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Selected Verse: Amos 4:13 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Am 4:13 |
Strong Concordance |
For, lo, he that formeth [03335] the mountains [02022], and createth [01254] the wind [07307], and declareth [05046] unto man [0120] what is his thought [07808], that maketh [06213] the morning [07837] darkness [05890], and treadeth [01869] upon the high places [01116] of the earth [0776], The LORD [03068], The God [0430] of hosts [06635], is his name [08034]. |
|
King James |
For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
The God whom Israel is to "prepare to meet" (Amo 4:12) is here described in sublime terms.
wind--not as the Margin, "spirit." The God with whom thou hast to do is the Omnipotent Maker of things seen, such as the stupendous mountains, and of things too subtle to be seen, though of powerful agency, as the "wind."
declareth unto man . . . his thought-- (Psa 139:2). Ye think that your secret thoughts escape My cognizance, but I am the searcher of hearts.
maketh . . . morning darkness-- (Amo 5:8; Amo 8:9). Both literally turning the sunshine into darkness, and figuratively turning the prosperity of the ungodly into sudden adversity (Psa 73:12, Psa 73:18-19; compare Jer 13:16).
treadeth upon . . . high places--God treadeth down the proud of the earth. He subjects to Him all things however high they be (Mic 1:3). Compare Deu 32:13; Deu 33:29, where the same phrase is used of God's people, elevated by God above every other human height. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
For lo, He that formeth the mountains - Their God whom they worshiped was but nature. Amos tells them, who "their God" is, whom they were to prepare to meet. He describes Him as the Creator of that, which to man seems most solid, to go furthest back in times past. Before the everlasting mountains were, God is, for He made them. Yet God is not a Creator in the past alone. He is a continual Worker. "And formeth the wind," that finest subtlest creature, alone invisible in this visible world; the most immaterial of things material, the breath of our life, the image of man's created immaterial spirit, or even of God's uncreated presence, the mildest and the most terrific of the agents around us. But the thought of God, as a Creator or Preserver without, affects man but little. To man, a sinner, far more impressive than all majesty of Creative power, is the thought that God knows his inmost soul. So he adds; "and declareth unto man what is his thought," that is, his meditation, before he puts it into words. God knows our thoughts more truly than we ourselves. We disguise them to ourselves, know not our own hearts, wish not to know them. God reveals us to ourselves. As He says, "The heart is deceitful above all things; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart; I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings" Jer 17:9-10. Man's own conscience tells him that God's knowledge of His inmost self is no idle knowledge. "If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things" Jo1 3:20.
That maketh the morning darkness - If the light become darkness, how great that darkness! From the knowledge of man's heart, the prophet goes on to retribution. Morning is the symbol of all which is beautiful, cheering, radiant, joyous to man; darkness effaces all these. Their God, he tells them, can do all this. He can quench in gloom all the magnificent beauty of His own creation and make all which gladdened the eyes of man, "one universal blot." "And treadeth upon the high places of the earth." He "treadeth" them, to tread them under. He humbleth all which exalteth itself. "God walketh, when He worketh. He is without all, within all, containeth all, worketh all in all. Hence, it is said, "He walketh on the wings of the wind Psa 104:3; He walketh on the heights of the sea Job 9:8; He walketh on the circuit of heaven" Job 22:14.
Such was He, who made Himself "their God," The Author of all, the Upholder of all, the Subduer of all which exalted itself, who stood in a special relation to man's thoughts, and who punished. At His command stand all the hosts of heaven. Would they have Him for them, or against them? Would they be at peace with Him, before they met Him, face to face? |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Declareth - Knows the thoughts of all men. The God of hosts - Whose sovereign power all creatures obey, and acts for or against us as he willeth. Let us humble ourselves before this God, and give all diligence to make him our God. For happy are the people whose God he is, and who have all this power engaged for them. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
He that formeth the mountains - Here is a powerful description of the majesty of God. He formed the earth; he created the wind; he knows the inmost thoughts of the heart; he is the Creator of darkness and light; he steps from mountain to mountain, and has all things under his feet! Who is he who hath done and can do all these things? Jehovah Elohim Tsebaoth, that is his name.
