Amos 3:12 kjv
Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.
Amos 3:12 nkjv
Thus says the LORD: "As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion Two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel be taken out Who dwell in Samaria? In the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch!
Amos 3:12 niv
This is what the LORD says: "As a shepherd rescues from the lion's mouth only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued, with only the head of a bed and a piece of fabric from a couch."
Amos 3:12 esv
Thus says the LORD: "As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part of a bed.
Amos 3:12 nlt
This is what the LORD says: "A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion's mouth
will recover only two legs or a piece of an ear.
So it will be for the Israelites in Samaria lying on luxurious beds,
and for the people of Damascus reclining on couches.
Amos 3 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Amos 3:8 | The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy? | Amos 3:8 (Direct Context - cause and effect) |
| Jeremiah 25:30 | The LORD will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation he will give a lusty outcry; he will shout mightily against his dwelling place; he will give a shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. | Jer 25:30 (God's powerful declaration) |
| Joel 2:11 | The LORD utters his voice before his army, for his camp is very great; he is powerful in his{-#ex-#}ecution of his word; indeed, the day of the LORD is powerful and very formidable; who can endure it? | Joel 2:11 (God's powerful voice in judgment) |
| Isaiah 42:13 | The LORD will go forth like a mighty man; he will stir up his jealousy like a warrior. He will cry out, yes, he will shout; he will prove himself mighty against his enemies. | Isa 42:13 (God's mighty and powerful actions) |
| Ezekiel 34:15 | I will feed my flock, and I will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. | Ezk 34:15 (God as provider, contrast to judgment) |
| Psalm 50:1 | The mighty one, God the LORD, speaks and calls the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. | Psa 50:1 (God speaking authoritatively) |
| Proverbs 20:2 | The fear of a king is like the growl of a lion; whoever provokes him does so at his peril. | Prov 20:2 (Lion's roar as a sign of power and warning) |
| Matthew 12:36 | I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, | Mt 12:36 (Consequences of words) |
| Luke 11:28 | He said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" | Lk 11:28 (Blessing in hearing God's word) |
| John 10:27 | My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. | Jn 10:27 (Jesus' sheep hear His voice) |
| Revelation 10:3 | and he cried out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he cried out, the seven thunders sounded. | Rev 10:3 (Lion roaring and God's powerful voice) |
| Revelation 19:15 | From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. | Rev 19:15 (Christ's powerful pronouncements) |
| Hosea 11:10 | They shall go after the LORD; he will roar like a lion; indeed, he will roar, and his children shall come trembling from the west. | Hos 11:10 (God roaring to gather His people) |
| Amos 1:2 | And he said, "The LORD roars from Zion, and from Jerusalem he utters his voice; the pastures of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither." | Amos 1:2 (God roaring from Zion) |
| Isaiah 18:3 | All inhabitants of the world, you dwellers on earth, when a banner is lifted on the mountains, you see it, and when a trumpet is blown, you hear it. | Isa 18:3 (Heeding a call) |
| Jeremiah 7:34 | and I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a ruin. | Jer 7:34 (Cessation of voices due to judgment) |
| Amos 5:16 | Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord: "There shall be wailing in all the public places, and in all the streets they shall cry 'Alas! Alas!' They shall call the farmers to mourning and to wailing any who know how to lament." | Amos 5:16 (Wailing as a response to judgment) |
| Leviticus 26:22 | I will also send wild animals among you, which shall rob you of your young and destroy your livestock and make you so few in number that your paths shall be deserted. | Lev 26:22 (Consequences of disobedience involving wild animals) |
| Isaiah 3:1-5 | The LORD Almighty is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah the support and sustenance, every staff of bread, and every stay of water-- the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor and the expert craftsman, and the clever enchanter. And I will make youths their officials, and childish shall rule over them. And the people will oppress one another, every man against his neighbor, young against the old, the base against the honorable, the buyer against the seller, the lender against the borrower, the debtor against the creditor. For the land shall be given over to rebels against each other. And the youth will insolve against the elder and the base against honorable. | Isa 3:1-5 (Chaos due to removal of leadership, highlighting the direness) |
Amos 3 verses
Amos 3 12 Meaning
The verse declares that a lion, a symbol of power and ferocity, roars in its lair. This roaring signifies its presence, impending action, and undisputed authority. No one can tame or subdue the lion in its den; its cry is heard because it has captured its prey. The Lord, like this powerful lion, speaks through His prophets, and when He speaks, the people must listen, for His pronouncements indicate judgment and the fulfillment of His will.
Amos 3 12 Context
Chapter 3 of Amos is a powerful indictment of Israel's unfaithfulness and a declaration of impending judgment. Amos, a shepherd from Judah, is sent by God to prophesy against the northern kingdom of Israel. He outlines God's special relationship with Israel, emphasizing His election and deliverance. However, Israel has abused this privilege through injustice, idolatry, and luxury, corrupting the covenant. Amos uses a series of rhetorical questions and pronouncements to demonstrate that because of God's intimate knowledge of and specific blessings to Israel, their sin carries a greater weight of responsibility, and thus, their punishment will be more severe. Verse 12 specifically explains that God's spoken word, like the roar of a lion whose prey has been caught, is an inescapable announcement of His decisive action.
Amos 3 12 Word Analysis
- כִּי (ki): "For" or "because." This conjunction introduces the reason for the preceding statement or for the pronouncement that follows. It establishes a causal link.
- אֲרִ֤י (ari): "Lion." In Hebrew thought, the lion is a symbol of strength, power, royalty, ferocity, and sovereignty. It often represents God's own might or judgment.
- יִנְאָם (yina'am): "Roars." This verb comes from the root נָאַם (na'am), which means to growl or roar, particularly of a lion. It signifies a powerful, often terrifying sound that announces presence and intent. The verb is in the imperfect tense, indicating ongoing or repeated action or an action that is about to occur or has been set in motion.
- וּמְשֹׁחַז: (u'meshokhaz): "And a lion cub" or "and a young lion." The root word might be related to השׁחיז (hishkhiz), meaning "to sharpen" or "to prepare." Some translations suggest a "tamed" lion or a "repressed" lion. However, many scholars see it as a cognate of Arabic words related to young lions or cubs, implying that even a young lion, if not subdued, would roar when it has found prey. The more widely accepted understanding leans towards a distinction between a full-grown lion and its offspring or a similar powerful cat. The significance here is that God's roar, even when it involves His "young" or those He empowers, carries His authoritative voice. Another interpretation is that it's the "cub" or offspring that roars, implying that God's agents or the very instruments of His judgment possess this characteristic roar. The most common understanding in the context of God's roar is that even the means He employs will be powerful.
- מִבְטָח֑וֹ (mivtaḥo): "its lair" or "its strong hold" or "its dwelling place." This word derives from the Hebrew root בָּטַח (bataḥ), meaning "to trust" or "to feel secure." Thus, it signifies a place of security and rest for the lion. The implication is that the lion is in its own territory, its stronghold.
- כִּי (ki): "When" or "for." This second "ki" functions as a temporal conjunction or introduces the condition under which the roaring occurs.
- יָעֹד (ya'od): "has appointed" or "has designated." This verb comes from the root עוּד (ud), meaning to come, appear, or return. In some contexts, it can imply encountering or finding. Here it is understood as having prepared, appointed, or designated the prey. It suggests that the prey was divinely selected or ordained.
- טַרְיָ֔הּ (taryah): "its prey" or "its spoil." This is the object of the lion's successful hunt.
Group by Words Analysis
- "For a lion has roared, and the Lord GOD has spoken": This parallel construction in Amos 3:8, from which this verse directly follows and amplifies, sets the analogy. The roar of a lion is a natural phenomenon that commands attention and inspires fear. The speaking of the Lord God is a divine action that demands absolute heeding.
- "The lion has roared from its lair": The image is of a powerful creature secure in its territory, its presence announced by its roar. This highlights the authority and the inescapable nature of the source of the sound. It's not a tentative call but a definitive declaration from a place of power.
- "When it has captured its prey": This clause specifies the reason for the roar. The lion roars not in vain, but because its effort has been successful. Its cry is a proclamation of victory and the fulfillment of its immediate purpose. Applied to God, this means His word, His pronouncements of judgment, are not empty threats but signify His decisive action against those He has marked.
- "Who will not fear? / Who can but prophesy?": These are rhetorical questions from Amos 3:8, demonstrating the inevitable response. The fear evoked by the lion's roar is unavoidable. Similarly, the prophet cannot refrain from speaking when the Lord has spoken to him.
Amos 3 12 Bonus Section
The imagery of a lion's roar is consistent throughout Scripture as a metaphor for divine power, judgment, and kingship. It emphasizes the terrifying authority and sovereign right of God over all creation. The Hebrew phrase "the lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:8) acts as a foundational interpretive key for the verse that follows, showing the cause-and-effect relationship between God's spoken word and prophetic utterance. The addition of "and its cub" (or similar renderings) might suggest the reach and application of God's word, meaning that all agents, whether principal or secondary, carry His potent message. This verse highlights that God's speech is not mere communication but powerful decree, inseparable from action and judgment.
Amos 3 12 Commentary
This verse uses a potent simile to explain why the prophets, particularly Amos, must deliver God's messages, even when they are messages of judgment. Just as a lion’s roar is an unmistakable sound signaling its powerful presence and successful hunt within its domain, God’s pronouncements are authoritative and unavoidable. When the Lord, like a mighty lion in its stronghold, declares His word—specifically through the actions of His prophets—it is an assertion of His sovereign will that cannot be ignored. The success implied by "captured its prey" suggests that God’s pronouncements are tied to His decisive actions and judgments, which have been divinely appointed. Therefore, His people are compelled to hear and tremble.