Amos has warned the nations around Israel -- and then finally, Israel -- about their injustices. Seven nations plus Israel, have been accused by God. Now, in the ANE court setting, the judge begins to issue a sentence against the accused.
Amos 3:1-2, Only you
Hear this word the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel--against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt:
"You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish you for all your sins."
God's focus is now on Israel. Especially poignant is His description of the people of Israel as His special chosen nation. Of all the families on the earth, the Creator has chosen to work through Israel -- they are special and have special responsibilities.
Amos 3:3-6, Does a lion roar?
Do two walk together
unless they have agreed to do so?
Does a lion roar in the thicket
when he has no prey?
Does he growl in his den
when he has caught nothing?
Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground
where no snare has been set?
Does a trap spring up from the earth
when there is nothing to catch?
When a trumpet sounds in a city,
do not the people tremble?
When disaster comes to a city,
has not the LORD caused it?
A series of questions, asked by an observant shepherd, give imagery to the assurance of God's plans. Each question expects a clear enthusiastic response. The first five parallel lines of questions (beginning with "Do two walk together...") expect a "No!" response. The last two expect a response of "of course." The meassage culminates with the question, "Can a disaster occur without YHWH being the source?" The emphasis is on YHWH's power and His ability to judge.
The images of a trapped bird provide a contrast to David's exultation in Psalm 124. There (verse 7) he is grateful that God has saved Israel from the snare.
Amos 3:7-8, Prophets must speak
Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing
without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
The lion has roared--
who will not fear?
The Sovereign LORD has spoken--
who can but prophesy?
When YHWH makes plans, He tells His prophets. Tbey (such as Amos) are obligated to speak.
Amos 3:7-9, They only know plunder
Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod
and to the fortresses of Egypt:
"Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria;
see the great unrest within her
and the oppression among her people."
"They do not know how to do right,"
declares the LORD,
"who hoard plunder and loot in their fortresses."
The Philistine city of Ashdod and the nation of Egypt are pagan witnesses to Samaria's unrighteousness. The people of Samaria plunder and loot others and then hoard their treasures in their fortresses.
Amos 3:11-12, Two leg bones or a piece of ear
Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"An enemy will overrun the land;
he will pull down your strongholds
and plunder your fortresses."
This is what the LORD says:
"As a shepherd saves from the lion's mouth
only two leg bones or a piece of an ear,
so will the Israelites be saved,
those who sit in Samaria on the edge of their beds
and in Damascus on their couches."
And so, after all their injustices, an enemy will come to overrun the land. The people will be merely a deer leg hanging from a lion's mouth. (The shepherd Amos is probably citing standards are flock care -- a shepherd who had lost a sheep to wild animals was to give evidence of that the animal had been killed, not stolen, eg. Exodus 22:13,)
Amos 3:13-15, Winter and summer houses
"Hear this and testify against the house of Jacob," declares the Lord, the LORD God Almighty.
"On the day I punish Israel for her sins,
I will destroy the altars of Bethel;
the horns of the altar will be cut off
and fall to the ground.
I will tear down the winter house
along with the summer house;
the houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed
and the mansions will be demolished,"
declares the LORD.
The altars at Bethel, first created by Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12:26-30), will be torn down. The luxurious winter and summer houses, elegant mansions adorned with ivory, will also be destroyed.
First published June 28, 2025; updated June 28, 2025
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