The Meaning of Amos 5:8 Explained

Amos 5:8

KJV: Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:

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

Darby: seek him that made the Pleiades and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: Jehovah is his name.

ASV: seek him that maketh the Pleiades and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth (Jehovah is his name);

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[Seek him] that maketh  the seven stars  and Orion,  and turneth  the shadow of death  into the morning,  and maketh the day  dark  with night:  that calleth  for the waters  of the sea,  and poureth them out  upon the face  of the earth:  The LORD  [is] his name: 

What does Amos 5:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Amos 5:1-15 - "prepare To Meet Thy God"
Worse judgments than those mentioned in the previous verses were in store but before they are inflicted, the entire nation is summoned to the divine bar. Whether we choose or not, "we must all appear before the judgment seat of God." Prepare, my soul, to meet Him! Note the sublimity of that last verse of Amos 4:1-13. How great is God, who made the mountains! How mysterious, who made the wind! How sublime, who calls to the dawn! How mighty, to whom mountains and peaks are stepping-stones!
But great and holy though God is, we are invited to seek Him. He desires to bless, but He must be sought. Were we more diligent in seeking, as the miner for gold, or the scientific man for nature's secrets, we should be marvelously repaid. "Eye hath not seen," etc. Amos speaks as nature's child. Often as he had tended his flocks, he had watched the Pleiades with their gentle radiance, and Orion, the herald of storm. He had listened to God calling across the waters, and had drawn life from Him. "Seek and live!" O soul, what a God is thine! Thy springs and storms await His word of command. He can turn thy darkness into the morning. Be of good cheer! [source]

Chapter Summary: Amos 5

1  A lamentation for Israel
4  An exhortation to repentance
21  God rejects their hypocritical service

What do the individual words in Amos 5:8 mean?

He made the Pleiades and Orion and He turns into morning the shadow of death and the day as night makes dark He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth Yahweh [is] His name -
עֹשֵׂ֨ה כִימָ֜ה וּכְסִ֗יל וְהֹפֵ֤ךְ לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ צַלְמָ֔וֶת וְי֖וֹם לַ֣יְלָה הֶחְשִׁ֑יךְ הַקּוֹרֵ֣א לְמֵֽי־ הַיָּ֗ם וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכֵ֛ם עַל־ פְּנֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ יְהוָ֥ה שְׁמֽוֹ ס

עֹשֵׂ֨ה  He  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
כִימָ֜ה  the  Pleiades 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: כִּימָה  
Sense: Pleiades, a constellation of seven stars.
וּכְסִ֗יל  and  Orion 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּסִיל  
Sense: constellation, Orion.
וְהֹפֵ֤ךְ  and  He  turns 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָפַךְ  
Sense: to turn, overthrow, overturn.
לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙  into  morning 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
צַלְמָ֔וֶת  the  shadow  of  death 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צַלְמָוֶת  
Sense: death-shadow, deep shadow, deep darkness, shadow of death.
וְי֖וֹם  and  the  day 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
לַ֣יְלָה  as  night 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
הֶחְשִׁ֑יךְ  makes  dark 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָשַׁךְ 
Sense: to be or become dark, grow dim, be darkened, be black, be hidden.
הַקּוֹרֵ֣א  He  calls 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
לְמֵֽי־  for  the  waters 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
הַיָּ֗ם  of  the  sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכֵ֛ם  and  pours  them  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
פְּנֵ֥י  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הָאָ֖רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
שְׁמֽוֹ  [is]  His  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation