Amos 8:3 kjv
And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.
Amos 8:3 nkjv
And the songs of the temple Shall be wailing in that day," Says the Lord GOD? "Many dead bodies everywhere, They shall be thrown out in silence."
Amos 8:3 niv
"In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies?flung everywhere! Silence!"
Amos 8:3 esv
The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day," declares the Lord GOD. "So many dead bodies!" "They are thrown everywhere!" "Silence!"
Amos 8:3 nlt
In that day the singing in the temple will turn to wailing. Dead bodies will be scattered everywhere. They will be carried out of the city in silence. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"
Amos 8 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Amos 8:3 | ...the end has come upon my people Israel... | Prophetic declaration of finality |
| Lev 26:3 | If you walk in my statutes and keep my commandments... | Obedience leads to blessings |
| Lev 26:14 | But if you do not obey me and do not diligently observe all these commandments... | Disobedience leads to curses |
| Jer 7:29 | “Cut off your hair, throw it away, and wail on the desolate heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.” | God's rejection due to sin |
| Ezek 7:2 | "And you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. | Prophetic declaration of the end of the land |
| Isa 28:1 | Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim... | Judgment on sinful Israel |
| Isa 28:2 | Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty one... | God as agent of judgment |
| Hos 8:1 | “Set the trumpet to your mouth! He comes like an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant and sinned against my law.” | Transgression leading to judgment |
| Hos 9:7 | “The days of punishment have come; the days of reckoning have come…” | The certainty of divine punishment |
| Zech 11:6 | For I will no longer spare the inhabitants of the land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will strike every man with his neighbor and his king... | God's impending judgment |
| Luke 21:32 | Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. | Prophetic fulfillment timeframe |
| Rev 18:1 | After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. | Announcing the fall of oppressive systems |
| Ps 7:11 | God is a righteous judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day. | God's righteous anger |
| Prov 1:23 | If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. | Repentance leads to God's outpouring |
| Prov 1:24 | Because I called and you refused to answer; because I stretched out my hand and no one attended... | Unresponsiveness to God's call |
| Heb 12:14 | Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. | The importance of holiness |
| Matt 13:41 | The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers... | Judgment and separation |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | The principle of sowing and reaping |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | The consequence of sin vs. God's gift |
| Rev 6:6 | And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!” | Economic hardship associated with judgment |
| Joel 1:4 | What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten... | The complete destruction wrought by judgment |
Amos 8 verses
Amos 8 3 Meaning
This verse describes a prophetic vision where a basket of summer fruit signifies the end of Israel and God's impending judgment upon them. The presence of summer fruit, typically ripe and ready for harvest, symbolizes that the nation of Israel has reached its full measure of sin and is now ripe for divine retribution. The "end" signifies finality and completeness of judgment.
Amos 8 3 Context
Amos was a shepherd and farmer from Tekoa in Judah, called by God to prophesy to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of apparent prosperity and outward religious observance. However, this prosperity masked deep social injustice, oppression of the poor, and a corrupted religious system. Amos's message is one of impending judgment due to their sins, emphasizing God's unwavering righteousness and His demand for justice. Chapter 8 continues this theme, highlighting the fullness of Israel's sin and the inevitability of God's wrath. The vision of the summer fruit serves as a powerful visual metaphor for this complete ripeness for judgment.
Amos 8 3 Word Analysis
הַקֵּץ (haqqēṣ): "the end"
- The definite article "ha-" prefix indicates specificity.
- "qēṣ" means an end, termination, completion. It conveys finality, not just a pause.
- This word emphasizes that the present period of punishment or consequence has reached its definitive conclusion, signaling the finality of God's judgment upon Israel.
בָּא (bāʾ): "has come"
- Perfect tense verb from "bōʾ," meaning "to come."
- Indicates an action that is completed and has reached its destination or state of being. The end is not approaching; it is here.
אֶל־עַמִּי (ʾel-ʿammî): "upon my people"
- "ʾel" is a preposition meaning "to," "upon," "against."
- "ʿammî" means "my people."
- The possessive "my" ('i) signifies a relational term, emphasizing that these are God's people, which heightens the tragedy and gravity of the judgment. It underscores God's disappointment and grief.
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yiśrāʾēl): "Israel"
- Refers to the Northern Kingdom, which bore the brunt of Amos's prophecy.
- Historically, "Israel" referred to the unified kingdom and later specifically the ten northern tribes.
Amos 8 3 Bonus Section
The imagery of summer fruit as a sign of finality is potent. It evokes the natural progression of harvest, where ripeness implies readiness for reaping. In this prophetic context, Israel's spiritual ripeness is for judgment, not for blessing. The summer fruit in ancient Israel represented the best of the season, a precious commodity. By using this symbol, God highlights the stark contrast between what Israel should have been—a fruitful people honoring Him—and what they had become: a nation ripe for destruction due to its persistent unfaithfulness and sin. This symbolic language resonates deeply with an agrarian society.
Amos 8 3 Commentary
The vision of the basket of summer fruit is a stark illustration of God's justice. Summer fruit is a sign of ripeness, of a season reaching its fulfillment. For Israel, this ripeness signifies the completion of their iniquity. God, as a righteous judge, cannot indefinitely tolerate their oppression of the poor and their corrupt worship. The "end" that has come signifies the irreversible conclusion of God's patience. This isn't just punishment for specific sins; it's the consequence of a cumulative trajectory of rebellion that has made the nation irredeemable in its current state, leading to a total judgment as indicated by the imagery of complete ripeness. The "end" is absolute for them.