Amos · Chapter 9

He stood upon the altar. He departed from the cherub to the altar by way of exiting outward to the golden altar, which is in the Sanctuary, and this constitutes the tenth of the journeys that the Divine Presence traversed. "Strike the capital [of the pillar]." That is, the one located on the roof. “And the doorposts trembled.” The lower doorposts of the house. Thus: “The king shall be slain, and the princes shall tremble.” And in their piercing at the head of all of them. Just as it says, "and He smote them," and the Targum renders: "The knob of the menorah, more than the lampstand, was shattered; King Josiah was killed; the doorposts trembled; the Temple was destroyed; and the court was laid waste." And "their plunder" at the head of all of them. And just as it says, "They will be taken captive from the holy place," so too "in their disgrace" is like "their wealth shall go into exile" at the head of all of them.

"I saw" – In prophetic visions, he saw the Glory of the Lord standing upon the altar and commanding one of the angels: "Strike the knob (capital) to open the House of the Lord," for such is the custom: to place a knob (capital) above the door, which is shaped like an apple, upon which the thresholds rest. “And break them off (u-vtza’am)” — like “and He wounds them (u-fetza’am),” by reason of the context; for all the men of the house — they are the priests — shall be wounded. "ואחריתם" – their descendants, as in: "ולא לאחריתו" (and not to his descendants).

"I saw the Lord standing on the altar." This means that he saw in a prophetic vision the Divine Presence standing on the altar in the Temple. “And he said, ‘Strike the lintel, and the doorposts shall tremble.’” He said to the angel: “Strike the lintel of the Temple.” The “doorposts” are the two doorjambs of the gate, and the “lintel” is the crossbeam above them. It is called a “lintel” because they engrave upon it buttons and flowers. He told him to strike the lintel, and from the blow on the lintel, the doorposts shall tremble. “And break them off (u-vtza’am).” The word is mil‘eil (accented on the penultimate syllable), with two pashta [accents], and it is an imperative; and the patach of the ayin is in place of a tsere, for the norm [in such imperatives] is with a tsere, like “shim‘em” (hear them), “shalchem” (send them) — so wrote Rabbi Yonah, and so wrote my master, my father, of blessed memory, since [Scripture] said “hakh” (strike) [as an imperative], [so] “u-vtza‘am” is likewise an imperative. And it is possible that it is a past-tense verb turned to the future by the [conversive] vav, meaning “and God — or the enemy — will break them off.” If it refers to God, as it then says, “I will slay” — and even though at first it said “u-vtza‘am” in the third person and afterward said “I will slay,” such is the way of Scripture in many places. And the ayin of “u-vtza‘am” is opened [with a patach] because the word is mil‘eil. And the meaning of “betza‘am” is [that of] cutting and severing, as in the intensive [form] “He would let loose His hand and cut me off” (Job 6:9, vi-vatza‘eni); and [Onkelos] translated “break it into pieces” (Leviticus 2:6, patot otah pitim) as “betza yatah betzu‘in” (break it into pieces). And the explanation is: “At the head of them all.” This refers to one who is at the head of them all, namely the priests, and it states that the Lord, blessed be He, will cut them off, for they too have transgressed against Him. “And their remnant” (ve’acharitam): the rest of the people — as if one said “and your remnant (acharitkha) shall fall by the sword,” [where “remnant”] is like “your people”; and the people are called “the end/remnant” (acharit) because they are the remnant [that comes] after the heads of the people. And the “capital” (kaftor) that is mentioned is a metaphor for the leaders, just as it is the top of the gate. And likewise, what it says — that he saw Him standing upon the altar — is to say that He did not desire the service of the priests. "None of them shall flee away." [This refers] to those who were liable for execution — for some of them were liable for execution, and some of them were liable for exile. “And he shall not escape” — whether he hides himself, or the enemy refrains from killing him. And the Targum: thus said Amos the prophet, “I have seen,” etc. And in the Midrash: “I saw the Lord standing upon the altar” — He was standing over the generation to slay it. “And He said, ‘Strike the capital’” — this is Josiah; “and the thresholds shall shake” — these are his councillors (sanhedrin); “and break them off upon the head of them all.” Rabbi Pinchas said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: it is like a se’ah full of sins — what accuses [most] among them? Robbery. And this is “u-vtza‘am,” from “u-votze‘a berekh” (Psalm 10:3) — [robbery] — and robbery is at the head of all the sins. And Rabbi Yehudah says in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: it is like people among whom there were idolatry, incest, and bloodshed — the greatest [sin] among them outweighs them all.

"Strike the doorpost." "Strike the doorpost" refers to the lintel, and from that striking the doorposts will tremble. This means: in the destruction of the king, the princes will tremble. And regarding Josiah it will be said: after he was killed, the monarchy was humbled, and the princes did not have the power to crown a king of their own accord. And when they crowned Jehoahaz, the king of Egypt removed him from the monarchy and brought punishment upon the land, as it is stated in II Kings. And from then on they did not crown a king of their own accord. "And their unjust gain." The desire for their wealth will be revealed at the head of all of them, for before they went into exile, in the days of Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar brought out the treasures of the House of the Lord and the treasures of the royal house, as it is stated in II Kings. "And their end." Their sons and daughters I will slay by the sword of the gentiles. "He shall not flee, etc." – One who wishes to help [him] escape will not be able to do so. "And none shall escape, etc." – This is a repetition of the matter stated in:

The "kaf-tor" is the lintel, and it is called "kaf-tor" because they make round button-like designs on it, resembling apples. And likewise, "upon the kaf-torim shall they lie" (Zephaniah 2:14). And they trembled. The matter is of a strong shaking: The *sefayim* (the jambs). They are the doorposts, as it is stated: “the side of the gate” (Ezekiel 9:2). And their booty. The delight of their wealth, as it is said, “the booty of silver” (Judges 5:19). And their end. Thus, the sons and daughters are called by this name, just as it is written, “and not to his end” (Daniel 11:4). He will flee. The matter of fleeing: To them. Just as it is written “from them”: Yimmalet. A matter of escaping: Pleit. The meaning of "she'arit" (remnant) is like "pleit" and "shered" (Lamentations 2:22).

