Amos 5 3

Amos 5:3 kjv

For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.

Amos 5:3 nkjv

For thus says the Lord GOD: "The city that goes out by a thousand Shall have a hundred left, And that which goes out by a hundred Shall have ten left to the house of Israel."

Amos 5:3 niv

This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Israel: "Your city that marches out a thousand strong will have only a hundred left; your town that marches out a hundred strong will have only ten left."

Amos 5:3 esv

For thus says the Lord GOD: "The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel."

Amos 5:3 nlt

The Sovereign LORD says: "When a city sends a thousand men to battle,
only a hundred will return.
When a town sends a hundred,
only ten will come back alive."

Amos 5 verses

Amos 5 3 meaning

Amos 5:3 delivers a stark prophetic declaration of severe judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It foretells a catastrophic decimation of their military strength and population. The Lord God announces that for every thousand soldiers or men mobilized from a city, only one hundred will return; and for every hundred, only ten will survive. This signifies an overwhelming 90% loss rate, rendering the nation militarily impotent and demographically crippled, incapable of resisting future threats, all as a direct consequence of their unfaithfulness.

Amos 5 3 Context

Amos chapter 5 is part of the prophet's divine indictment against Israel, occurring during a period of relative peace and economic prosperity under King Jeroboam II (Amos 1:1). Despite outward religious observance at cultic centers like Bethel and Gilgal, Israel was rife with social injustice, idolatry, and hypocrisy. Chapter 5 begins with a funeral dirge over the impending fall of Israel (v. 1-2), a symbolic lament for a nation that God declares is "fallen, no more to rise again." Verse 3 then immediately follows, clarifying the method and extent of this judgment, detailing the severe demographic and military decimation that will befall them. It directly sets the stage for Amos's subsequent calls to seek the Lord (v. 4, 6) and scathing denunciations of their perverted justice (v. 7-12) and empty rituals (v. 21-24). The verse directly counters any self-assurance Israel might have had in its population size or military might.

Amos 5 3 Word analysis

• For thus says the Lord GOD: (Hebrew: כִּי כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, kī kōh ’āmar Adōnāy YHWH). This is a foundational prophetic formula. "Adonai YHWH" signifies "Lord Yahweh," emphasizing both the ultimate sovereignty (Adonai) and covenant faithfulness (YHWH) of the God delivering the message. It underscores the divine authority, certainty, and irrevocability of the declaration.
• The city: (Hebrew: עִיר, ʻiyr). Here, it metaphorically refers to the military contingent or fighting force mobilized from a city, rather than the city's entire population itself. It implies the military strength or levy drawn from that urban center.
• that went out a thousand: (Hebrew: הַיֹּצֵאת אֶלֶף, hayyotsē’t ’eleph). Signifies a military unit of one thousand men (or a large, representative number mobilized from a city). In ancient warfare, a thousand could be a significant division.
• shall have a hundred left: (Hebrew: תִּשְׁאִיר מֵאָה, tish’īr mē’āh). "Shall have... left" indicates survival, but at a drastic reduction. This signifies a 90% loss rate, illustrating total defeat and slaughter. "Mê’āh" (hundred) means 10% survival.
• and that which went out a hundred: (Hebrew: וְהַיֹּצֵאת מֵאָה, wəhayyotsē’t mē’āh). A smaller contingent, maintaining the proportionality of the judgment. This refers to another group, potentially from a smaller city or a lesser military unit.
• shall have ten left: (Hebrew: תִּשְׁאִיר עָשָׂר, tish’īr ‘āśār). Again, a 90% reduction. "‘Aśār" (ten) is 10% survival, reinforcing the consistency and severity of the judgment.
• to the house of Israel: (Hebrew: לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל, ləvêt Yiśrā’ēl). Explicitly identifies the Northern Kingdom as the target of this prophecy. It stresses that this judgment is divinely purposed and aimed directly at their specific rebellion and unfaithfulness.

• "The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left": This entire phrase functions as a parallel numerical idiom, effectively conveying decimation. It's a vivid declaration of the devastating military losses that will render Israel incapable of self-defense or offense. The repeated '10% survival' pattern highlights the completeness and consistency of God's destructive judgment, which is far beyond typical battle losses.
• "thousand... hundred... hundred... ten": This numeric sequence underscores a pervasive and comprehensive judgment across different military formations. It suggests that no scale of mobilization will escape this widespread divine hand of reduction, rendering the entire military structure of Israel impotent.

Amos 5 3 Bonus section

The concept of numerical reduction (decimation) as a sign of divine judgment is a recurrent theme in prophetic literature and the Law, indicating that national strength and security are contingent upon faithfulness to God. This specific phrasing highlights not random battlefield attrition, but a divinely ordained, precise collapse. Such a collapse would lead to political subjugation and eventually exile, aligning with later historical events experienced by the Northern Kingdom when Assyria conquered them. This imagery also subtly contributes to the "remnant" theology found throughout the Old Testament, though here it is a remnant of survivors of destruction, not necessarily a spiritually pure remnant (though such a remnant would also exist in God's plan). The emphasis is on divine intention: it is "the Lord GOD" who decrees and brings about this calculated destruction, not mere chance or human misfortune.

Amos 5 3 Commentary

Amos 5:3 delivers an unambiguous and chilling pronouncement of judgment, functioning as a concrete expression of the preceding lament in Amos 5:1-2. By detailing the decimation of military forces from "a thousand to a hundred" and "a hundred to ten," God reveals the practical, devastating consequences of Israel's persistent unfaithfulness. This isn't just about general destruction; it's a specific, numerical curse that directly attacks the nation's ability to protect itself, reducing its capacity to only 10% of its former strength. It shatters any illusion of security based on human power or numbers. This prophecy contrasts starkly with God's earlier promises of multiplication for Israel (Gen 12:2; 22:17). Here, God is reversing the blessing of multitude due to their sin, demonstrating His sovereign control over their existence and their military fate. The passage ultimately serves as a powerful call for Israel to acknowledge their vulnerability and to truly "seek the LORD and live," before this inevitable judgment fully materializes.