Amos 3:4

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

Complete Jewish Bible:

Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his lair if it has caught nothing?

Berean Standard Bible:

Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his den if he has caught nothing?

American Standard Version:

Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Will a lion^{H738} roar^{H7580} in the forest^{H3293}, when he hath no prey^{H2964}? will a young lion^{H3715} cry out^{{H5414}{H6963}} of his den^{H4585}, if he have taken^{H3920} nothing^{H1115}?

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Amos 3:4

Amos 3:4 is a verse from the Book of Amos, which is part of the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament. Amos was a prophet who lived during the 8th century BCE, a time of relative prosperity and peace in the ancient Kingdom of Judah, but also a period marked by social injustice and religious apostasy. The verse uses a vivid metaphor to convey a message about the nature of God's actions in the world.

The verse reads: "Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?" This rhetorical question suggests that just as a lion's roar is a natural expression of its success in the hunt, so too are certain events the natural expressions of divine intent and action. The lion's roar signifies power and the fulfillment of its purpose, which parallels the idea that God's warnings and actions are not without cause; they are responses to the conditions of the people.

In the broader context of Amos 3, this verse is part of a series of rhetorical questions that Amos uses to illustrate the certainty of God's judgment. The chapter opens with the assertion that Israel will be punished among all the nations because of its many transgressions. The lion metaphor underscores the inevitability of divine judgment: just as it is intrinsic for a lion to roar when it has caught prey, it is inherent for God to act when there is sin and injustice. The historical context suggests that Amos is addressing the northern kingdom of Israel, warning them of the impending doom if they do not amend their ways. The themes of the verse include the certainty of divine action, the connection between cause and effect in the moral realm, and the expectation that God's justice will be enacted in response to the people's behavior.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H738
   There are 184 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֲרִי
   Transliteration: ʼărîy
   Pronunciation: ar-ee'
   Description: or (prolonged) [ar-yay']; from אָרָה (in the sense of violence); a lion; (young) lion, [phrase] pierce (from the margin).
   
2. Strong's Number: H7580
   There are 17 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁאַג
   Transliteration: shâʼag
   Pronunciation: shaw-ag'
   Description: a primitive root; to rumble or moan; [idiom] mightily, roar.
   
3. Strong's Number: H3293
   There are 58 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יַעַר
   Transliteration: yaʻar
   Pronunciation: yah'-ar
   Description: from an unused root probably meaning to thicken with verdure; a copse of bushes; hence, a forest; hence, honey in the comb (as hived in trees); (honey-) comb, forest, wood.
   
4. Strong's Number: H2964
   There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: טֶרֶף
   Transliteration: ṭereph
   Pronunciation: teh'-ref
   Description: from טָרַף; something torn, i.e. a fragment, e.g. a fresh leaf, prey, food; leaf, meat, prey, spoil.
   
5. Strong's Number: H3715
   There are 32 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: כְּפִיר
   Transliteration: kᵉphîyr
   Pronunciation: kef-eer'
   Description: from כָּפַר; a village (as covered in by walls); also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane); (young) lion, village. Compare כָּפָר.
   
6. Strong's Number: H5414
   There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָתַן
   Transliteration: nâthan
   Pronunciation: naw-than'
   Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.
   
7. Strong's Number: H6963
   There are 436 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קוֹל
   Transliteration: qôwl
   Pronunciation: kole
   Description: or קֹל; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a voice or sound; [phrase] aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ([phrase] out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, [phrase] hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, [phrase] sing, sound, [phrase] spark, thunder(-ing), voice, [phrase] yell.
   
8. Strong's Number: H4585
   There are 9 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מְעוֹנָה
   Transliteration: mᵉʻôwnâh
   Pronunciation: meh-o-naw'
   Description: or מְעֹנָה; feminine of מָעוֹן, and meaning the same; {an abode, of God (the Tabernacle or the Temple), men (their home) or animals (their lair); hence, a retreat (asylum)}; den, habitation, (dwelling) place, refuge.
   
9. Strong's Number: H3920
   There are 112 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: לָכַד
   Transliteration: lâkad
   Pronunciation: law-kad'
   Description: a primitive root; to catch (in a net, trap or pit); generally, to capture or occupy; also to choose (by lot); figuratively, to cohere; [idiom] at all, catch (self), be frozen, be holden, stick together, take.
   
10. Strong's Number: H1115
    There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בִּלְתִּי
    Transliteration: biltîy
    Pronunciation: bil-tee'
    Description: constructive feminine of בָּלָה (equivalent to בְּלִי); properly, a failure of, i.e. (used only as a negative particle, usually with a prepositional prefix) not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until, etc.; because un(satiable), beside, but, [phrase] continual, except, from, lest, neither, no more, none, not, nothing, save, that no, without.