TRV
Translation
King James Version
And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
KJV (with Strong's)
And I will bring again H7725 the captivity H7622 of my people H5971 of Israel H3478, and they shall build H1129 the waste H8074 cities H5892, and inhabit H3427 them; and they shall plant H5193 vineyards H3754, and drink H8354 the wine H3196 thereof; they shall also make H6213 gardens H1593, and eat H398 the fruit H6529 of them.
Complete Jewish Bible
I will restore the fortunes of my people Isra'el; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities; they will plant vineyards and drink their wine, cultivate gardens and eat their fruit.
Berean Standard Bible
I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
American Standard Version
And I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
World English Bible Messianic
I will bring my people Israel back from captivity, and they will rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them; and they will plant vineyards, and drink wine from them. They shall also make gardens, and eat their fruit.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And I will bring againe the captiuitie of my people of Israel: and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabite the, and they shall plant vineyardes, and drinke the wine thereof: they shall also make gardens, and eate the fruites of them.
Young's Literal Translation
And I have turned back to the captivity of My people Israel, And they have built desolate cities, and inhabited, And have planted vineyards, and drunk their wine, And made gardens, and eaten their fruit.
In the KJVVerse 22,510 of 31,102
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Commentary on Amos 9 verses 11–15
11 ¶ In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.
To him to whom all the prophets bear witness this prophet, here in the close, bears his testimony, and speaks of that day, those days that shall come, in which God will do great things for his church, by the setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah, for the rejecting of which the rejection of the Jews was foretold in the foregoing verses. The promise here is said to agree to the planting of the Christian church, and in that to be fulfilled, Act 15:15-17. It is promised,
I. That in the Messiah the kingdom of David shall be restored (Amo 9:11); the tabernacle of David it is called, that is, his house and family, which, though great and fixed, yet, in comparison with the kingdom of heaven, was mean and movable as a tabernacle. The church militant, in its present state, dwelling as in shepherds' tents to feed, as in soldiers' tents to fight, is the tabernacle of David. God's tabernacle is called the tabernacle of David because David desired and chose to dwell in God's tabernacle for ever, Psa 61:4. Now, 1. These tabernacles had fallen an gone to decay, the royal family was so impoverished, its power abridged, its honour stained, and laid in the dust; for many of that race degenerated, and in the captivity it lost the imperial dignity. Sore breaches were made upon it, and at length it was laid in ruins. So it was with the church of the Jews; in the latter days of it its glory departed; it was like a tabernacle broken down and brought to ruin, in respect both of purity and of prosperity. 2. By Jesus Christ these tabernacles were raised and rebuilt. In him God's covenant with David had its accomplishment; and the glory of that house, which was not only sullied, but quite sunk, revived again; the breaches of it were closed and its ruins raised up, as in the days of old; nay, the spiritual glory of the family of Christ far exceeded the temporal glory of the family of David when it was at its height. In him also God's covenant with Israel had its accomplishment, and in the gospel-church the tabernacle of God was set up among men again, and raised up out of the ruins of the Jewish state. This is quoted in the first council at Jerusalem as referring to the calling in of the Gentiles and God's taking out of them a people for his name. Note, While the world stands God will have a church in it, and, if it be fallen down in one place and among one people, it shall be raised up elsewhere.
II. That that kingdom shall be enlarged, and the territories of it shall extend far, by the accession of many countries to it (Amo 9:12), that the house of David may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, that is, that Christ may have them given him for his inheritance, even the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession, Ps. ii. 8. Those that had been strangers and enemies shall become willing faithful subjects to the Son of David, shall be added to the church, or those of them that are called by my name, saith the Lord, that is, that belong to the election of grace and are ordained to eternal life (Act 13:48), for it is true of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews that the election hath obtained and the rest were blinded, Rom 11:7. Christ died to gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad, here said to be those that were called by his name. The promise is to all that are afar off, even as many of them as the Lord our God shall call, Act 2:39. St. James expounds this as a promise that the residue of men should seek after the Lord, even all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called. But may the promise be depended upon? Yes, the Lord says this, who does this, who can do it, who has determined to do it, the power of whose grace is engaged for the doing of it, and with whom saying and doing are not two things, as they are with us.
