The Meaning of Amos 3:8 Explained

Amos 3:8

KJV: The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

YLT: A lion hath roared -- who doth not fear? The Lord Jehovah hath spoken -- who doth not prophesy?

Darby: The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord Jehovah hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

ASV: The lion hath roared; who will not fear? The Lord Jehovah hath spoken; who can but prophesy?

Discover Amos 3:8

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Amos 3:8?

MEANING: What does Amos 3:8 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Amos 3:8 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Amos 3:8?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The lion  hath roared,  who will not  fear?  the Lord  GOD  hath spoken,  who can but prophesy? 

What does Amos 3:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Amos drew the final comparison with allusion to his previous illustrations. The message of judgment coming from the Lord that Amos now brought the Israelites was like the roaring of a lion. Who would not fear such a lion as the sovereign Yahweh? Indeed, how could the mouthpiece of the Lion not prophesy since Yahweh had spoken?
". . . if an untrained rustic farmer is preaching God"s Word, it means God has called him." [1]
The two rhetorical questions in this verse introduce the following series of oracles.

Context Summary

Amos 3:1-15 - The Lord's Word Must Come True
The closer our relationship with God, the more searching His scrutiny and chastening. The sins of God's children which may seem of slight consequence are rigorously dealt with by their Heavenly Father, who loves them too well to allow their life to be permanently injured. It is because God loves us that He is so quick in detecting the least symptoms of disease. But we must agree with Him as to the sinfulness of sin, the need of cleansing, the hopelessness of our old nature, and the world's urgent need both of our sympathy and sacrifice. So only shall we walk with God as Enoch did. The soul that is one with Him is on the alert, as is the traveler who hears the lion's roar in the forest. Watch; ye know not the hour!
The nobles of Egypt and Philistia are summoned to view the sins of Samaria and to confirm the justice of her penalty. From all sides the invader would descend on the recreant land. Only a fragment should escape, like the small piece of a lamb rescued from the jaws of the savage beast of prey. The couch of luxury, the bed of sloth, the golden calf of Beth-el-all marked the degeneracy of the Chosen People. May the sorrows through which the world is passing at this hour be the means of cleansing human society from these same evils that our Christian civilization may escape the penalties that overtook Israel! [source]

Chapter Summary: Amos 3

1  The necessity of God's judgment against Israel
9  The publication of it, with the causes thereof

What do the individual words in Amos 3:8 mean?

A lion has roared who not will fear the Lord GOD has spoken can but prophesy
אַרְיֵ֥ה שָׁאָ֖ג מִ֣י לֹ֣א ؟ יִירָ֑א אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ דִּבֶּ֔ר ؟ יִנָּבֵֽא

אַרְיֵ֥ה  A  lion 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲרִי 
Sense: lion.
שָׁאָ֖ג  has  roared 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַג  
Sense: (Qal) to roar.
؟ יִירָ֑א  will  fear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
אֲדֹנָ֤י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִה֙  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
דִּבֶּ֔ר  has  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
؟ יִנָּבֵֽא  can  but  prophesy 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.

What are the major concepts related to Amos 3:8?

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