1. The self-existing, eternal, and independent Being.
2. The God who is in covenant with mankind.
3. The universal Commander of all the hosts of earth and heaven. This name is farther illustrated in the following chapter. These words are full of instruction, and may be a subject of profitable meditation to every serious mind. |
29 Happy [0835] art thou, O Israel [03478]: who is like unto thee, O people [05971] saved [03467] by the LORD [03068], the shield [04043] of thy help [05828], and who is the sword [02719] of thy excellency [01346]! and thine enemies [0341] shall be found liars [03584] unto thee; and thou shalt tread [01869] upon their high places [01116].
13 He made him ride [07392] on the high places [01116] of the earth [0776], that he might eat [0398] the increase [08570] of the fields [07704]; and he made him to suck [03243] honey [01706] out of the rock [05553], and oil [08081] out of the flinty [02496] rock [06697];
3 For, behold, the LORD [03068] cometh forth [03318] out of his place [04725], and will come down [03381], and tread [01869] upon the high places [01116] of the earth [0776].
16 Give [05414] glory [03519] to the LORD [03068] your God [0430], before he cause darkness [02821], and before your feet [07272] stumble [05062] upon the dark [05399] mountains [02022], and, while ye look [06960] for light [0216], he turn [07760] it into the shadow of death [06757], and make [07896] [07896] it gross darkness [06205].
18 Surely thou didst set [07896] them in slippery places [02513]: thou castedst them down [05307] into destruction [04876].
19 How are they brought into desolation [08047], as in a moment [07281]! they are utterly [05486] consumed [08552] with terrors [01091].
12 Behold, these are the ungodly [07563], who prosper [07961] in the world [05769]; they increase [07685] in riches [02428].
9 And it shall come to pass in that day [03117], saith [05002] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069], that I will cause the sun [08121] to go down [0935] at noon [06672], and I will darken [02821] the earth [0776] in the clear [0216] day [03117]:
8 Seek him that maketh [06213] the seven stars [03598] and Orion [03685], and turneth [02015] the shadow of death [06757] into the morning [01242], and maketh the day [03117] dark [02821] with night [03915]: that calleth [07121] for the waters [04325] of the sea [03220], and poureth them out [08210] upon the face [06440] of the earth [0776]: The LORD [03068] is his name [08034]:
2 Thou knowest [03045] my downsitting [03427] and mine uprising [06965], thou understandest [0995] my thought [07454] afar off [07350].
12 Therefore thus will I do [06213] unto thee, O Israel [03478]: and because [06118] I will do [06213] this unto thee, prepare [03559] to meet [07125] thy God [0430], O Israel [03478].
14 Thick clouds [05645] are a covering [05643] to him, that he seeth [07200] not; and he walketh [01980] in the circuit [02329] of heaven [08064].
8 Which alone spreadeth out [05186] the heavens [08064], and treadeth [01869] upon the waves [01116] of the sea [03220].
3 Who layeth the beams [07136] of his chambers [05944] in the waters [04325]: who maketh [07760] the clouds [05645] his chariot [07398]: who walketh [01980] upon the wings [03671] of the wind [07307]:
20 For [3754] if [1437] our [2257] heart [2588] condemn us [2607], [3754] God [2316] is [2076] greater [3187] than our [2257] heart [2588], and [2532] knoweth [1097] all things [3956].
9 The heart [03820] is deceitful [06121] above all things, and desperately wicked [0605]: who can know [03045] it?
10 I the LORD [03068] search [02713] the heart [03820], I try [0974] the reins [03629], even to give [05414] every man [0376] according to his ways [01870], and according to the fruit [06529] of his doings [04611].