Amos 5:9 (YLT)

Passage

Who is brightening up the spoiled against the strong, And the spoiled against a fortress cometh.

Nearby Context

Amos 5:7 Ye who are turning to wormwood judgment, And righteousness to the earth have put down,

Amos 5:8 The maker of Kimah and Kesil, And the turner to morning of death-shade, And day <FI>as<Fi> night He hath made dark, Who is calling to the waters of the sea, And poureth them on the face of the earth, Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> His name;

Amos 5:9 Who is brightening up the spoiled against the strong, And the spoiled against a fortress cometh.

Amos 5:10 They have hated a reprover in the gate, And a plain speaker they abominate.

Amos 5:11 Therefore, because of your trampling on the poor, And the tribute of corn ye take from him, Houses of hewn work ye have built, And ye do not dwell in them, Desirable vineyards ye have planted, And ye do not drink their wine.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brightening", "spoiled", "against", "strong", "fortress", and "cometh". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brightening" and "spoiled", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "The maker of Kimah and Kesil And..." into verse 10's "They have hated a reprover in the...", so "brightening" and "spoiled" 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 "brightening" and "spoiled" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.