The early church was being split by Judaising Christians who insisted that any Gentiles becoming God’s people must both be circumcised and adhere to Jewish regulations. God had clearly shown both Peter and Paul that this was not what God wanted. There was a Council in Jerusalem in 49 AD which most of the leading figures in the church attended. This Council is described in Acts 15. At this Council James, the brother of Jesus acted as chairman and gave the summing up speech after Peter and Paul had spoken. He concluded that God’s will on the matter was given by passages in the Old Testament and he concluded by reminding them of Amos 9:12-15. He summarised this by saying:
“The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ - things known from long ago.
It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” Acts 15:15-19
When reading this passage in my daily Bible reading, I looked up the passage in Amos that Peter had quoted and found it to be very different. It seems to support Israeli nationalism! In the NIV this passage in Amos reads:
“In that day ‘I will restore David’s fallen shelter - I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins - and will rebuild it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name,’
declares the Lord, who will do these things.. . . and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. ‘They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,’ says the LORD your God.” Amos 9:11-15
Amos chapter 9 moves from judgment in verses 1 to 10 to restoration in verses 11 to 15. Following the promise to restore David's fallen tabernacle, verses 13 and 14 describe extraordinary fruitfulness, rebuilt waste cities, inhabited homes, vineyards, gardens, and their produce. Verse 15 completes this restoration by speaking of Israel's planting back in their land. The LORD calls the land ‘their land’ and also ‘their land which I have given them,’ David’s fallen shelter could be the city of Jerusalem yet the word used is not city but booth or tabernacle.
Why is the passage quoted by James so different?
James was quoting from the Septuagint version of the Old Testament. Jesus and the early church used the Septuagint (LXX) - the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made by Jewish rabbis in Alexandria in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC - rather than the Hebrew text because Koine Greek was the common language of the Greco-Roman world, and the majority of early Christians and New Testament writers did not read or speak Hebrew. An English translation of the Koine Greek reads:
“In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and will rebuild the ruins of it, and will set up the parts thereof that have been broken down, and will build it up as in the ancient days: that the remnant of men, and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called, may earnestly seek me, saith the Lord who does all these things . . . And I will turn the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities, and shall inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and shall drink the wine from them; and they shall form gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15 And I will plant them on their land, and they shall no more be plucked up from the land which I have given them, saith the Lord God Almighty.”
The difference is mainly in verse 12. The word ‘Edom’ is replaced by ‘the remnant of men’. If Edom is taken literally it is easy to see how this could be thought to mean ‘Arab lands’, however the verse goes on to talk about other Gentile countries that will recognise the Lord. This difference is important.
Because the Masoretes only added their vowel points 700–1000 years after Christ, critics argue they ‘locked in’ interpretations that purposefully obscured Messianic prophecies.
The shift between ‘Edom’, used in the Masoretic text and ‘the remnant of men’ use in the Septuagint, changes the entire scope of the prophecy from a local political victory to a global spiritual invitation. The Masoretic Text (Edom) is a promise of national sovereignty. It says the restored Kingdom of David will physically ‘possess’ or rule over its old enemy, Edom. It emphasises Israel's national restoration and dominance over neighbouring lands. In contrast the Septuagint gives a promise of salvation. It says that the restoration of David’s kingdom is the catalyst for ‘all of humanity’ to seek God. The focus moves from land ownership to the heart's desire for the Lord.
In the Masoretic version, the nations (Gentiles) are essentially ‘conquered territory.’ In the Septuagint version, they are active participants. This version suggests that when God restores the ‘booth of David’, the word used can be translated ‘tent’ or ‘tabernacle’. It creates a space where people from all backgrounds are invited to come to where the Lord lives. It is significant that John wrote about Jesus:
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
The Greek word for ‘made his dwelling’ is literally ‘tabernacled’.