"I saw the Lord standing by the altar" – it has already been stated above (3:10) that "on the day of visitation I will visit the transgression of Israel, and I will punish the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off." And I explained that Hoshea son of Elah desired to abolish the worship of the calves, and he abolished the guards who were guarding so that Israel would not go up for the pilgrimage, and he cut off the horns of the altar. And through this, a rebellion arose among the people, and they divided into two factions. And this was the cause that they informed against Hoshea before the king of Assyria, and he imprisoned him in a dungeon, and he besieged Samaria, and through this he exiled them. And as has been explained in my commentary on Hosea in many places, he depicted that this matter occurred under the providence of God, as if the Lord stood by the altar that was in Bethel. And He said, "Strike the capital" – this is the lintel of the house of the altar, which had upon it a kind of capital. And through this, the doorposts shall tremble, and the house of the altar shall be destroyed. And this is itself what is stated, "and the horns of the altar shall be cut off." And "they shall be broken in pieces at the head of all of them" – through this, all of them shall be broken in pieces and divided into different factions. And this was "at the head," meaning the beginning of their downfall, for their end – the end of the tumult – will be that I will kill them by the sword through the king of Assyria. "No one shall escape for them" – meaning they will not be saved through escape. And even he who escapes from the sword of the enemy will not escape, for the sword will overtake him afterwards, as is explained.

"If they dig in Sheol." If they think to hide themselves as in Sheol: “My hand shall take them.” [Targum:] By My Memra their enemies shall drive them away. "And if they ascend into heaven." And if they should rise up in towering heights until they reach the heavens, from there I will bring them down by My word.

"If they dig in Sheol—below; and it is written: 'Sheol is naked before Him.'" At the head of Carmel—its forest and its vineyard. And if it dwells in the seabed, it is a snake, which is a large fish resembling a snake. And it is written: “a fleeing serpent,” “a crooked serpent (Isaiah 27:1).”

"If they dig." They have no escape or refuge from Me, neither above nor below. For this reason, Sheol is mentioned together with "heavens," as David said, "If I ascend to heaven..." And the matter of "digging" is like the matter of "excavating," as in "and I will dig through the wall."

"If they dig into Sheol" – If they make for themselves a tunnel into Sheol, meaning into the depths of the earth, to hide there, behold, My hand will seize them from there to deliver them into the hand of the enemy. This is a rhetorical expression, meaning that they will not benefit themselves by any scheme to escape from the hand of the nations. From there I will bring them down. To be found in the hands of the nations:

יחתרו. The matter of digging in the ground, as in "He digs through houses in the dark" (Job 24:16): In Sheol. In a deep grave:

"If they dig down, [this] explains what was stated, 'Let no fugitive escape from them,' meaning that no manner of fleeing will be of use to them. If they make a tunnel, digging a deep pit like Sheol to hide there, from there My hand will seize them and I will deliver them into the hand of the enemy; and if they ascend to the heavens, meaning to the tops of the high mountains whose peaks reach the heavens, from there I will bring them down into the hand of the enemy."

"At the top of Carmel." At the top of the towers of the walled cities. From there I will seek. From there I will appoint searchers, and they will search them out. “On the ground of the sea.” In the Targum: “The islands of the sea.” "I will command the serpent." The Targum: "peoples who are strong like a serpent."

"And if" – all of this the prophet spoke in order to frighten those who do not have a heart to understand the might of God.

“And if they hide in the top of Carmel.” There are caves on the top of Carmel in which a person can hide. And if they hide themselves from My eyes in the depths of the sea. And if they think to hide themselves in the depths of the sea: “The serpent.” This refers to the great creatures that are in the sea, namely Leviathan. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: “And if they are like the sea monsters, etc.” And “Nasi Yamma” means the islands of the sea.

"And if they hide themselves." And if they conceal themselves on the top of Mount Carmel, where there were hidden places. From there I will seek them. From the place of their hiding I will seek them, to find them and take them, to hand them over into the hands of the gentiles. “And if they hide.” And if they intend to hide themselves beneath the seabed: From there. From the bottom of the sea, I will command the serpent, which is the Leviathan, that it should bite them, and the entire matter is a figure of speech.

They will hide. The meaning of "hiding" is like that of "chavai" (hidden), as it says, "hide for a little moment" (Isaiah 26:20): I will seek. The matter of investigation, as in “and my spirit searched itself” (Psalms 77:7): The serpent. It is the Leviathan, which resembles a serpent in appearance, as it is written: “Upon Leviathan the fleeing serpent” (Isaiah 27:1). And it shall bite them. The language is that of biting with the teeth.

And if they hide in the head of Carmel, where there were many tunnels and large caves, they would hide there; from there I will seek them out and take them by means of the enemy. And if they conceal themselves from before My eyes in the depths of the sea, meaning in the desolate and isolated islands in the sea to which people do not reach, from there I will command the serpent, for serpents are found there, and they will bite them.

“And I will set My eyes upon him” – the interpretation is that I will look upon him, and behold, he is fit for good and also for evil.

"And if they go": Even those who will go into captivity, like those who went to Egypt—Yochanan ben Kareach and those with him—who went there of their own free will, thinking to save themselves there from famine and from the sword, and transgressed the words of Jeremiah; and there the sword overtook them, as Jeremiah had said to them.

