Amos 9:2-3
the serpent – הַנָּחָ֖שׁ
2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:
3 And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:
2 “Though they dig into Sheol,
from there shall my hand take them;
though they climb up to heaven,
from there I will bring them down.
3 Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,
from there I will search out and take them;
and though they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea,
there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them. (RSV)
2 Even if they could dig down into the netherworld,
my hand would pull them up from there.
Even if they could climb up to heaven,
I would drag them down from there.
3 Even if they were to hide on the top of Mount Carmel,
I would hunt them down and take them from there.
Even if they tried to hide from me at the bottom of the sea,
from there I would command the Sea Serpent to bite them.
The Jewish Study Bible Notes
- 'Serpent,' here a mythical sea-creature.
A Creation Text
The Nahash (נָחָשׁ) here is presumably Leviathan — but since this is an Appropriation of ANE mythology it is the poetical force of the imagery that matters, not the rejected polytheistic beliefs behind it. — Bruce
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