The Meaning of Amos 8:7 Explained

Amos 8:7

KJV: The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.

YLT: Sworn hath Jehovah by the excellency of Jacob: 'I forget not for ever any of their works.

Darby: Jehovah hath sworn by the glory of Jacob, Certainly I will never forget any of their works.

ASV: Jehovah hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The LORD  hath sworn  by the excellency  of Jacob,  Surely I will never  forget  any of their works. 

What does Amos 8:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

For the third time in this book Amos said that Yahweh took an oath (cf. Amos 4:2; Amos 6:8). This time He swore by the pride of Jacob. This may be a reference to Samaria (cf. Amos 6:8) or to Israel"s arrogant attitude. [1] Some interpreters take it as a reference to God Himself (cf. 1 Samuel 15:29). [2] The NIV capitalized "Pride" as a title of God. In this case, God vowed never to forget any of the sinful Israelites" unrighteous deeds.

Context Summary

Amos 8:1-14 - The Worst Famine Of All
What is more fragile than summer fruit! So beautiful, so refreshing, yet so readily corrupted and diseased. To Amos it was an emblem of the rapidity with which dissolution would overtake his rebellious nation. The end had arrived. The Great Husbandman could do no more. When the harvest has come, separation between good and bad is inevitable. See Isaiah 5:4; Matthew 13:30.
The crimes of the ruling class were enormous. Eager to increase their stores, they wearied of time given to religion. They grudged passing a day without opening their salesrooms. They did not scruple to make their measures (ephah) small, and to demand a greater weight of money (shekel) from their clients. These were crimes that could not be passed over. It is an awful sentence when God says, "I will never forget," Amos 8:7. Invasion would sweep the land like an inundation. Since the people would not heed the God-sent messengers, they would be withdrawn. There would be a famine of the Word of God, and those who had most despised it, because enamored with the fascinations of youth, would be smitten with an insatiable appetite for it. [source]

Chapter Summary: Amos 8

1  By a basket of summer fruit is shown the approach of Israel's end
4  Oppression is reproved
11  A famine of the word of God threatened

What do the individual words in Amos 8:7 mean?

has sworn Yahweh by the pride of Jacob surely I will forget never any of their works
נִשְׁבַּ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה בִּגְא֣וֹן יַעֲקֹ֑ב אִם־ אֶשְׁכַּ֥ח לָנֶ֖צַח כָּל־ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶֽם

נִשְׁבַּ֥ע  has  sworn 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בִּגְא֣וֹן  by  the  pride 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גָּאֹון  
Sense: exaltation, majesty, pride.
יַעֲקֹ֑ב  of  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
אִם־  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
אֶשְׁכַּ֥ח  I  will  forget 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּשַׁח 
Sense: to forget, ignore, wither.
לָנֶ֖צַח  never 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵצַח  
Sense: eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness.
כָּל־  any 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מַעֲשֵׂיהֶֽם  of  their  works 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.