III. That in the kingdom of the Messiah there shall be great plenty, an abundance of all good things that the country produces (Amo 9:13): The ploughman shall overtake the reaper, that is, there shall be such a plentiful harvest every year, and so much corn to be gathered in, that it shall last all summer, even till autumn, when it is time to begin to plough again; and in like manner the vintage shall continue till seed-time, and there shall be such abundance of grapes that even the mountains shall drop new wine into the vessels of the grape-gatherers, and the hills that were dry and barren shall be moistened and shall melt with the fatness or mellowness (as we call it) of the soil. Compare this with Joe 2:24, and Joe 3:18. This must certainly be understood of the abundance of spiritual blessings in heavenly things, which all those are, and shall be, blessed with, who are in sincerity added to Christ and his church; they shall be abundantly replenished with the goodness of God's house, with the graces and comforts of his Spirit; they shall have bread, the bread of life, to strengthen their hearts, and the wine of divine consolations to make them glad-meat indeed and drink indeed - all the benefit that comes to the souls of men from the word and Spirit of God. These had been long confined to the vineyard of the Jewish church; divine revelation, and the power that attended it, were to be found only within that enclosure; but in gospel-times the mountains and hills of the Gentile world shall be enriched with these privileges by the gospel of Christ preached, and professed, and received in the power of it. When great multitudes were converted to the faith of Christ, and nations were born at once, when the preachers of the gospel were always caused to triumph in the success of their preaching, then the ploughman overtook the reaper; and when, the Gentile churches were enriched in all utterance, and in all knowledge, and all manner of spiritual gifts (Co1 1:5), then the mountains dropped sweet wine.
IV. That the kingdom of the Messiah shall be well peopled; as the country shall be replenished, so shall the cities be; there shall be mouths for this meat, Amo 9:14. Those that were carried captives shall be brought back out of their captivity; their enemies shall not be able to detain them in the land of their captivity, nor shall they themselves incline to settle in it, but the remnant shall return, and shall build the waste cities and inhabit them, shall form themselves into Christian churches and set up pure doctrine, worship, and discipline among them, according to the gospel charter, by which Christ's cities are incorporated; and they shall enjoy the benefit and comfort thereof; they shall plant vineyards, and make gardens. Though the mountains and hills drop wine, and the privileges of the gospel-church are laid in common, yet they shall enclose for themselves, not to monopolize these privileges, to the exclusion of others, but to appropriate and improve these privileges, in communion with others, and they shall drink the wine, and eat the fruit, of their own vineyards and gardens; for those that take pains in religion, as men must do about their vineyards and gardens, shall have both the pleasure and profit of it. The bringing again of the captivity of God's Israel, which is here promised, may refer to the cancelling of the ceremonial law, which had been long to God's Israel as a yoke of bondage, and the investing of them in the liberty wherewith Christ came to make his church free, Gal 5:1.
V. That the kingdom of the Messiah shall take such deep rooting in the world as never to be rooted out of it (Amo 9:15): I will plant them upon their land. God's spiritual Israel shall be planted by the right hand of God himself upon the land assigned them, and they shall no more be pulled up out of it, as the old Jewish church was. God will preserve them from throwing themselves out of it by a total apostasy, and will preserve them from being thrown out of it by malice of their enemies; the church may be corrupted, but shall not quite forsake God, may be persecuted, but shall not quite be forsaken of God, so that the gates of hell, neither with their temptations nor with their terrors, shall prevail against it. Two things secure the perpetuity of the church: - 1. God's grants to it: It is the land which I have given them; and God will confirm and maintain his own grants. The part he has given to his people is that good part which shall never be taken from them; he will not revoke his grant, and all the powers of earth and hell shall not invalidate it. 2. Its interest in him: He is the Lord thy God, who has said it, and will make it good, thine, O Israel! who shall reign for ever as thine unto all generations. And because he lives the church shall live also.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 11–15. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Amos