In the Book of Acts, the early church leaders were arguing over whether Gentiles had to become Jewish (circumcision, etc.) to follow Jesus. James quoted the Septuagint version of Amos 9:12 to prove that the prophets always intended for Gentiles to seek the Lord as Gentiles. If James had used the Masoretic version, his argument wouldn't have worked, as that text sounds more like a military takeover than a religious invitation.
The difference in Hebrew is tiny but massive in meaning: Edom is written as אדם ('dm) but spoken as ‘Edom. Mankind is written as אדם ('dm) but spoken as ‘Adam. The verbs translated ‘possess’ (yirshu) and ‘seek’ (yidreshu) look very similar in ancient Hebrew script, differing by only one or two strokes of a pen. So one version is about a Kingdom with borders (Edom); the other is about a Kingdom without borders (all mankind).
The Masoretic Text, which uses the "Edom" and "possess" wording, was standardized by Jewish scholars known as the Masoretes between the 7th and 10th centuries AD. Their goal was to preserve the Hebrew text exactly as they had received it, including specific vowel markings and pronunciations. Because this was the primary Hebrew text available during the Reformation, it became the foundation for most Protestant Bibles (like the King James Version and the Luther Bible) and remains the standard for modern translations like the NIV or ESV.
The Septuagint (LXX), which uses the ‘mankind’ and ‘seek’ wording, was translated by Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt, roughly 200–300 years before the time of Jesus. This was the Bible used by the Greek-speaking Jewish world and the early Christian Church.
The Eastern Orthodox Church has maintained the use of the Septuagint as its primary Old Testament for 2,000 years, believing that because the Apostles quoted it, it carries a unique divine authority.
What does Amos 9:15 mean?
The LORD says, ‘I will plant them,’ using the image of a living people set where they may take root and remain. This is stronger than a temporary return after displacement. The promise continues, ‘never again to be uprooted’ directly answering the chapter's earlier language of scattering and captivity. The land is called both ’their own land’ and the land ‘which I have given them.’ Their possession is real, and it rests on God's gift. The final words, ‘saith the Lord your God,’ make the promise personal and authoritative. Israel's future is secured by the God who has promised it.
Verse 15 brings together the restoration images that have preceded it. The fallen tabernacle of David is rebuilt, the fields yield abundantly, and people rebuild cities, plant vineyards, make gardens, and eat their fruit. Planting in the land therefore includes settled communal life, work, food, and home. It answers the judgment announced earlier in Amos, where Israel's sin brought loss and exile. The verse does not erase the seriousness of that judgment. Rather, it declares that the LORD's covenant purpose has a future beyond it. He will restore his people to a durable place under his care.
Jeremiah later uses closely related language when speaking of the LORD's work of building and planting his people after captivity in Babylon. While Jeremiah’s prophetic calling initially focused heavily on tearing down (Jeremiah 1:10), he later uses this identical vocabulary to describe the future restoration and reversal of Israel's fortunes:
“Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 31:28
“My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.” Jeremiah 24:6
“I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.” Jeremiah 32:41
Ezekiel echoes this restoration theme, emphasising that the people will return to the land of their ancestors and live in permanent safety:
“Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.” Ezekiel 36:28
“They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever.’ Ezekiel 37:25
This verse raises many questions. How will God’s people will live in his land forever and how will a servant king, here named David rule forever?
“They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbours who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’” Ezekiel 28:26
In this land there will be complete security and God will defend them against all enemies. Does this sound like the state of Israel today? It sounds more like heaven.
Scripture presents it through people, land, cultivation, cities, and peace under God's rule. In the Bible, God's saving work gathers people into a faithful inheritance and a renewed life with him. Amos ends by directing our confidence to the LORD's gift and promise, rather than to the changing strength of a nation or its rulers.
How to apply Amos 9:12-15 today
This closing promise can shape gratitude for the places and responsibilities God entrusts to us. Homes, neighbourhoods, fields, work, meals, and communities are fitting places for faithful cultivation. Amos invites us to receive such gifts as gifts from God, to seek durable peace rather than quick gain, and to care for what supports shared life. For those who have known displacement or instability, the verse gives a strong picture of God's desire to establish and restore. Its assurance rests finally in the LORD thy God, whose faithfulness outlasts the upheavals described earlier in the chapter.
