought it in vain even to speak to them. Those who will seek and love that which is good, may help to save the land from ruin. It behoves us to plead God's spiritual promises, to beseech him to create in us a clean heart, and to renew a right spirit within us. The Lord is ever ready to be gracious to the souls that seek him; and then piety and every duty will be attended to. But as for sinful Israel, God's judgments had often passed by them, now they shall pass through them.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

9. strengtheneth the spoiled—literally, "spoil" or "devastation": hence the "person spoiled." Winer, Maurer, and the best modern critics translate, "maketh devastation (or destruction) suddenly to arise," literally, "maketh it to gleam forth like the dawn." Ancient versions support English Version. The Hebrew is elsewhere used, to make, to shine, to make glad: and as English Version here (Ps 39:13), "recover strength."

the spoiled shall come—"devastation," or "destruction shall come upon" [Maurer]. English Version expresses that, strong as Israel fancies herself after the successes of Jeroboam II (2Ki 14:25), even the weakest can be made by God to prevail against the strong.