Amos 9 | The Earthquake and the Day of the Lord

Chapter 9 concludes Sefer Amos, and holds two key points. The first relates to the earthquake. The book opened with a heading that situates his prophecies in time: “During the days of Uziya, king of Yehuda, and Yerovam the son of Yoash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake” (1:1) — two years before the well-known earthquake. The prophet Zekharya also refers to the earthquake in the days of Uziya as a well-known and traumatic event: “You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uziya, the king of Yehuda” (Zekharya 14:5). This may connect to the opening prophecies of Sefer Yeshayahu (for example, in Chapter 2), which address the problem of human arrogance and describe the day of the Lord as a time when man will be humbled and his fortresses and walls will collapse to the ground.

Chapter 9 opens with the words: “I saw my Lord standing beside the altar. He said: ‘Strike the lintel, and let the doorposts quake’” — this shaking and the trembling of the door posts may be linked to that same earthquake (compare Yeshayahu 6:4). Likewise, the words “He – who but touches the earth, and it dissolves” (9:5) seem to allude to an earthquake. If this indeed refers to an earthquake, then the heading at the beginning of the book is no coincidence. The prophecies were delivered two years before the quake, intended as a warning to prevent it, but to no avail. The complacent and self-assured society of the kingdom of Israel, as we have seen throughout the book, will only recognize the true place and stature of man after the earthquake. The verses go on to describe the impending disaster, and some of the imagery evokes the day of the Lord that we encountered in chapter 5 — for instance, verse 3 here: “Even if they secret themselves away from My eyes on the sea-floor, there I will command the snake to bite them” Thus, as in Yeshayahu, so too in Amos, the day of the Lord is a day of shaking and trembling that dismantles human arrogance.

The second point concerns the issue of Israel being the chosen one, a central theme in Sefer Amos. We saw in the opening prophecy how the focus shifted from prophecies of doom against the nations to prophecies of doom against Yehuda and Israel — a transition that likely surprised the people of Israel. And in chapter 3, we encountered the statement: “It is only you that I have known from among all the families on earth, so I will visit all your sins upon you” (3:2) — Israel’s chosenness is not a privilege but a responsibility, one that demands much of them.

In our chapter, the prophecy initially asserts that Israel is like any other nation: “Are you not to Me like the children of Kush, O children of Israel? Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt as I brought the Philistines up from Kaftor and Aram from Kir?" (9:7). Do not think that you are immune simply because you are the chosen people. Just as I brought the Philistines from Kaftor but will expel them if they are found guilty, so too with you — I brought you up from Egypt, but if you prove unworthy, you will be exiled from the land.

Yet immediately after, the prophecy qualifies this by stating: “Yes, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinning kingdom; I will wipe it off the face of the earth, but the House of Yaakov I will never destroy, says the Lord” (9:8). The kingdom of Israel will indeed be destroyed, but the House of Yaakov will not be obliterated. Ultimately, Israel will return to their land: “I will bring back the exiled of My nation, Israel. They will build ruined cities and settle. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine. They will grow gardens and eat their fruit” (9:14).