Political significance of this linguistic difference
Scholars continue to debate which version represents the ‘original’ thought of the prophet Amos. Some believe the Septuagint preserves an older Hebrew reading that was later changed, while others believe the Septuagint translators ‘spiritualised’ a political text to make it more relevant to their Greek-speaking audience.
The publication of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls wasn't a random archaeological win, but a timed event designed to produce a specific outcome: Christian Zionism.
The first scrolls were found in 1947, the same year the UN voted on the partition of Palestine. A Jewish scholar actually received some of the scrolls on the very day of that UN vote, calling it a ‘miracle’ that ancient Jewish texts and the modern state were appearing at once. In 1948, a verse from the ‘found’ Isaiah scroll was placed on the desks of the first Israeli parliament members to link their new state to ancient biblical prophecy.
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:1-2
If the goal was to convince Christians that God’s plan is still centred on a physical nation-state, then ‘finding’ Hebrew scrolls that seem to pre-date Christ would be the ultimate ‘evidence to shift their focus away from the spiritual Kingdom. By choosing the MT, the Reformers who translated the Scriptures effectively set aside the Septuagint, which was the version actually quoted by Jesus and the Apostles in the New Testament.
It is significant that the Orthodox churches use the Septuagint as the basis for their translations of the old Testament. The Orthodox Study Bible (OSB) is the most common English version for Orthodox Christians. It uses a new translation of the Septuagint (the St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint) for the Old Testament and the NKJV for the New Testament.
Which version is correct? Many denominations and organisations accept:
“The Bible, as originally given, is the inspired and infallible Word of God. It is the supreme authority in all matters of belief and behaviour.”
The Bible is the word of God as affirmed throughout Scripture and by Jesus. However we do not have the original versions for absolute certainty. We have to deduce what the meaning of the original texts were. We do know that the Septuagint (3rd -2nd century BC) is much older that the Massoretic text which does appear to have other anti-Christian biases in the translation.
For examplePsalm 22:16 reads in the NIV,
“For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet”.
Translations like the NIV, KJV, and ESV use this reading, ‘they pierced’. This is supported by the Septuagint (280–250 BC), the Syriac (2nd to 5th centuries AD), the Latin Vulgate (382–405 AD), and manuscript fragments from the Nahal Hever cave near the Dead Sea (50 BCE–1st century AD).
However the standard Hebrew Masoretic Text (the traditional text used in many Jewish Bibles) reads "like a lion" (Ka’ari) instead of ‘pierced’. However this creates an awkward grammatical structure as this means the sentence lacks a clear verb. The Septuagint uses the Hebrew word as a verb (ka'aru, from karah, meaning to dig or bore through). This makes the sentence grammatically complete ("they pierced my hands and my feet”). Most major English Christian translations (like the NIV, ESV, NASB, and KJV) use ‘pierced’ because it fits the narrative flow of a person surrounded by hostile forces and aligns with New Testament crucifixion imagery as well as being grammatically stronger. It could be that the Masoretic text has a irate bias against prophesies that seem to point to the Christian gospel.
We do have the authority of Jesus and his apostles to guide us. What is important is that it is the meaning of the original text that matters, this is why the Bible can be translated into any language, it is the meaning that matters. This is different to Islam where they teach that the original tablets in heaven have been precisely passed on to Muhammad. There is now much evidence that that cannot be true.
The New Testament is clear that there is a heaven to come for those who are committed to following God’s Messiah. Christians may be Jews or Gentiles, Arabs, Orientals, Indians or Caucasians but we are unified by being followers of Jesus.
BVP
If you would like to discuss further please get in touch with me on - berniepalmer1@sky.com
The website www.bvpalmer.com contains many interesting articles on a variety of important subjects, as well as videos and details of my books .
‘Christchurch Baldock’ meets at 10.30 am every Sunday in Knights Templar School, Baldock.