"And if they go into captivity." This means: If they submit before the nations and surrender themselves into captivity, so that they might show mercy to them. “From there.” From a place where, after its waters drive out the mud and mire, it subsequently sinks downward; that is to say, after the destruction of the wicked, there will be prosperity.

“And if they go into captivity,” this is the explanation of what was stated, “nor shall any fugitive escape from them.” Even those who the enemy leaves alive and takes into captivity, they too shall not escape the sword. For from there I will command the sword, meaning that there I will decree upon them judgments and executions. It is not that I will leave them there to chance, but rather My providence will be over them. However, what I will set My eyes upon them for will be for evil and not for good, for I will watch over them to punish them with punitive providence.

“He who touches the earth, and it shall melt.” This means: who rebukes the earth, and it trembles; “and it shall melt” is a term of swaying and tottering. And the Lord is He who touches the earth, and it shall melt; that is to say, this decree has gone forth from Me.

And my lord – the meaning is that he will issue a decree against her. And it shall be withered – this is the reverse of its nature, for it is dry. "And all the inhabitants of it mourned" – like the generation of the Flood. "Ve'alatah" – the meaning of "ve'alatah" is like "ki'or" – that it shall ascend in Tammuz.

“And the Lord God of Hosts.” He is the One who is the God of hosts — the hosts above and below — and in His hand is everything; He will destroy their land. And He is the One who touches the earth and it melts, as it said above, “the earth shall quake” (Amos 8:8) — and the quaking of the earth is the earthquake, and in the place of the earthquake there shall be water, as we explained above. And this is what it says, “and the earth shall melt,” which is the dissolving of the earth in water, like “with showers You soften it” (Psalm 65:11, be-revivim temogegennah). And he added further and said, “and it shall rise up wholly like the Nile.” And he said, “and all the inhabitants in it shall mourn,” meaning that all its inhabitants shall be ruined and perish. Above he said, “and every inhabitant in it shall mourn” (Amos 8:8), in the singular, as a general [statement]; and here he said, “and all the inhabitants in it shall mourn,” in the plural, as a specific [detail]. “And it shall rise up like the River” (ka-ye’or). And above it said “ka-or,” with the yod omitted. And it sank. And above it says: And it was watered.

And it shall melt. The word is akin to "melting" and "dissolving." And it shall mourn. The matter is one of destruction, like “the land mourns” (Joel 1:10). “Veshakata.” The meaning is the falling of something into depth, as in “I will sink their waters” (Ezekiel 32:14).

“And the Lord of Hosts, who touches the earth and it melts,” this is in opposition to what was stated above (8:8), “Shall not the earth tremble for this?,” which alludes to the rebellion that arose among them. The wording there indicates that the earth trembled on its own accord. Here, however, it is stated that this occurred by means of the Lord: the rebellion of the people, which is likened to the trembling of the earth, and the enemies carrying the people off into exile, which is likened to the rising of the river that covers the land—all of this was not a mere chance occurrence, but rather by means of the Lord. He touches the earth and it melts, and the rebellion comes about. As it is stated, “I saw the Lord standing by the altar.” Likewise, by means of the Lord the river rose up entirely and the enemies covered [the land], as explained above. All of this was under the providence of the Lord.

"And His band." The assembly of His creatures. Alternatively: it is the assembly of the righteous, which was the foundation of the earth for the rectification of the heavens, for their sake all things endure. “Who calls for the waters of the sea.” [Targum:] who gives command to gather many hosts, like the waters of the sea.

“Ha-boneh” – The reason for mentioning this is that He created the earth and all its inhabitants, and where can they hide or flee from Him? Behold, throughout the earth He reaches out, and immediately it melts, even though the people dwelling in it are but a fraction of thousands upon thousands. And He returns to say: For the earth will not stand except by the power of the heavens, and the upper spheres are the celestial spheres of wind, cold, and fire, for they are all spheres, one above the other, and behold, these are between the earth and the heavens. And its narrative - they are the living. "Upon the earth He established it" — meaning that the earth is supported by bundles (of pillars). And He mentions elsewhere: "He who calls for the waters of the sea," for the sake of life, to send down rain. The meaning is: For I have prepared for mankind all their needs, and behold, I will do good to them — if they heed My voice; but if they rebel against Me, they will not escape, for all is in My hand.

“The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens.” It is written *ma’alotav* (His upper chambers) without a *yod* of the plural, and read with a *yod*, and there are many instances like this. And “the heavens” is a general term for all the celestial spheres, and behold, He built upper chambers in the heavens, and they are nine spheres, one above the other. “And His bundle He has founded upon the earth.” And the “bundle” (agudah) is the fire and the wind and the water, which form one bundle, one above the other, and they are upon the earth. And behold, it mentions the fashioning of the whole world, above and below; and the point is: how can they not fear before Him, and how can they hide from before His eyes, when He created the whole world and judges and watches over all — as it says, “the Lord of Hosts” — and He created all and will destroy all when He wills. It is the earth, which He founded upon its foundations; and [as for] those who dwell upon it, if they multiply in sin, He will destroy its structure, as He did in the Flood and in Sodom and Gomorrah. And behold, all is in His hand like clay in the potter’s hand, who makes a vessel and destroys it and makes another vessel; so the Blessed One will destroy its structure when He wills, and will do with them a thing and its opposite. Also in the sustaining of the world He made opposites, as “He calls to the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth,” as explained above. And the sage Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, of blessed memory, explained: “in the heavens” [is] the air; “the heights” are the three elements, which are spheres, one above the other; and “His bundle” are the living beings, “upon the earth He founded” — which are the bundles.

