The Meaning of Amos 1:8 Explained

Amos 1:8

KJV: And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.

YLT: And I have cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And a holder of a sceptre from Ashkelon, And have turned back My hand against Ekron, And perished have the remnant of the Philistines, Said the Lord Jehovah.

Darby: And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord Jehovah.

ASV: And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will cut off  the inhabitant  from Ashdod,  and him that holdeth  the sceptre  from Ashkelon,  and I will turn  mine hand  against Ekron:  and the remnant  of the Philistines  shall perish,  saith  the Lord  GOD. 

What does Amos 1:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Amos 1:1-10 - Outside Nations Shall Suffer Judgment
Amos opens his prophecies with predictions against neighboring peoples, that Israel may be led to appreciate her guilt and to bear the approach of God's righteous judgment, Luke 12:47. The formula of three transgressions and for four, Amos 1:3, etc., means several or many. Compare Job 5:19.
The order followed is Syria, Amos 1:3; Philistia, Amos 1:6; Tyre, Amos 1:9; Edom, Amos 1:11; Ammon, Amos 1:13; Moab, Amos 1:1. Each of these neighboring kingdoms was successively overwhelmed by the invasion of the great countries that lay in the valley of the Euphrates. Tiglath-pileser began and ultimately Nebuchadnezzar finished the work of desolation. But in turn the conquerors, becoming enervated by uninterrupted success and prosperity, were also swept away. We may be sure that there is One who judges in the earth and that, although might may assert its claims to be right, it is but for a moment. The constitution of the universe is in harmony with Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Calvary: and only a Christian civilization can be permanent. [source]

Chapter Summary: Amos 1

1  The time when Amos prophesied
3  He shows God's judgment upon Syria,
6  upon the Philistines,
9  upon Tyrus,
11  upon Edom,
13  upon Ammon

What do the individual words in Amos 1:8 mean?

And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon and I will turn My hand against Ekron and shall perish the remnant of the Philistines says the Lord GOD -
וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י יוֹשֵׁב֙ מֵֽאַשְׁדּ֔וֹד וְתוֹמֵ֥ךְ שֵׁ֖בֶט מֵֽאַשְׁקְל֑וֹן וַהֲשִׁיב֨וֹתִי יָדִ֜י עַל־ עֶקְר֗וֹן וְאָֽבְדוּ֙ שְׁאֵרִ֣ית פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה פ

וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י  And  I  will  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
יוֹשֵׁב֙  the  inhabitant 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
מֵֽאַשְׁדּ֔וֹד  from  Ashdod 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשְׁדֹּוד  
Sense: a major Philistine city on the Mediterranean Sea west from Jerusalem, modern Esdud.
וְתוֹמֵ֥ךְ  and  the  one  who  holds 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּמַךְ  
Sense: to grasp, hold, support, attain, lay hold of, hold fast.
שֵׁ֖בֶט  the  scepter 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
מֵֽאַשְׁקְל֑וֹן  from  Ashkelon 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשְׁקְלֹון  
Sense: a maritime city of the Philistines, southwest of Jerusalem.
וַהֲשִׁיב֨וֹתִי  and  I  will  turn 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יָדִ֜י  My  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
עֶקְר֗וֹן  Ekron 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֶקְרֹון  
Sense: the most northerly of the 5 principal cities of the Philistines; located in the lowlands of Judah and later given to Dan.
וְאָֽבְדוּ֙  and  shall  perish 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
שְׁאֵרִ֣ית  the  remnant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שְׁאֵרִית  
Sense: rest, residue, remainder, remnant.
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
אָמַ֖ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲדֹנָ֥י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִֽה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation