Amos 3 8

Amos 3:8 kjv

The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Amos 3:8 nkjv

A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?

Amos 3:8 niv

The lion has roared? who will not fear? The Sovereign LORD has spoken? who can but prophesy?

Amos 3:8 esv

The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?"

Amos 3:8 nlt

The lion has roared ?
so who isn't frightened?
The Sovereign LORD has spoken ?
so who can refuse to proclaim his message?

Amos 3 verses

Amos 3 8 Meaning

Amos 3:8 profoundly states the unavoidable consequence of divine action and speech. Just as the terrifying roar of a lion naturally evokes fear, the sovereign declaration of the Lord God irresistibly compels His prophets to proclaim His message. It asserts the divine origin and mandatory nature of prophetic ministry in response to God's revealed will, particularly regarding impending judgment.

Amos 3 8 Context

Amos 3:8 concludes a series of rhetorical questions in Amos chapter 3, which illustrate the necessary cause-and-effect relationship between God's actions and specific outcomes. Chapter 3 begins with a reminder to Israel, God's elect nation, of their unique covenant relationship, yet simultaneously warns them that this very privilege incurs greater accountability. Verses 3-6 present natural and logical links – two cannot walk together unless agreed, a lion doesn't roar unless it has prey, etc. – leading up to verse 7, which explicitly states that the Lord God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants, the prophets. Verse 8 acts as the conclusive theological punchline: the divine roar (of judgment) compels prophets to speak. Historically, Amos was called from Judah to prophesy against the wealthy but morally decadent Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II, when idolatry, social injustice, and complacent security were rampant. His message was confrontational, exposing their sin and announcing imminent judgment, often unwelcome to the listeners.

Amos 3 8 Word analysis

• The lion has roared
  • The lion (אריה - 'aryeh): Symbol of supreme power and destructive force. In prophetic literature, it often represents God in His capacity as judge or the instrument of His judgment. Its presence implies imminent danger and inevitable action.
  • has roared (שאג - sha'ag): Denotes a deep, terrifying, and authoritative sound. It signals a lion's identification of prey and its readiness to strike, leaving no doubt about the impending action. Theologically, this is God's announcement of judgment.
• who will not fear?
  • who will not (מי לא - mi lo'): A rhetorical question implying an undeniable, universal, and automatic response. There is no alternative reaction. It suggests the instinctive dread inspired by a formidable power.
  • fear? (ירא - yare'): To be terrified, to experience dread, to be awestruck. Not merely general apprehension, but the natural, inescapable terror evoked by overwhelming power and imminent danger. It highlights the potent effect of God's revealed will.
• The Lord GOD has spoken;
  • The Lord GOD (אדני יהוה - Adonai YHWH): A profound compound divine name emphasizing God's absolute sovereignty ("Adonai," Master, Ruler) combined with His personal covenant name ("YHWH," the self-existent, covenant-keeping God). This combination underscores the supreme authority and reliability of the speaker. It signifies that the source of the message is undeniable and beyond challenge.
  • has spoken; (דבר - dabar): Refers to a definitive, clear, and intentional divine declaration. This is God revealing His will and purpose directly and unequivocally, not through indirect means. It is an authoritative utterance, signifying divine revelation.
• who can but prophesy?
  • who can but (מי לא ינבא - mi lo' yinnaba'): Another powerful rhetorical question, affirming the compulsion. It means "who cannot prophesy?" or "who is able not to prophesy?" It implies an overwhelming inner necessity or divine command.
  • prophesy? (נבא - naba'): To speak under divine inspiration, to declare God's message as His appointed messenger. It implies being a spokesman for God, compelled to voice His words regardless of personal cost or popular opinion. This is the divine commission given to the prophet, an inevitable outpouring of God's revealed truth.

Amos 3 8 Bonus section

The rhetorical questions in Amos 3:3-8 form a chain of irrefutable logic, highlighting the inescapable connections within the created order. By placing his prophetic compulsion at the climax of this series, Amos implicitly argues that his message is as natural and undeniable an outcome of God's speaking as any other cause-and-effect relationship previously mentioned. The careful use of the divine title "Adonai YHWH" underscores that the message's source is not merely a powerful entity but the supreme Sovereign and covenant God of Israel, thus binding them uniquely to His words. The 'roar' metaphor, while primarily a sign of impending judgment and a source of dread, also powerfully affirms God's majestic dominion and His active involvement in human affairs. For the prophet, this is not merely a call but a divine burden, making utterance of the revealed word an inevitable duty.

Amos 3 8 Commentary

Amos 3:8 powerfully articulates the irresistible nature of divine revelation and the mandatory call of a prophet. The verse serves as Amos's own vindication for his difficult and unpopular ministry to Israel. He presents a direct parallelism: just as the instinctive human response to a lion's terrifying roar is fear, so too is the compelled response of a prophet to the direct, authoritative speech of the Sovereign Lord to "prophesy." It is not a choice, but a spiritual and theological necessity. God's speech is a clear, certain declaration, making the prophet's task inescapable and his message undeniably true. This implies a divinely mandated compulsion on the prophet's part to speak forth God's word, especially judgment, as illuminated in Amos 3:7 where God first reveals His secret plans to His servants. It stresses the profound awe and responsibility inherent in being a divine messenger, particularly when confronting a complacent and sinful nation with the word of God. The prophet has no option but to proclaim what God has revealed; his message is the inevitable consequence of God having spoken.

• Example 1: A watchman, entrusted with a vital message of warning, has an inescapable duty to sound the alarm, having seen the danger (Ezek 3:17-19).
• Example 2: Similar to how a herald is compelled to announce the decree of the king; the message is not his own, but the sovereign's.