"He who builds": This refers to the One who builds in the heavens His upper chambers, one above the other. And regarding the spheres, it is said that they are arranged one above the other. And his band. the assemblage of His creatures He founded upon the earth: "He who calls 'the waters of the sea'—this refers to raising them up in clouds, and subsequently pouring them out and bringing them down upon the earth." "The Lord is His name." This teaches that everything belongs to Him and is in His hand, and it refers back to the preceding, to say: since this is so, you will not find any scheme to escape from the retribution that He intends to bring.

His ascents. From the language of “ascent,” which is constructed from the root meaning “above,” and he spoke figuratively concerning the celestial spheres: And his bundle. The meaning is a single cluster, and similarly, “Let them be one bundle” (2 Samuel 2:25).

"He who builds in the heavens His upper chambers" — this is in accordance with what is said: "He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, He encloses His upper chambers with waters," etc. "He established the earth upon its foundations." And it has become clear to me in my commentary on the Account of Creation, that initially the entire world was waters within waters. When it pleased God that the dry land should be revealed, He stretched out the heavens like a curtain. This refers to what He placed in the nature of the waters, causing them to rise as vapors to the firmament, which is the circle of respiration. There, the waters that had been mixed with the air were separated and remained in the circle of respiration, as it is stated: "He encloses His upper chambers with waters." This is the decree He placed upon the waters, that they should rise up to that point and remain there bound up in the clouds. Through this, the dry land was revealed, and the mountains rose up from the depths. This is what is meant by: "He established the earth upon its foundations." And this is what is stated: "He who builds in the heavens His upper chambers," for there is the ascent of the vapors and waters. And consequently, "His bond upon the earth is established; the dry land is bound." He set a boundary for the sea so that it should not go beyond the bond, and it is He Himself who restrains the waters so that they do not cover the dry land. It is He who calls to the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the land, and the world will return to being waters within waters, as He did in the generation of the Flood, when rain descended from the heavens and the waters covered the dry land, in such a manner that He who made it will draw His sword to return creation to the womb of chaos.

“Are you not like the sons of Cushites to Me?” Why should I refrain from taking vengeance upon you, since you do not return to Me? Are you not from the descendants of Noah, like all other non-Jews, like the Cushites, to whom you have become similar, as it is stated (Jeremiah 13:23): “Can the Cushite change his skin?” So too, you cannot do good. “Have I not [brought up Israel]?” In My goodness — the beginning of My choosing you — was the bringing-out whereby I brought you out of the land of Egypt. And what is that to Me? Even the Philistines I brought out thus from Caphtor. When the Caphtorim came upon the Avvim — as in the matter that is stated, “And the Avvim who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza” (Deuteronomy 2:23) — they conquered the sons of Gaza also, and the rest of the lords of the Philistines [dwelt] in their stead; and I brought them out from their hand. Yet even so, I did not make them a people unto Me. "And Aram from Kir." And so I am destined to bring up Aram from Kir, for Sennacherib will exile them there, and at the end of days, when the kingdom of Assyria is abolished, they will go forth.

“Is it not so?” Yefet said: “The women of the Cushites are ownerless, and no man knows who is their father, whereas you are the sons of one father. You are not like the Philistines, who came from Caphtor, or the Arameans from Kir, who became intermingled.” And it is possible that the meaning of ‘Is it not I who brought up Israel here?’ is that it is already known that I am your Father. And so Moses said: ‘Is He not your Father who acquired you?’ "And 'mem' from 'land'—it serves for another purpose, and thus it is: 'I brought you up from Egypt, and from the Philistines, and from Caphtor, and from Aram, from Kir.'"