(Verse 14, 15.) Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God. LXX: Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God Almighty. The raising up of the tent of David, which had fallen, and the rebuilding of what had been destroyed and overturned, is described as the abundance of all things, how those who previously went, went and wept, carrying their seeds, and those who come will come with joy, carrying their bundles; so that the threshing of the bundles may yield a harvest, whether the plowman is reaping and the grape is being gathered, and bring forth color in the time of sowing; or, more truly, that the wine presser may grasp the seed of the grape, and so all things may succeed one another, that no day may be without wheat, wine, and joy. At that time, grapes will be crushed in full winepresses, and must flowing with the blood of Christ and the martyrs will be poured out. And the one who crushes the grapes in this way will be the seedbed of the Word of God, so that their blood may cry out in the world more than the blood of Abel the just cried out. But whoever has rightfully ascended to the mountains of virtue will sweat with honey, indeed, will drip with the sweetness of the Word of God, of which it is written: 'Taste and see how good the Lord is' (Psalm 33:9), and 'How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth' (Psalm 119:103). And those who are below the mountains, or rather, second from the mountains, which the bridegroom leaps over in the Canticle of Canticles (Song of Songs), and calls hills, they will be planted and will imitate the paradise of God: so that all the fruit of doctrine may hang on them. Then if anyone is held captive by unbelief, and has not yet believed in the name of the Lord, and is from the remnants of his people, the former Israel, he will return to the faith of Christ, so that he may hold in the Gospel what he heard in the Prophets. But the mountains shall drop sweetness, and the hills shall be planted with vineyards: after the conversion of the Lord, they shall build cities which were desolate before, and shall dwell in them: and they shall plant vineyards, and shall drink the wine of them: they shall make gardens, and eat the fruits of them. And I will plant them upon their own land: and I will no more pluck them out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God. (Amos 9:14-15) And in the Psalms it is said: The impetus of the river gladdens the city of God (Ps. XLV, 4). They will also plant a vineyard of Noah (Gen. IX), and they will drink its wine, and they will become intoxicated, and they will hear from the Lord Savior: Drink, my friends, and become intoxicated (Cant. V, 1). But they will drink the wine, which he promised to drink anew with his apostles in the kingdom of the Father (Mark XIV). This is the vineyard of Sorec, whose wine we drink daily in the mysteries. Not content with the happiness of these things, they will make delightful gardens and water them, so that no kinds of virtues are lacking in them, and they will eat their fruits. For whoever plants and waters, he himself also will eat. And when all these things are done by mountains and hills, giving forth sweetness, and by building cities, and by dwelling in them, planting vineyards, and drinking their wine, making gardens, and eating their fruits, then the Lord will plant these planters upon his land, of which it is said: I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 26:13). And in the Gospel: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matt. 5:4). But after he has planted them and their roots have grown deep, they will no longer be uprooted from the earth he has given them. From this we understand that the Church, even though it is shaken by persecutions, can never be destroyed; it may be tested, but it will not be overcome. And this will happen because the Lord God Almighty, or the Lord God of the Church, has promised to make it so, and his promise is the law of nature.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Amos 9:14 presents a profound prophecy of restoration for Israel, marking a dramatic shift from the preceding messages of judgment. It vividly depicts God's sovereign act of reversing the desolation caused by exile, promising a glorious return to their land where they will rebuild ruined cities, re-establish agricultural prosperity through vineyards and gardens, and enjoy the fruit of their labor in lasting peace and security. This verse underscores God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, portraying a future of abundance and settled habitation after a period of divine discipline.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Amos 9:14 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid picture of restoration. The phrases "waste cities," "plant vineyards," "drink the wine thereof," "make gardens," and "eat the fruit of them" appeal directly to the senses, allowing the reader to visualize the transformation from desolation to lush abundance. This sensory detail emphasizes the tangible and holistic nature of the promised blessing. The verse also employs a form of Parallelism, particularly in the repeated structure of action and enjoyment: "build... and inhabit," "plant... and drink," "make... and eat." This rhythmic repetition reinforces the comprehensive nature of the restoration, showing that every aspect of life—habitation, agriculture, and sustenance—will be renewed. Furthermore, the entire passage functions as Symbolism. The "waste cities" symbolize the devastation of judgment and exile, while the rebuilding, planting, and eating of fruit symbolize the blessings of the covenant, the restoration of order, prosperity, and the joy of living securely in God's favor. The land itself, made fruitful, symbolizes God's renewed presence and blessing among His people.