Amos 2:9-10
“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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God wants Israel to remember He completely annihilated the formidable Amorites, destroying them utterly. This wasn't just about conquering an enemy; it signifies a total eradication—no lingering influence ("fruit") or capacity for resurgence ("roots").
God begins by reminding Israel of a monumental act of deliverance: He single-handedly destroyed the mighty Amorites, a people described as towering like cedars and strong as oaks, to make way for them. This foundational display of God's power and favor in giving them the Promised Land is contrasted with their current unfaithfulness, setting the stage for further accusations.
The Amorites were described as giants, as tall as cedars and strong as oaks. Yet, God utterly destroyed them. What does this poetic language tell us about God's sovereignty?
Amos 2:9 paints a vivid picture of the Amorites as a formidable force, comparing their height to cedars and their strength to oaks. This wasn't just poetic flourish; the historical accounts and scholarly notes confirm the Amorites were a powerful and intimidating people. Yet, the verse powerfully declares, "I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath." This phrase, often understood as "root and branch," signifies a complete annihilation.
God's Complete Victory
Amos uses the Amorite as a symbol, but what does this mighty nation represent in God's eyes, and why is their destruction so significant for Israel?
While Amos specifically names the Amorites, they function here as a representative of all the nations God drove out of the Promised Land for Israel. These nations were characterized by their strength, their towering stature, and their deep-rooted iniquity.
More Than Just a Nation
Understand the original words
shamad · Hebrew Verb
The act of God in executing judgment or overthrowing enemies. It signifies divine sovereign power over history and nations.
Mitsrayim · Hebrew Proper Noun
The place of bondage and the historical site of Israel's miraculous deliverance. Theologically, it represents the state of sin from which God saves His people.
midbar · Hebrew Noun
A period of testing, discipline, and divine provision. It serves as the place where God sustains His people and refines their dependence on Him.
Amos reminds the Israelites of God's mighty act in destroying the powerful Amorites to give them the land. This powerful people, described as tall as cedars and strong as oaks, were utterly eradicated – their future (fruit) and their past (roots) eliminated. God did this not because Israel was inherently stronger, but as a demonstration of His power and faithfulness to His covenant promises.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Conquer Amorite Kingdoms
The Israelites, under Moses, conquered the Amorite kingdoms east of the Jordan River, specifically those ruled by Sihon and Og. This victory demonstrated God's power in dispossessing the mighty Amorites for Israel's benefit.
c. 1400-1350 BC
Israelites Occupy the Promised Land
Following the conquest east of the Jordan, the Israelites entered and began to possess the land west of the Jordan, which had been inhabited by various Canaanite nations, including the Amorites. This was a fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham.
c. 1400-1000 BC— this verse
Amorites Assimilated or Eliminated
The powerful Amorite nation, along with other Canaanite peoples, was gradually defeated, assimilated, or driven out of the land by the Israelites. The text describes this as a complete destruction, 'fruit and roots,' signifying utter eradication.
c. 800 BC
This passage recounts God's deliverance of Israel from the Amorites, directly echoing the language of Amos and highlighting God's active role in giving them the land.
Deuteronomy 1:27-28It shows the Israelites' fear of the strong Amorites, emphasizing that their victory was not due to their own strength but to God's power, mirroring Amos' point about God's complete destruction of them.
Numbers 13:32-33This passage describes the spies' fear of the 'men of stature' among the Amorites, providing the context for the 'height like cedars' imagery in Amos and underscoring the immense power God overcame for Israel.
Ezekiel 17:9This prophecy uses similar imagery of destroying 'fruit' and 'roots' to describe judgment on nations, showing that the complete annihilation depicted in Amos was a common metaphor for divine destruction.
Psalm 44:3This psalm reinforces the theme that Israel's possession of the land was due to God's strength, not their own, directly correlating with the declaration in Amos that 'I destroyed the Amorite before them.'
clarkeAmos 2:9: "Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath."
Yet destroyed I the Amorite - Here follow general heads of God's mercies to them, and the great things he had done for them. 1. Bringing them out of Egypt. 2. Miraculously sustaining them in the wilderness forty years. 3. Driving out the Canaanites before them, and giving them possession of the promi…
calvinAmos 2:9-12: "Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath."
And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the Lord
Et suscitavi ex filiis vestris prophetas, et ex juvenibus vestris Nazaraeos: annon etiam hoc, filii Israel? dicit Jehovah.
But ye gave the Naza…
God wants Israel to remember He completely annihilated the formidable Amorites, destroying them utterly. This wasn't just about conquering an enemy; it signifies a total eradication—no lingering influence ("fruit") or capacity for resurgence ("roots").
God begins by reminding Israel of a monumental act of deliverance: He single-handedly destroyed the mighty Amorites, a people described as towering like cedars and strong as oaks, to make way for them. This foundational display of God's power and favor in giving them the Promised Land is contrasted with their current unfaithfulness, setting the stage for further accusations.
God begins by reminding Israel of a monumental act of deliverance: He single-handedly destroyed the mighty Amorites, a people described as towering like cedars and strong as oaks, to make way for them. This foundational display of God's power and favor in giving them the Promised Land is contrasted with their current unfaithfulness, setting the stage for further accusations.
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Amos Delivers His Prophecy
Amos, a prophet from the southern kingdom of Judah, was sent to prophesy to the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of prosperity but also significant social injustice and religious corruption.
"“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. Also it was I who brought…" — God wants Israel to remember He completely annihilated the formidable Amorites, destroying them utterly. This wasn't just about conquering an enemy; it signifies a total eradication—no lingering infl…