"Are you not like the sons of Cushites to Me, the children of Israel?" Just as the sons of Cushites are slaves and are black, being the descendants of Cush, son of Ham, who are sold into slavery, so too it was fitting that you should be slaves to Me, for I purchased you from the house of slaves and brought you up from the land of Egypt. “And the Philistines from Caphtor, and Aram from Kir.” This is explained in the matter of “wonder,” for one might ask: Did I bring up the Philistines and Aram from their exile, just as I brought you up from the land of Egypt? For I exiled them from their land because of your love, since they were your neighbors and treated you very badly, and I exiled them from their land. And afterward, I did not bring them up from their exile, just as I brought you up from your exile. And even though Aram and the Philistines had not yet gone into exile when this prophecy was spoken—for Aram went into exile in the days of Ahaz, when the King of Assyria exiled them to Kir, as it is written, “And the King of Assyria went up to Damascus and captured it, and he exiled its inhabitants to Kir”—and likewise this prophet prophesied concerning their exile, as he said, “And they shall go into exile with Aram to Kir”—and the Philistines went into exile in the days of Zedekiah, as is written in the Book of Jeremiah, where he prophesied concerning their destruction and their exile—nevertheless, the prophecy mentions them thus, for the words of prophecy are in many places expressed in the past tense instead of the future tense, for it is as if it has already been done, since the words of God, blessed be He, are true. And the interpretation of “from Caphtor” is that the Philistines whom I exiled from Caphtor, for the Philistines and the Caphtorites were brothers, as it is said, “From whom the Philistines went forth, and the Caphtorites,” and likewise it is written in the prophecy of Jeremiah concerning the Philistines, “For the Lord will plunder the Philistines, the remnant of the coast of Caphtor.” And he said, “The Philistines who were exiled from Caphtor, I afterward brought them up from their exile.” And likewise Aram, I brought them up from Kir after they went into exile there, just as I brought you up from your exile from Egypt. This is the interpretation that seems to me in this verse, for it is difficult to interpret it. And I will also write what the commentators explained in it, and each person may choose for himself what is good. Rashi, of blessed memory, explained: “Am I like the Cushites?” Why should I refrain from taking vengeance upon you, since you do not return to Me? Are you not from the sons of Noah, like all the nations, like the Cushites who do not return to Me? And you resemble them, as it is said, “Can the Cushite change his skin?” etc. And you too are able to do good. Did I not initially choose you in My goodness? And that is the bringing out with which I brought you out from the land of Egypt. And what is that to Me? Even the Philistines, I brought them out from Caphtor when the Caphtorites came upon the Avvim, as it is said, “Now the Avvim who dwelt in Hazarim as far as Gaza,” etc. They conquered even the sons of Gaza and the other commanders of the Philistines who dwelt under them, and I brought them out from their hand. And nevertheless, I did not make them a nation for Me. And Aram from Kir. And thus I am destined to bring up Aram from Kir, from which Sennacherib exiled them from their land to that place; and at the end of days, when the kingdom of Assyria will cease, they will go forth from there. And the sage Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra wrote thus: Yafet said, “The women of the Cushites are promiscuous, and no one among them knows who his father is; but you were children of one father, and you are not like the Philistines from Caphtor and Aram from Kir, who became mixed with one another.” And it is possible that the meaning of “Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt?” is a known matter, namely, “I am your father,” as it is said, “Is He not your father who acquired you?” And the mem in “from the land of Egypt” is for another purpose, and so it is, “I brought you up from Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and Aram from Kir.” And my father, of blessed memory, interpreted “Did I not bring up Israel” as: “Are you not like the sons of Cush, who do not change their skin all their days? So too, you do not turn away from your evil ways.” “Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt” from their bondage, and the Philistines came from Caphtor, the destroyers who devastated them, as it is said in the Torah, “And the Avvim who dwelt in Havvim until Gaza, the Caphtorites who came forth from Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their stead.” If so, it appears that the Avvim in Havvim and their border was until Gaza, and Gaza is among the cities of the Philistines, and the Caphtorites who came forth from Caphtor destroyed them. And all the prophecies that he spoke concerning the kingdoms and the nations in that passage were for many days and long years. And so, “Aram from Kir”—from Kir came Tiglath-Pileser, who exiled them there, as it is said, “And the king of Assyria went up to Damascus,” etc. And so it is said at the beginning of this prophecy, which is the prophecy of Amos, “And they shall go into exile with Aram, Kir.” And so it is said here, “And the Philistines from Caphtor,” for the Philistines came from Caphtor, the plunderer, and Aram from Kir, the plunderer came likewise. And Yonatan did not innovate anything in this verse, but rather he translated “like the sons of Cush” as “like beloved sons.” “Cushites” is written with two yods, and the first is called vav, and so, “and the Philistines.”

“Are they not like the sons of Cush, etc.” Just as the sons of Cush are slaves to their masters, slaves forever, so too you are My slaves for all the days of eternity. For did I not bring you up from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage? Therefore, you are My slaves. "And the Philistines from Caphtor." This means: Did I bring up the Philistines, the children of Caphtor, from the place where they were exiled there? "And Aram from Kir." This means: And indeed, I will bring up Aram from Kir, so that they will be exiled there by the king of Assyria, as it is stated (in II Kings). And as if to say: Since I have not done, nor will I do, to any other nation what I have done for you, therefore you are acquired to Me as servants.

"Like the sons of Cushites." These are the black-skinned people, descendants of Cush, son of Ham.

“Are they not like the sons of Cushites?” After he prophesied calamity, he concluded his book with words of consolation, saying: “You are singled out for Me like the sons of Cushites, who are distinctive and recognizable at all times and are identified with their ancestors by the blackness of their skin; even if they go into exile and mingle among other nations, they will not assimilate with them. So too, you—even if you go into exile and mingle among the nations, you will always remain distinctive, for you are Mine. For you are the children of Israel, and all who see them will recognize them as the children of a living God.” And he brings proof for this: “Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt?” Even though you were in Egypt for many days, exiled and enslaved, nevertheless you did not assimilate with the Egyptians, and I brought up Israel, separated and distinctive in name and lineage. But did I bring up the Philistines from Caphtor, and Aram from Kir? (This is said in a questioning tone.) The Philistines, who were conquered in ancient times by the Caphtorites, as it is stated: “And the Avvim who dwelt in Hazarim as far as Gaza, the Caphtorites who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their place.” And afterward, the exiles returned to the land of the Philistines, as it is stated: “For the Lord has laid waste Philistia, the remnant of the island of Caphtor.” Nevertheless, did I bring up the Philistines? Or, when I bring up Aram from their exile to Kir (to where the king of Assyria exiled them), will I bring up Aram? No, for in their exile they will assimilate with the nations and be lost within them, and they will no longer be Philistines and Arameans, but rather Caphtorites and men of Kir. For they have already ceased to be the nation they were before their exile. Only Israel remained Israel; they did not intermarry nor assimilate with them, as it is stated: “Their seed shall be known among the nations,” etc., and he elucidated the matter.

“And I will utterly destroy her.” The kingdom refers to the House of Jehu, but the House of Jacob I will not destroy.

"Behold" — Who caused you to become like the sons of Cushites, so that you do not know Me? Your kings, for all the kings of Israel did evil. Therefore, I will destroy the kingdom of Israel, and there will be no king over them anymore in the exile of Samaria, and the tribes will be in the hand of the king of Assyria.

"Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful kingdom." This refers to the kingdom of Ephraim, for all its kings were wicked and sinful, from Jeroboam son of Nebat until Hoshea son of Elah. “And I will utterly destroy her.” The explanation is that I will destroy the kingdom, so that there will no longer be a king from among them; but the House of Jacob I will not destroy.

“Behold, the eyes of the Lord” – This means: Since it is so, and you have transgressed against Me, therefore behold, the eyes of the Lord and His providence are upon the sinful kingdom, namely the Kingdom of Ephraim, to destroy it. "Only that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, the multitude of the people, and all and all; for only the monarchy I will destroy, and there will no longer be a king among them."

