Lexical Summary hariycah: "haste," "urgency," "diligence" Original Word: הֲרִיסָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ruin From harac; something demolished -- ruin. see HEBREW harac Brown-Driver-Briggs [הֲרִיסָה] noun feminine ruin (concrete); — וַהֲרִסֹתָיו אָקִים Amos 9:11 and its ruins (i.e. of סֻכַּת דָּוִיד) will I raise up ("" מִּרְצֵיהֶן). Topical Lexicon Concept and Semantics The noun הֲרִיסָה conveys the idea of a “ruin” or “demolition,” the physical remains of something once stable that has fallen into disrepair. In Scripture, ruins are rarely an end in themselves; they often serve as a backdrop for God’s restorative work. Singular Old Testament Occurrence (Amos 9:11) “In that day I will restore the fallen booth of David. I will repair its gaps; I will restore its ruins; I will rebuild it as in the days of old” (Amos 9:11). The ruin here is the house or dynasty of David, pictured as a collapsed shelter awaiting divine renewal. The verse sits within Amos’s closing oracle of hope after stern judgment, revealing that grace is God’s final word for His people. Historical Setting Amos ministered during the reigns of Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel (Amos 1:1), a time of economic prosperity masking deep spiritual decline. The northern kingdom would soon face exile, leaving literal and figurative ruins. The promise to “restore its ruins” looks beyond immediate devastation toward a future reunification and flourishing of the Davidic kingdom. Theology of Restoration 1. Covenant Faithfulness: God’s pledge to rebuild demonstrates unwavering commitment to the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16). New Testament Application James cites Amos 9:11-12 at the Jerusalem Council: “After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent…so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord” (Acts 15:16-17). Here the rebuilt ruins symbolize the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s people, showing continuity between Old and New Covenant purposes. Ministry Implications • Hope for Restoration: Broken institutions, communities, or lives are not beyond God’s repair. Related Biblical Motifs – Desolate places made fruitful (Isaiah 51:3). – Streets rebuilt on their ruins after exile (Daniel 9:25). – The Spirit’s work of renewal in the new covenant community (2 Corinthians 5:17). Summary הֲרִיסָה appears only once, yet its placement in Amos 9:11 anchors a sweeping biblical theme: God turns devastation into dwelling, ruins into righteousness, and collapse into communion—all consummated in Christ and extended to every believer who awaits the final, glorious reconstruction of all things. Forms and Transliterations וַהֲרִֽסֹתָיו֙ והרסתיו vaharisoTav wa·hă·ri·sō·ṯāw wahărisōṯāwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Amos 9:11 HEB: אֶת־ פִּרְצֵיהֶ֗ן וַהֲרִֽסֹתָיו֙ אָקִ֔ים וּבְנִיתִ֖יהָ NAS: I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild KJV: thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build INT: and wall breaches ruins raise and rebuild 1 Occurrence |
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