Amos 3 6

Amos 3:6 kjv

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Amos 3:6 nkjv

If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?

Amos 3:6 niv

When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?

Amos 3:6 esv

Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?

Amos 3:6 nlt

When the ram's horn blows a warning,
shouldn't the people be alarmed?
Does disaster come to a city
unless the LORD has planned it?

Amos 3 verses

Amos 3 6 Meaning

Amos 3:6 poses two rhetorical questions that assert the undeniable connection between cause and effect, leading to the conclusion that calamity within a city is a direct act of the Lord. It establishes divine sovereignty over all events, particularly those involving national distress and judgment. The verse directly links suffering and disaster to the active will and power of God, functioning as a theological underpinning for Amos's subsequent pronouncements of judgment against Israel.

Amos 3 6 Context

Amos chapter 3 is a direct pronouncement against Israel, specifically Samaria. Building upon the previous chapters that listed judgments against surrounding nations and then Judah, Amos now focuses acutely on Israel itself, asserting their greater responsibility due to their unique covenant relationship with the Lord (Amos 3:2). The entire chapter utilizes a series of rhetorical questions, establishing undeniable cause-and-effect relationships from the natural world to human interaction, and finally to divine action. Verse 6 is part of a series (v.3-6) where Amos argues that an event does not happen without a cause or reason. Just as people do not walk together without agreeing to meet, a lion does not roar unless it has prey, and a bird is not snared unless a trap is set, so too, calamities do not strike a city without the Lord causing them. This logic prepares the audience for the radical idea in verse 7: "For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets." Historically, Israel often attributed prosperity to Baal and other gods, or viewed misfortunes as random. Amos strongly refutes these beliefs, asserting Yahweh's sole, active, and comprehensive control over all national fortunes, both good and bad, emphasizing His role as the sovereign judge who punishes His disobedient people.

Amos 3 6 Word analysis

• If a trumpet is blown (אם יתקע שופר - Im yitqaʿ shofar):
  • Trumpet (שופר - shofar): A ram's horn, not a musical instrument for entertainment, but a device for alarm, signaling war, impending danger, or assembling the people. Its sound was immediate, piercing, and universally recognized as a call to urgent action or attention.
  • Blown (יתקע - yitqaʿ): Literally "sounded" or "blown." Conveys the act of issuing a forceful, warning sound. This action is deliberate and signals a grave situation.
• in a city, will not the people tremble? (בּעיר והעם לא יחרדו - ba'iyr v'ha'am lo yecheradu?):
  • City (עיר - 'iyr): Refers to a fortified urban center, often a capital or significant population hub. The impact of the alarm is immediate and widespread within the confines of a community.
  • Tremble (חרדו - yecheradu): To be fearful, terrified, to quake or shiver with dread. This is a visceral, automatic reaction to perceived danger, particularly a war alarm. The question expects an obvious "Yes."
• If disaster strikes a city, has not the LORD caused it? (אם תהיה רעה בעיר ויהוה לא עשׂה - Im tihyeh ra'ah ba'iyr, w'YHWH lo asah?):
  • Disaster (רעה - ra'ah): A crucial word here. In Hebrew, ra'ah can mean "evil" in a moral sense, but in this context, especially when predicated on God's action, it denotes misfortune, calamity, affliction, or judgment. It signifies a negative, harmful event (like war, famine, pestilence) that brings distress, not necessarily sinfulness on God's part. It represents God's active involvement in punitive events.
  • Strikes (תהיה - tihyeh): Literally "happens" or "is." Emphasizes the occurrence of the calamity.
  • LORD (יהוה - YHWH): The covenant name of God, revealing His personal, active, and covenant-keeping relationship with Israel. By using YHWH, Amos stresses that it is this God, the God of Israel, who is responsible. This directly counters polytheistic beliefs or the idea that calamity is random.
  • Caused it? (לא עשׂה - lo asah?): Literally "not made/done it?" or "He did it, did he not?" The rhetorical question form with the negative particle (לא - lo) demands an affirmative answer. It strongly asserts God's direct agency and responsibility for the calamity. This negates any idea of a natural disaster being merely "natural" or the work of other deities. It's a polemic against the idea of passive deity or independent evil forces.

Amos 3 6 Bonus section

The rhetorical questions used in Amos 3:3-6 are known as disputational challenges. They are structured to elicit an immediate and undeniable "yes" or "no" answer, forcing the audience to concur with Amos's premises before he delivers the more confronting conclusions about their specific situation. This literary device makes the argument appear self-evident and logically irrefutable. The verse serves not only as a statement of divine sovereignty but also as a direct rebuttal to any worldview that denies God's involvement in negative events. It underscores a key aspect of biblical theology: there is no force outside of God's ultimate control. While humans are responsible for their sinful choices, God is sovereign even over the consequences of those choices, using them as instruments of His righteous judgment. This challenges a purely anthropocentric view of history or a dualistic worldview where good and evil forces are at play independent of divine oversight. It also subtly reinforces the idea that if God causes disaster, then His warnings, delivered through His prophets, must be heeded.

Amos 3 6 Commentary

Amos 3:6 is a pivotal verse in Amos's message, encapsulating a foundational biblical truth: the absolute sovereignty of God, particularly over hardship and calamity. The first rhetorical question ("If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people tremble?") draws on universal human experience, asserting an immediate and expected response to a clear warning of danger. Just as an alarm necessitates a reaction, the impending doom that Amos prophesies is not without its divine origin and clear indicators. The second question then drives home the theological punch: "If disaster strikes a city, has not the LORD caused it?" Here, "disaster" (ra'ah) refers to the consequences of divine judgment—famine, pestilence, warfare, or exile. It does not imply that God Himself is evil, but that He sovereignly directs and allows suffering as a just recompense for sin, often as a means of correction or judgment against disobedience, especially in the context of the covenant between Yahweh and Israel. This statement directly challenges Israel's complacency, their attribution of fortune to other gods, or their belief that only good comes from God while calamities are random or from other sources. Amos emphatically states that God is not only the source of blessings but also the author of judgment. He is active, not passive, in human history, orchestrating all events—both the comforting and the calamitous—to fulfill His divine purposes. This truth is foundational to understanding subsequent warnings and prophecies in Amos, establishing the logical flow: cause (Israel's sin) leads to effect (divine judgment), which is initiated by a knowing God (Amos 3:7).For example, when a severe drought cripples a region (as happened often in ancient Israel), or an invading army sacks a city, Amos asserts that these are not merely "bad luck" or the random whims of nature, but the active work of God's hand in judgment against the wickedness of the people.