Amos 4:11

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

I have overthrown [cities] among you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a brand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

הָפַ֣כְתִּי בָכֶ֗ם כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֤ת אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־סְדֹ֣ם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָ֔ה וַתִּהְי֕וּ כְּא֖וּד מֻצָּ֣ל מִשְׂרֵפָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃

Transliteration

Hāpaktî among you like mahpēkat ʾĕlōhîm ʾet-Sǝdōm and ʾet-ʿĂmōrāh wa-tihyû like ʾûd muṣṣāl from śrēpāh wǝ-lōʾ-šabtem ʿāday nǝʾum-YHWH

Grammar Details

• *Hāpaktî*: perfect, 1st person singular - I overthrew
• *mahpēkat*: noun, feminine singular construct - overthrow of
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: noun, masculine plural - God
• *Sǝdōm*: proper noun - Sodom
• *ʿĂmōrāh*: proper noun - Gomorrah
• *wa-tihyû*: conjunction + imperfect, 2nd person masculine plural, qal with waw consecutive - and you were
• *ʾûd*: noun, masculine singular - firebrand/brand
• *muṣṣāl*: participle, masculine singular, hophal - snatched/rescued
• *śrēpāh*: noun, feminine singular - burning
• *wǝ-lōʾ*: conjunction + negative particle - and not
• *šabtem*: perfect, 2nd person masculine plural - you have returned
• *ʿāday*: preposition with 1st person singular suffix - unto me
• *nǝʾum*: construct noun - declaration of
• *YHWH*: proper noun - divine name

Word Meanings

• *hāpaktî*: overthrew/overturned/destroyed
• *mahpēkat*: overthrow/overturning/destruction
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: God/gods [plural form with singular meaning in Hebrew]
• *ʾûd muṣṣāl miśrēpāh*: brand/stick plucked/snatched from burning/fire [idiom for narrow escape]

Referenced Verses

• Isa 13:19 : 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
• Zech 3:2 : 2 And Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke you, O Satan; Yes, Jehovah that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
• Gen 19:24-25 : 24 Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven; 25 and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
• Amos 4:6 : 6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.
• Jude 1:23 : 23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
• Rev 9:20 : 20 And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk:
• 1 Cor 3:15 : 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.
• 2 Pet 2:6 : 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly;
• Jude 1:7 : 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like {G5125} manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
• Jer 6:28-30 : 28 They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron: they all of them deal corruptly. 29 The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed of the fire: in vain do they go on refining; for the wicked are not plucked away. 30 Refuse silver shall men call them, because Jehovah hath rejected them.
• Jer 23:14 : 14 In the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, so that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
• Jer 49:18 : 18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof, saith Jehovah, no man shall dwell there, neither shall any son of man sojourn therein.
• Ezek 22:17-22 : 17 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 18 Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross unto me: all of them are brass and tin and iron and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are the dross of silver. 19 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye are all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As they gather silver and brass and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my wrath, and I will lay you there, and melt you. 21 Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have poured out my wrath upon you.
• Ezek 24:13 : 13 In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have cleansed thee and thou wast not cleansed, thou shalt not be cleansed from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my wrath toward thee to rest.
• Hos 11:8 : 8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? [how] shall I cast thee off, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? [how] shall I set thee as Zeboiim? my heart is turned within me, my compassions are kindled together.