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Amos 9:14 stands as a powerful testament to God's unwavering faithfulness and His ultimate redemptive purposes for His people. Despite severe judgment for their sin, God's covenant love prevails, promising a future where desolation is reversed and prosperity reigns. This promise reveals a God who not only disciplines but also delights in restoring His creation and His chosen people to a state of flourishing. It underscores the biblical theme that God's judgment is never His final word, but rather a means to bring about repentance and ultimately, restoration. The physical and agricultural blessings described are a tangible manifestation of God's renewed favor and the re-establishment of the covenant relationship, echoing the original blessings of Eden and the promised land. This vision of a secure, fruitful, and inhabited land points to the ultimate hope of God dwelling among His people in perfect peace and abundance.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Amos 9:14 offers a profound wellspring of hope for believers navigating periods of personal or communal desolation. Just as ancient Israel faced the literal destruction of their cities and the loss of their land, we too can experience "waste cities" in our lives—broken relationships, shattered dreams, spiritual barrenness, or the aftermath of personal failures. This verse reminds us that God is the ultimate Restorer, capable of bringing life and beauty out of ruin. It encourages us to cultivate a steadfast trust in His sovereign power to reverse seemingly irreversible circumstances. God's faithfulness, demonstrated in His promise to Israel, assures us that His plans for our ultimate good and spiritual fruitfulness will prevail, even when our present reality seems bleak. We are called to participate in this divine restoration, not passively waiting but actively engaging in the "rebuilding" of our lives and communities, trusting that God will provide the "vineyards" and "gardens" for our sustenance and joy. This promise inspires us to look beyond immediate difficulties to the enduring hope of God's transformative work, both in our individual lives and in the broader world.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the phrase "bring again the captivity" in Amos 9:14?
Answer: The phrase "bring again the captivity" (Hebrew: shuv shevut) is a rich prophetic idiom that signifies much more than simply bringing people back from exile. While it certainly includes the physical return of captives, its deeper meaning in biblical prophecy denotes a comprehensive reversal of fortune, a complete restoration of a people's well-being, prosperity, and national status. It implies a turning point initiated by God Himself, where He reverses the consequences of judgment and restores His people to a state of flourishing, security, and abundance in their land. This idiom is used frequently in the prophets to describe God's ultimate redemptive act for Israel, as seen in passages like Jeremiah 29:14 and Ezekiel 16:53.
How does this prophecy relate to the physical land of Israel today?
Answer: Amos 9:14, along with many other Old Testament prophecies (e.g., Isaiah 11:11-12 and Ezekiel 36:24-38), is understood by many to have a literal fulfillment in the physical return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel and the rebuilding of the nation, particularly in the 20th century. The imagery of rebuilding "waste cities" and making the land fruitful resonates with the historical development of modern Israel. However, it is also important to recognize that these prophecies often have multi-layered fulfillments, pointing not only to physical restoration but also to a spiritual reality in the New Covenant through Christ, and ultimately to the new heavens and new earth where God's people will dwell in perfect peace and abundance (see Revelation 21:1-4).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Amos 9:14 speaks directly to the physical restoration of Israel, its ultimate and most profound fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ and the New Covenant. The "fallen booth of David" that God promises to raise up in Amos 9:11 is understood in the New Testament to refer to the spiritual kingdom established by Christ, drawing both Jews and Gentiles into one body. As stated in Acts 15:16-17, James quotes Amos to explain the inclusion of Gentiles into the church, demonstrating that the restoration of God's people is now broader than ethnic Israel alone. The "building the waste cities" and "planting vineyards" finds its spiritual parallel in the church, which is God's new temple (Ephesians 2:19-22) and a community called to bear spiritual fruit (John 15:5). Through Christ, believers are brought out of the "captivity" of sin and death into new life and spiritual freedom (Romans 8:2). The promise of dwelling securely and eating the fruit of their labor foreshadows the abundant life found in Christ (John 10:10) and the ultimate consummation in the new heavens and new earth, where God's people will dwell with Him in perfect peace and unending prosperity (Revelation 21:1-4). Thus, Amos 9:14 points to the comprehensive, spiritual, and eternal restoration inaugurated by Christ and fully realized in His coming kingdom.