Amo 9:2-3 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Amos 9:2-4: 9:2-4 God is inescapable (cp. Ps 139:7-12 ). When people trust, believe, and obey God, his inescapability is a great blessing. But because Israel rejected God’s revelation, his presence would mean judgment, not comfort. 9:2 to the place of the dead (literally to Sheol ): In the Old Testament, Sheol is a place beneath the earth where the dead have their abode.

a9:2-4►

bPs 139:7-12►

c9:2►

d9:3►

ePss 74:14►

f89:10►

g104:26►

hPs 89:9-10►

iIsa 27:1►

‏ Amos 9:2-3

Summary for Amos 9:2-4: 9:2-4 ^a God is inescapable (cp. Ps 139:7-12 ^b). When people trust, believe, and obey God, his inescapability is a great blessing. But because Israel rejected God’s revelation, his presence would mean judgment, not comfort. 9:2 ^c to the place of the dead (literally to Sheol): In the Old Testament, Sheol is a place beneath the earth where the dead have their abode.
9:3 ^d Though Mount Carmel is not the highest mountain in the region, its lofty grandeur often represents the beauty and richness of the land.

• sea serpent: In the ancient Near East, the sea was a symbol of chaos, often pitted against the national god (cp. Pss 74:14 ^e; 89:10 ^f; 104:26 ^g). However, the biblical text does not grant divine status to the sea monster (“Leviathan,” also called “Rahab”; Ps 89:9-10 ^h) but sees it as subject to the Lord’s command and judgment (Isa 27:1 ⁱ). Here, Amos portrays God’s sovereign power to summon the sea serpent to his service.