Amos 5:3

3 For thus says the Lord GOD, "The city which goes forth a thousand strong Will have a ¹hundred left, And the one which goes forth a hundred strong Will have ²ten left to the house of Israel."

Amos 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 5:3

For thus saith the Lord God
This is a reason why there were none to raise her up: since the city that went out [by] a thousand shall leave an hundred;
that is, the city in which there were a thousand constantly going in and out; or which sent, caused to go out, or furnished, a thousand men upon occasion for war, had only a hundred persons left in it; or there remained but a hundred of the thousand they sent out, the rest being destroyed by one means or another: and that which went forth [by] an hundred shall leave ten, to the house
of Israel;
where there were a hundred persons going out and coming in continually; or which sent out a hundred men to the army to fight their battles had now only ten remaining; to such a small number were they reduced all over the land, so that there were none, or not a number sufficient to raise up Israel to its former state and glory.

Amos 5:3 In-Context

1 Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel:

2 She has fallen, she will not rise again - The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up.

3 For thus says the Lord GOD, "The city which goes forth a thousand strong Will have a hundred left, And the one which goes forth a hundred strong Will have ten left to the house of Israel."

4 For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live.

5 "But do not resort to Bethel And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity And Bethel will come to trouble.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 6:13
• 2. Amos 6:9

Footnotes

• [a] Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD, and so throughout the ch