Amos quotes another hymn fragment (see Amos 4:13; 9:5–6). The prophet highlights the difference between the cosmic God and local gods.
Stars, celestial bodies, and constellations like Pleiades and Orion were seen as gods in ancient times. Amos says this is not true; the Lord created them and placed them in the sky.
waters: People in ancient times observed a process they did not understand, such as evaporation and condensation (when water turns into vapor and then back into liquid). However, the Lord understands and controls these natural processes, even when they seem mysterious to humans.