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Amos 3

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Israel's Unique Relationship and Imminent Judgment 1–2

1
Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, ​
2
You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. ​

The Certainty of Cause and Effect 3–8

3
Can two walk together, except they be agreed? ​
4
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? ​
5
Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?
6
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? ​
7
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. ​
8
The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy? ​

Foreign Nations Witness Samaria's Doom 9–12

9
Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. ​
10
For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. ​
11
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. ​
12
Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. ​

Destruction of Idolatry and Luxury 13–15

13
Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,
14
That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. ​
15
And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Amos 3

Verse 1

the whole family — The word is spoken 'against' the family 'which I brought up from the land of Egypt', as in 2:10. 'Family' (mishpachah) is also the word of the next verse's 'all the families of the earth' and of the promise to Abraham, 'in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed' (Gen 12:3).

Verse 2

You only have I known — Yada, to know, is knowing by relationship and choice, as of Abraham: 'For I know him, that he will command his children' (Gen 18:19). With the privilege comes accountability: 'unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required' (Luke 12:48). 'Punish' is paqad, to visit, the verb of 3:14.

Verse 3

Can two walk together — 'Agreed' is yaad, to meet by appointment, the verb of 'there I will meet with thee' (Ex 25:22), said of the place where the LORD met Israel. Walking together presupposes a meeting. Enoch 'walked with God' (Gen 5:22).

Verse 4

Will a lion roar — 'Roar' (sha'ag) and 'cry out', literally give a voice (nathan qol), are the words of 1:2, where the LORD 'will roar from Zion, and utter his voice'. A lion roars when it has taken prey, so the roar of 1:2 implies the prey is already in hand. 'Young lion' (kephir) is also the LORD's own title in Hos 5:14.

Verse 6

shall there be evil in a city — 'Evil' (ra'ah) is calamity, set against 'peace' in 'I make peace, and create evil' (Isa 45:7). The trumpet is the city's alarm, 'A day of the trumpet and alarm' (Zeph 1:16). The question teaches that disaster in a city comes from the LORD's hand.

Verse 7

he revealeth his secret — 'Secret' (sod) is counsel, the word of 'who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD' (Jer 23:18). Before Sodom fell the LORD asked, 'Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do' (Gen 18:17). Rev 10:7 speaks of the mystery of God 'as he hath declared to his servants the prophets'.

Verse 8

who can but prophesy — 'Prophesy' is naba. Amos names the compulsion of his own call: 'the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel' (7:15). The apostles speak in the same way: 'we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard' (Acts 4:20). 'The lion hath roared' returns the roar of 1:2 and 3:4.

Verse 9

Publish in the palaces at Ashdod — Ashdod is a Philistine city already under sentence (1:8), and Egypt is the land Israel came from (v.1). 'Palaces' (armon) is the word of the fires in chapters 1–2, here used of palaces in Egypt. 'Tumults' (me'humot) are confusions, and the people are summoned to 'behold' them upon 'the mountains of Samaria'.

Verse 10

they know not to do right — 'Right' is nekochah, straightforwardness, a word found only here and in Isa 26:10, 30:10 ('prophesy not unto us right things') and 59:14 ('equity cannot enter'). 'Violence' (chamas) is the word of 6:3, and 'robbery' (shod) is the word rendered 'desolation' in Hos 12:1. These are what they 'store up' in their palaces.

Verse 11

an adversary — The fulfilment is recorded in Kings: 'Shalmaneser king of Assyria' came up against Hoshea (2 Kgs 17:3), 'besieged' Samaria 'three years' (2 Kgs 17:5), and in the ninth year 'took Samaria' (2 Kgs 17:6). 'Adversary' is tsar, one who crowds in on every side, and 'round about' fits a siege.

Verse 12

out of the mouth of the lion — The law said of a flock animal torn by a beast, 'let him bring it for witness' (Ex 22:13), so the shepherd would not have to repay. 'Taken out' is natsal, to rescue, the verb of David's 'delivered it out of his mouth' (1 Sam 17:35). Of Samaria's people only a fragment is rescued, 'the corner of a bed'.

Verse 14

the altars of Bethel — 'Visit' (paqad) is the verb of v.2. Bethel's altar was Jeroboam's, where he set one of his two golden calves (1 Kgs 12:28–29), and Josiah later 'brake down' that altar (2 Kgs 23:15). The 'horns of the altar' were what a fugitive grasped, as Adonijah 'caught hold on the horns of the altar' (1 Kgs 1:50).

Verse 15

houses of ivory — Ahab built 'the ivory house which he made' (1 Kgs 22:39). The 'winter house' (as in Jer 36:22) and 'summer house' (as in Judg 3:20, 'a summer parlour') mark a household with a dwelling for each season. The 'beds of ivory' of 6:4 belong to the same wealth.