Acts Theology 101: Prophecy And Theological Interpretation

When James quotes Amos 9:11-12 in Acts 15, saying, "'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old,'" he is demonstrating a sophisticated, theological interpretation of Old Testament prophecy.
The original Hebrew text of Amos 9:11-12 and the Septuagint (Greek translation) differ. Importantly, James utilizes the Septuagint's rendering, which changes 'Edom' to 'mankind', and he further adapts it to explicitly include 'Gentiles.' This demonstrates that New Testament authors, guided by the Holy Spirit, sometimes used existing translations and adjusted language to highlight the theological fulfillment they observed in Jesus and the church, even if it departed from a strict word-for-word rendering of the Hebrew.
This approach to Scripture reminds us that biblical interpretation is not always about a rigid, hyper-literalism. Instead, it can involve understanding the broader theological trajectories and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan through Christ. It's an encouragement to look beyond a superficial reading and delve into the deeper, Spirit-led connections across the biblical narrative.