And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.

AMOS 9:5KJV
Know the Bible

Amos 9:5 (KJV)

What does Amos 9:5 mean?

Amos 9:5 describes the Lord GOD as so powerful that when He touches the land, it melts, causing everyone living there to mourn, and the land rises and sinks like a flood, just as the Nile floods Egypt. The verse uses dramatic language to show God's overwhelming authority over creation and the fate of nations.

In this verse, the prophet Amos is speaking to the people of Israel, warning them of God's coming judgment. The imagery of the land melting and flooding emphasizes that God's intervention is unstoppable and affects everyone. The reference to the "flood of Egypt" would remind listeners of the mighty Nile, which could both give life and bring destruction, highlighting the seriousness of God's warning.

The Hebrew behind Amos 9:5

  • "Lord" (אֲדֹנָי, ʾadonai) and "GOD" (יְהוִה, yehovih): The use of both titles together stresses God's supreme authority and power, making it clear this is not just any ruler but the Lord over all.
  • "Toucheth" (נָגַע, nagaʿ): This word means more than a gentle touch; it often carries the sense of striking or causing an effect. Here, it shows that even the slightest action from God brings dramatic change.
  • "Melt" (מוּג, mug): This word means to dissolve or melt away, painting a picture of the land losing all stability at God's command.
  • "Flood" (יְאֹר, ye'or): This is the Hebrew word for the Nile River, specifically connecting the image to the well-known floods of Egypt, which could be both life-giving and destructive.

Why Amos 9:5 matters

  • This verse clears up any idea that God is distant or uninvolved; Amos shows God’s power is immediate and world-shaking.
  • The reference to the Nile’s flood connects Israel’s warning to a familiar and awe-inspiring event, making the threat vivid and relatable to Amos’s audience.
  • Amos 9:5 sets up the seriousness of the coming judgment in the wider passage, showing that no one can stand against God’s will when He chooses to act.

Where else these words appear

“drowned” Hebrew H8257 · used in 6 verses

  • Numbers 11:2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.
  • Job 41:1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
  • Ezekiel 32:14 Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord GOD.

“melt” Hebrew H4127 · used in 17 verses

  • Exodus 15:15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
  • Psalms 46:6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
  • Isaiah 64:7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

“mourn” Hebrew H56 · used in 38 verses

  • Genesis 37:34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
  • Nehemiah 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
  • Jeremiah 14:2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

“flood” Hebrew H2975 · used in 48 verses

  • Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
  • Exodus 7:24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
  • Isaiah 33:21 But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.