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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,
You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
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?
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?
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?
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
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.
For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
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.
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.
Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,
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.
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.

New Defender's Study Bible Notes

3:1 against the whole family. This expression indicates that Amos, while prophesying explicitly toward the ten-tribe northern kingdom of Israel, was also including all the tribes.


3:2 families of the earth. The expression “all the families of the earth” indicates that God’s dealings are with families or tribes, not races. Neither the term nor concept of “race” is found in Scripture. The original division was by “the families of the sons of Noah” (Genesis 10:32), evidently as enumerated in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10). These were also distinguished by their “tongues,” after the confusion of tongues at Babel (note Genesis 10:5,20,31).


3:3 two walk together. This timeless principle would caution us against any attempted union of believers and unbelievers (see II Corinthians 6:14-18).


3:5 gin. That is, “engine,” some kind of mechanical trap, using a noose, whereas the “snare” mentioned twice in this verse seems to involve a thin plate masking a pit.


3:7 his secret. The Lord will not bring judgment upon His people without first warning them through His prophets, such as Amos. In our present day, on the other hand, God has spoken with finality through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-3) and His written Word (Revelation 22:18-19), so there is no further need of new revelation. All that is needed is for His teachers to teach and proclaim His Word as already revealed.


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