"Only." Its meaning is like "only," and similarly, "and only the matter" (Numbers 22:35).

“Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful kingdom”—when the Lord turns His face to punish that kingdom for its sins, “then I will destroy it from the face of the earth”; that nation will be destroyed and cease to be a people. “Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” meaning that although the Lord will punish them, He will not annihilate their very essence; the house of Jacob will always remain distinct in their families and their customs.

For behold, I command. To exile them and to move them among all the nations with a great and excessive movement: Just as one shakes the chaff that remains in the sieve after the fine husks have fallen away, leaving behind the coarse ones which cannot pass through, and then the person shaking it shakes with all his strength. "Yinu'a." [This refers to movement] caused by another, and it is not possible to read "Yinu'a" as denoting something that moves by itself.

"And I will scatter you among the nations" – that they were exiled to Chalchah, Chabor, and the cities of Media. And the meaning of "A stone shall not fall to the ground" is: When He said, "For He will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, but only a part of it alone." Yefet said: All the kingdoms of the land will be destroyed, but Israel alone will remain. And the interpretation of "the booth of David" is: Regarding Hezekiah, who was delivered from the hand of Sennacherib, and his name went forth to distant places; and so it is written:

“For behold, I command.” This means that I decree upon them that I will move them among all the nations, just as one sifts with a sieve. Just as a grain of wheat is moved in a sieve when it is sifted, and the earth and chaff that are in it fall to the ground, while the good grains, which are coarse, remain above, and likewise the pebbles in it, which are coarse, are moved back and forth in the sieve when it is sifted; so too, Israel will be moved and tossed about among all the nations. They will not fall to the ground, except for the sinners among them, who are like earth and chaff, who have no hope in redemption and will not return from their sin—those will fall to the ground. But the others, the living, who will be at the time of redemption, and likewise those who will die in exile and die in repentance, all of them will see the redemption and return to their land; they will not fall to the ground.

"And I will shake them..." I will shake Israel in exile among the nations, just as one shakes grain in a sieve to cause the dust to fall through its holes. Yet, even so, the coarse pebbles do not fall to the ground through the holes of the sieve, for the holes of the sieve are too narrow for them. So too, Israel: even though they will be shaken and tossed about in exile, the righteous will not perish there; only the sinners and the rebels will.

And I will move them. The language of "movement" and "shaking." בכברה: It is like a sieve in which one shakes the flour, and it resembles it. And [the verse states]: "And you shall make for it a grating" (Exodus 27:4). Tzuror. A coarse clod of earth; and likewise, where no clod is found there (2 Samuel 17:13):

“For behold, I command you”: This explains the matters of Divine providence, in that He will cause them to be moved among all the nations, until they become wanderers and sojourners, scattered among all the peoples. This is the righteousness of His scattering of Israel, as our Sages of blessed memory stated, that thereby they will not be nullified in any place; and likewise, thereby no nation will dominate them to destroy them, for they will walk from nation to nation. The second point is that they should be likened to when one shakes a sieve, in which one places wheat and barley and shakes the sieve to clean them of the chaff. The fine chaff falls through the holes of the sieve, but the “bundle”—namely, the full grains in which the flour is bundled—does not fall to the ground, but remains in the sieve. So too, through the scattering and exiles, the wicked among them will fall and be absorbed among the nations, but the righteous, who are bundled in the bundle of Torah and commandments and the unity of Israel, will not fall to the ground, but will remain in their faith. And it explains: “And who is the chaff that will fall to the ground and exit from the sieve?”

“The evil shall not draw near nor come before us.” Because of our sins, the evil shall not hasten to draw near and to come.

“By the sword” – Just as that which is not grain falls from the sieve, which has no use, so too will the wicked of Israel be destroyed, for they say, “Because of their wickedness, do not bring evil to come.” And Rabbi Yeshua says: “Ki be’adenu” is like “Eilenu.”

“By the sword shall all the sinners of My people die.” The prophet spoke regarding those specific sins that were prevalent in his generation, and not regarding all sins, for many of them had already gone into exile. Rather, he referred to the sinners who were saying, “Do not bring near and hasten our evil decree.” They had become despondent regarding the calamity, and they were saying, “Do not draw near and hasten our evil decree, and let us act according to the desire of our hearts.” And if the calamity should come, they claimed it would not come because of our deeds, but rather it would be a mere chance occurrence in the world, as it is stated in the Torah: “And you shall walk with Me by chance” (Leviticus 26:21).

“By the sword they shall die.” Those who die by the sword of the nations are all the sinners among My people, who say, “Evil shall not come upon us, for there is no recompense and no punishment.” But the righteous shall remain, and the sword shall not consume them.

“Bring it near.” The meaning is drawing near: "and she shall precede." The matter of swiftness: “On our behalf.” This means: upon us.

“By the sword shall all the wicked of My people die”—these are the refuse, who say, “Do not bring near,” meaning that they claim the coming calamity is accidental and not under God’s providential oversight due to their deeds. Therefore, they say, “Do not bring near to us the calamity,” asserting that the calamity which approaches to come will not come to us in order to punish us, but rather it is a matter of chance. Moreover, they add, “Nor let it hasten to come to us,” for they do not even believe that their deeds cause the calamity to hasten its arrival; rather, they claim that both the coming of the calamity and its timing are entirely accidental, and that it does not come to the wicked before the righteous. This constitutes a denial of divine providence and punishment.

"On that day." After all these things have befallen them, that day prepared for redemption will come, and on it I will raise up the fallen booth of David; and the Targum [renders it]: "the kingdom of the House of David."

"On the day" – "day" refers to the time.

