Amos 3:5-15

5 Can a bird fall in a trap on the eretz, Where no snare is set for him? Does a snare spring up from the ground, When there is nothing to catch?

6 Does the shofar alarm sound in a city, Without the people being afraid? Does evil befall a city, And the LORD hasn't done it?

7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, Unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.

8 The lion has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken. Who can but prophesy?

9 Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, And in the palaces in the land of Mitzrayim, And say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Shomron, And see what unrest is in her, And what oppression is among them."

10 "Indeed they don't know to do right," says the LORD, "Who hoard plunder and loot in their palaces."

11 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "An adversary will overrun the land; And he will pull down your strongholds, And your fortresses will be plundered."

12 Thus says the LORD: "As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, Or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Yisra'el be rescued who sit in Shomron on the corner of a couch, And on the silken cushions of a bed."

13 "Listen, and testify against the house of Ya`akov," says the Lord GOD, the God Tzva'ot,.

14 "For in the day that I visit the transgressions of Yisra'el on him, I will also visit the altars of Beit-El; And the horns of the altar will be cut off, And fall to the ground.

15 I will strike the winter house with the summer house; And the houses of ivory will perish, And the great houses will have an end," says the LORD.

Amos 3:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 3

In this chapter the prophet goes on with his prophecy against Israel, whom God had highly favoured, and yet sinned against him, and therefore must expect to be punished by him; and the rather, since he and they were not agreed; and therefore there could be no communion between them, Am 3:1-3; and by various similes are set forth the cause of divine judgments, the certain design of them, and their continuance, till the end is answered; which should be attended to, since every thing of this kind is of God, who giving his prophets notice of it, they are under an absolute necessity of declaring it; nor should they be blamed for it, Am 3:4-8; and even the Heathen nations are appealed unto as witnesses of the sins of Israel, that caused such a denunciation of wrath; their tumults, oppression, injustice, violence, and robbery, Am 3:9,10; wherefore an adversary is threatened to be sent among them, that should utterly destroy them, so that few should escape, Am 3:11,12; particularly their idolatry and luxury seem to have been reigning sins, which had a great hand in bringing on their rum, and for which the Lord would punish them, Am 3:13-15.