Amos 9:3 (GNV)

Passage

And though they hide them selues in the toppe of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence: and though they be hid from my sight in the bottome of the sea, thence will I commande the serpent, and he shall bite them.

Nearby Context

Amos 9:1 I sawe the Lord standing vpon the altar, and he sayde, Smite the lintel of the doore, that the postes may shake: and cut them in pieces, euen the heads of them all, and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them, shall not flee away: and he that escapeth of them, shall not be deliuered.

Amos 9:2 Though they digge into the hell, thence shall mine hande take them: though they clime vp to heauen, thence will I bring them downe.

Amos 9:3 And though they hide them selues in the toppe of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence: and though they be hid from my sight in the bottome of the sea, thence will I commande the serpent, and he shall bite them.

Amos 9:4 And though they goe into captiuitie before their enemies, thence wil I commande the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes vpon them for euill, and not for good.

Amos 9:5 And the Lord God of hosts shall touch the land, and it shall melt away, and al that dwel therein shall mourne, and it shall rise vp wholy like a flood, and shall bee drowned as by the flood of Egypt.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "though", "hide", "selues", "toppe", "carmel", "search", "take", and "thence". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "though" and "hide", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Though they digge into the hell thence..." into verse 4's "And though they goe into captiuitie before...", so "though" and "hide" belong inside that flow. In Amos context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "though" and "hide" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.