"On that day." On the day of the redemption, I will raise up the fallen booth of David. For since it was said that the kingdom of Ephraim will be abolished, He said that the kingdom of David will rise, and it is called a "booth" metaphorically, because it provides shade for the people. "And I will repair its breaches." The breaches of Israel. And it says, "And its ruins," in a general sense, and it says, "And I will build it upon the booth."

"On that day." When the wicked shall be finished: "I will establish..." — This means: I will restore the monarchy to the House of David, which fell and was humbled during the days of the exile. “And I will fence in” etc. I will bind up the breach that was in it; or alternatively, it means: then no other king will reign over Ephraim, which would [otherwise] be some breach in the kingdom of the House of David. "And its ruins." That which was in a state of ruin during the kingdom of the House of David throughout all the days of the exile, when they did not reign at all—then I will raise it up and build it, so that it will be constructed and restored as in days of old. That is to say, as it was from then on in the days of David himself.

And I will hedge about. The matter of building: Their breaches. The matter is of a broken wall: And its ruins. The term is derived from the words for demolition and destruction.

"On that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David" (Amos 9:11): Initially, the House of David was built and perfected in a permanent structure, descending through the generations of David’s descendants. Afterwards, there was no longer a permanent structure, only a temporary booth. This was during the Second Temple period, when the monarchy of the House of David was abolished, and the Hasmoneans and Herod reigned as kings. Nevertheless, there were still princes from the lineage of the House of David, which was akin to a temporary booth. Afterwards, even the booth of David fell, because in this exile the princes too were abolished, and there was no memory or leadership of the lineage of the House of David. Then the Lord will raise up the booth of David, meaning that a man from the lineage of the House of David will arise and lead the people as the princes did. It has already been explained (Ezekiel 34:23–24) that the sun will shine for the House of David in three degrees, as it is stated there: "He will shepherd them, and He will be their shepherd, and I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them." Initially, the man from the House of David will shepherd them, meaning he will lead them and compel them to do justice and righteousness. In this way, the booth of David, which is the leadership from his lineage, will be raised. However, the booth will still be in a state of disrepair. Afterwards, Israel will accept the sovereignty of Heaven and accept his leadership willingly. Then he will be their shepherd by their consent. This is what is meant by "I will fence in their breaches," meaning that through this, the breaches of the generation will be fenced in, and I will raise up its ruins. The booth will be complete and no longer in disrepair, because they will accept him as their shepherd willingly. Afterwards, the sovereignty of Heaven will be revealed, as it is stated: "And I, the Lord, will be their God," and then "My servant David will be prince among them." He will be King Messiah. Then there will not be a temporary booth, but a permanent structure. This is what is meant by "And I will build it as in the days of old," meaning that the sovereignty will be permanent as before.

“that they may inherit.” Israel will inherit the remnant, etc., and all the nations, for My name is called upon them. “Asher.” This is like “ki” (for).

“Lema’an” — this verse is reversed, and thus is its interpretation: “Lema’an” (so that) Israel shall inherit the remnant of Edom, and all the nations after the death of Sennacherib; and if it refers to the Messiah, the matter is clear.

“For that they may inherit.” The verse is inverted, like “For that they may inherit those upon whom My name is called, the remnant of Edom,” meaning those upon whom My name is called, namely Edom. The sense of “for that” is: I will build it as in the days of old, so that they may inherit their enemies, their neighbors, who are Edom, the Philistines, Moab, and Ammon. This is what is stated, “And all the nations,” and this is what is stated, “as in the days of old,” for David, king of Israel, placed governors in Edom, and likewise he subdued all the rest before him. And so it shall be in the future, that Israel will inherit those nations, as it is stated in the prophecy of Obadiah, “And the Negev shall inherit the mountain of Esau.” And so it is stated in the prophecy of Isaiah, “Edom and Moab shall be subject to their hand.” And concerning what is stated, “the remnant of Edom,” while Obadiah said, “There shall be no remnant for the house of Esau,” the meaning is that there shall be no remnant for the house of Esau, for they shall all be destroyed in the days of the Messiah. But Israel shall inherit their land, not all of it, but a remnant thereof, that which shall not be desolate forever, for part of it shall be desolate forever, as a sign for generations, because they acted wickedly toward Israel, they or their brethren. And part of it Israel shall inherit and dwell in it. He does this. The decree that I have spoken, I will carry it out, for the power is in My hand to do so.

“So that they may inherit, etc.” This is the reverse of what was said, “So that they may inherit those upon whom My Name is called,” etc. That is to say, the dominion will be such that the people upon whom My Name is called—to be called the people of God—they shall inherit the remnant that remains of all the nations, to be their slaves. He does this. The one who performs that good deed:

"למען" – its meaning is like "in such a way that," as in "so that your ox may rest" (Exodus 23:12).

In order that they may inherit the remnant of Edom, for the majority of the sons of Edom will then fall in the war of Gog and Magog, and the remnant that remains of them, as well as all the nations that remain at that time, upon whom My name is called—meaning that they will recognize the name of the Lord and accept the beliefs of truth, until the name of the Lord is called upon them—all of these will be an inheritance for the Messiah.

“And the plowman shall overtake the reaper.” [As it is said,] “And the threshing shall overtake the vintage, and the vintage shall overtake the sowing” (Leviticus 26:5): they will not have time to plow before the reaping arrives, and will not have time to gather the vintage before the time of sowing arrives. "Tatmoggenah." Jonathan's Targum translates it as "yitpalechan" (they will be tilled/worked [made soft]), referring to the ground of a field that becomes cracked and split when rain falls upon it. Asis. Good and sweet wine:

"Behold" – now he will recount the abundance of the land. 'Titmogagna' (they shall dissolve): with milk — expressed in a concise, elliptical manner.

