Amos 9:9 (GNV)

Passage

For loe, I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corne is sifted in a sieue: yet shall not the least stone fall vpon the earth.

Nearby Context

Amos 9:7 Are ye not as the Ethiopians vnto mee, O children of Israel, sayeth the Lord? haue not I brought vp Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistims from Caphtor, and Aram from Kir?

Amos 9:8 Beholde, the eyes of the Lord God are vpon the sinfull kingdome, and I will destroy it cleane out of the earth. Neuerthelesse I will not vtterly destroy the house of Iaakob, saith the Lord.

Amos 9:9 For loe, I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corne is sifted in a sieue: yet shall not the least stone fall vpon the earth.

Amos 9:10 But all the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword, which say, The euill shall not come, nor hasten for vs.

Amos 9:11 In that day will I raise vp the tabernacle of Dauid, that is fallen downe, and close vp the breaches therof, and I will rayse vp his ruines, and I will builde it, as in the dayes of olde,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "command", "sift", "house", "israel", "nations", "like", "corne", and "sifted". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "command" and "sift", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Beholde the eyes of the Lord God..." into verse 10's "But all the sinners of my people...", so "command" and "sift" 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 "command" and "sift" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.