Albert Barnes Commentary Amos 9:10

"All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, The evil shall not overtake nor meet us." — Amos 9:10 (ASV)

All the sinners of My people shall perish - At the last, when the longsuffering of God has been despised to the uttermost, His Providence is exact in His justice, as in His love. As not one grain should fall to the earth, so not one sinner should escape. Jerome says: “Not because they sinned previously, but because they persevered in sin until death. The Aethiopians are changed into sons of God, if they repent; and the sons of God pass away into Aethiopians, if they fall into the depth of sin.”

Which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us - Their security was the cause of their destruction. They perished the more miserably, being buoyed up by the false confidence that they should not perish. So it was in both destructions of Jerusalem.

Of the first, Jeremiah says to the false prophet Hananiah, “Thus saith the Lord, You have broken the yokes of wood; but you shall make for them yokes of iron” (Jeremiah 28:13); and to Zedekiah, “Obey, I beseech you, the voice of the Lord, which I speak to you; so shall it be well with you, and your soul shall live. But if you refuse to go forth - you shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon, and you shall burn this city with fire” (Jeremiah 38:20, 23; see also Jeremiah 27:9-10, 19).

At the second destruction, while the Christians (mindful of our Lord’s words) fled to Pella, the Jews were, to the last, encouraged by their false prophets to resist. Their own historian describes the scene at the burning of the temple:

“The cause of this destruction was a false prophet, who on that day proclaimed to those in the city, ‘God commands to go up to the temple, to receive the signs of deliverance.’ There were also, at that time, among the people many prophets suborned by the tyrants, bidding them await the help from God, that they might not desert, and that hope might prevail with those, who were above fear and restraint. Man is soon persuaded in calamity.

And when the deceiver promises release from the evils which are upon him, the sufferer gives himself wholly up to hope. These deceivers then and liars against God at this time misled the wretched people, so that they neither regarded, nor believed, the plain evident prodigies, which foreshadowed the coming desolation, but, like men stupefied, who had neither eyes nor mind, disobeyed the warnings of God.”

Then, having related some of the prodigies that occurred, he adds: “But of these signs, some they interpreted after their own will, some they despised, until they were convicted of folly by the capture of their country and their own destruction.”

So also now, none are so likely to perish forever, as they who say, “The evil shall not overtake us.” They tell themselves: “I will repent later.” “I will make my peace with God before I die.” “There is time enough yet.” “Youth is for pleasure, age for repentance.” “God will forgive the errors of youth, and the heat of our passions.” “Any time will do for repentance; health and strength promise long life.” “I cannot do without this or that now.” “I will turn to God, only not yet.” “God is merciful and full of compassion.”

Because Satan thus deludes thousands upon thousands to their destruction, God cuts away all such vain hopes with His word: “All the sinners of My people shall die which say, the evil shall not overtake nor come upon us.”