“Behold, days are coming” – the plower meets the reaper. So great will the abundance of the harvest be that they will be occupied with reaping the crop until the time of plowing, and the plower will encounter the reaper, in the manner of what is said in the Torah: “the threshing shall overtake the vintage, and the vintage shall overtake the sowing (Leviticus 26:5).” But this [prophecy] is even greater. And he treads the grapes while drawing out the seed. As it is stated in the Torah, “The vintage shall overtake the sowing” (Amos 9:13), and the explanation is that “drawing out the seed” means carrying the seed to the field to sow it. And what is meant by “drawing out” is expressed in the language of “carrying,” as in “carrying the drawn-out seed.” This is a matter of great importance, like “drawing out wisdom.” And the seed is precious to the one who sows it. And the Targum says: “when he brings forth the seed.” “And the mountains shall drip sweet wine.” This is an analogy: due to the abundance of wine and fruits, similar to the phrase “flowing with milk and honey.” The term “sweet wine” (asiss) is a general name for any beverage that comes from grapes and other fruits from which a drink is extracted. It is called “sweet wine” because the liquid is extracted from them through squeezing and crushing, as it is written: “and they shall crush the wicked” (Malachi 3:21). “Titmoggenah.” By way of parable, it is as if the hills had melted and were dissolving from the abundance of milk that flowed upon them from the flocks. And although the word “milk” is not explicitly mentioned, this is what is meant, relying on the understanding of the reader despite the omission of the word. This is also the manner of Scripture in many places, as we have mentioned; many of them are enumerated in the section of grammar called *Sefer Miklol*. Similarly, it is said in the prophecy of Joel: “The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk.” It is possible that all of this is by way of parable, referring to the abundance and multitude of goodness that Israel had without toil and labor, as we explained there. There it says “yittafu” (they shall drip) from the light root (*qal*), whereas here it says “vehittefenu” (and they shall drip) from the heavy root (hif'il). The matter is one and the same, except that the heavy root indicates a greater intensity of action.

“And the plowman shall overtake the reaper.” This means that there will be an abundance of crops, and people will be engaged in harvesting until the time for plowing arrives; thus, the plowman and the reaper will approach and meet one another. Likewise, the one treading the grapes will meet the one who draws and brings the grain for sowing, because the grapes will be abundant, and people will be engaged in treading the grapes until the time of sowing. And they shall drip. Many grapes will grow in the mountains, and the wine will drip from them; this is a matter of rhetorical expression. “Tetmoggenah.” This means that there will be a lush pasture, and milk will flow from the sheep, as if the hills had melted from the abundance of the flowing milk.

And he drew near. The matter of “the close and attached”: And treading. The manner of treading on the grapes to extract the wine: Regarding the term "moshekh" (one who draws): it is a verbal form denoting the act of drawing and carrying. "Ve-hitifu" (and they shall drip). An expression of flowing. "Must." So is wine called "must," and so too in the verse, "For the must has been cut off from your mouths" (Joel 1:5). They shall melt. The word is from the root meaning “to melt” and “to dissolve.”

“Behold, days are coming” – He further explained that then the grain and fruits will increase, to the extent that the harvest will be prolonged for a long time until the time of plowing arrives, and the treading of the grapes will be prolonged until the time of sowing comes, due to the abundance of grain and grapes, as it is stated, “and the threshing shall overtake the vintage,” and the mountains will drip with sweet wine, from the honey of the fruits, and the hills, where the cattle and sheep graze, will be saturated with milk, as it is stated at the end of the book of Joel, “and the hills shall flow with milk.”

"And I will return." This is clear. And what he said, "and they shall drink their wine and eat their fruit," means that their labor shall not be in vain; they would till their land and their enemies, their neighbors, would eat [its produce], as happened when they were on their land before its destruction, because they were not doing the will of God, blessed be He. And similarly, it is said in the prophecy of Isaiah: "They shall build houses and dwell in them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit." And what he said, "and eat their fruit," and behold, he said, "and drink their wine"—the intent of these matters is one, for the grapes are both for eating and for drinking the wine that comes from them. And the same law applies to the other grains and the other trees of the field.

And I will restore. I will establish in tranquility and repose the exiles of My people Israel. “Cities desolate.” That were desolate in the time of the exile. "And they dwelt." In those cities they dwelt, and they were no longer exiled from them. "And they shall drink." They shall drink the wine, and no more shall idolaters come to drink it. "And they shall make gardens." They will prepare gardens and sow them.

"And I will return." The meaning is tranquility and rest, as in "In returning and rest you shall be saved" (Isaiah 30:15). Shavat. From the language of the captivity of the exile: Neshamot. From the language of “shemammon” (desolation):

"And I will return the captivity of My people" — this refers to restoring their spiritual stature and rank; "and they shall build the cities that had been desolate" — these are the souls; "and they shall plant vineyards, etc."

"And I will plant them" – I will plant them upon their land, like a tree that does not move from its place. And similarly: "You shall bring them and plant them," and similarly: "I will plant them." Here ends the Book of Amos.

"And I will plant them." Like a tree that is planted, so that it shall not move from its place; the matter is that they shall no longer be exiled from their land, and this is so that they shall always serve the Lord, blessed be He, and do His will. “The Lord your God has spoken.” This is the utterance of God, blessed be He, addressed to the prophet.

"And I will plant them." They shall be rooted like a planted tree. "And they shall not be uprooted." And they shall not be torn out again from their land, which I gave them from of old. This means that they shall no longer be exiled from it, for there they shall dwell forever.

They shall uproot. The meaning of uprooting is like “to uproot and to tear down” (Jeremiah 1:10):

“And I will plant them on their land”: From then on, they shall be like a tree planted in its place, which cannot be uprooted from its soil; so too, they shall no longer be torn away from their land, for they shall no longer go into exile forever.