Amos 3:12

Amos 3:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord says: “As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s mouth only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued, with only the head of a bed and a piece of fabric from a couch.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Thus says the Lord: "As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part of a bed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Thus says the Lord: “As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion Two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel be taken out Who dwell in Samaria— In the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch!

Context of Amos 3:12

10Those who collect profits in their palaces through violent and destructive acts don’t know how to do what is right, declares the Lord. 11This is what the Almighty Lord says: An enemy will surround your land, strip you of your defenses, and loot your palaces. This is what the Lord says: As a shepherd rescues two legs or a piece of an ear out of a lion’s mouth, so the Israelites living in Samaria will be rescued, ⌞having only⌟ a corner of a bed or a piece of a couch. 13Listen, and testify against the descendants of Jacob, declares the Almighty Lord, the God of Armies. 14On the day I punish Israel for its disobedience, I will also destroy the altars at Bethel. The horns of the altar will be cut off and will fall to the ground.

Amos 3:12 word by word

כֹּה֮ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֒ כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ יַצִּ֨יל הָרֹעֶ֜ה מִפִּ֧י הָאֲרִ֛י שְׁתֵּ֥י כְרָעַ֖יִם א֣וֹ בְדַל־אֹ֑זֶן כֵּ֣ן יִנָּצְל֞וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן בִּפְאַ֥ת מִטָּ֖ה וּבִדְמֶ֥שֶׁק עָֽרֶשׂ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• As the shepherdרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• taketh outנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• of the mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• of the lionאֲרִי'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
• twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• legsכֶּ֫רַעkârâ‛ · legH3767
• or a pieceבָּדָלbâdâl · pieceH915
• of an earאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · earH241
• so shall the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• that dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in Samariaשֹׁמְרוֹןshômerôn · SamariaH8111
• in the cornerפֵּאָהpê'âh · sideH6285
• of a bedמִטָּהmiţţâh · bedH4296
• and in Damascusדְּמֶשֶׁקdemesheq · silkH1833
• a couchעֶ֫רֶשׂ‛ereώ · bedH6210

Cross-references for Amos 3:12

• 1 Samuel 17:34David replied to Saul, “I am a shepherd for my father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
• Isaiah 31:4This is what the Lord said to me: A lion, even a young lion, growls over its prey when a crowd of shepherds is called to fight it. It isn’t frightened by their voices or disturbed by the noise they make. So the Lord of Armies will come to fight for Mount Zion and its hill.
• Amos 9:2Even if they dig their way into Sheol, my hand will take them from there. Even if they go up to heaven, I will bring them down from there.
• 1 Kings 20:30The survivors fled to Aphek, the city where the wall fell on 27,000 of them. Benhadad had also fled. He came to the city and hid in an inner room.
• 1 Kings 22:25Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go into an inner room to hide.”
• Isaiah 8:4Before the boy knows how to say ‘Daddy’ or ‘Mommy,’ the wealth of Damascus and the loot from Samaria will be carried away to the king of Assyria.”
• Isaiah 17:1This is the divine revelation about Damascus. “Damascus will no longer be a city. It will become a pile of rubble.
• Romans 11:4But what was God’s reply? God said, “I’ve kept 7,000 people for myself who have not knelt to worship Baal.”
• 1 Kings 20:34Benhadad told him, “I will give back the towns my father took from your father. You may set up trading centers in Damascus as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab said, “If you will put this into a treaty, I will let you go.” So Ahab made a treaty with Benhadad and let him go.
• 2 Kings 16:9The king of Assyria listened to him and attacked Damascus. He captured it, took the people to Kir as captives, and killed Rezin.

Commentaries on Amos 3:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion - Scarcely any of you shall escape; and those that do shall do so with extreme difficulty, just as a shepherd, of a whole sheep carried away by a lion, can recover no more than two of its legs, or a piece of its ear, just enough to prove by the marks on those parts, that they belonged to a sheep which was his own. So shall the children of Israel be taken out - Those of them that escape these judgments…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12As the shepherd taketh - (Rather, rescueth) out of the mouth of the lion two legs (Properly, the shank, the lower part of the leg below the knee, which in animals is dry, and bone only and worthless) “or apiece” (the tip) “of an ear, so” (that is, so few and weak, so bared and spoiled, a mere remnant,) “shall the children of Israel be taken out” (rather, “rescued”) “that” now “dwell” at ease “in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus”, in “a…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-15Verses 9-15 That power which is an instrument of unrighteousness, will justly be brought down and broken. What is got and kept wrongfully, will not be kept long. Some are at ease, but there will come a day of visitation, and in that day, all they are proud of, and put confidence in, shall fail them. God will inquire into the sins of which they have been guilty in their houses, the robbery they have stored up, and the luxury in which they lived. The pomp…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12As the shepherd snatches: The people of both Israel and Judah believed that, because they were chosen, God would save them and never let them die. The prophet’s words are ironic. Their rescue would be like a shepherd arriving too late to save the sheep, only able to pull two legs or a piece of an ear from the lion's mouth. just the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch: This points to how little would remain after the Assyrian attack on Samaria. It…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. shepherd--a pastoral image, appropriately used by Amos, a shepherd himself. piece of ... ear--brought by the shepherd to the owner of the sheep, so as not to have to pay for the loss (Ge 31:39; Ex 22:13). So if aught of Israel escapes, it shall be a miracle of God's goodness. It shall be but a scanty remnant. There is a kind of goat in the East the ears of which are a foot long, and proportionally broad. Perhaps the reference is to this. Compare on…Read the comment

Topics related to Amos 3:12

• Damascus
• Shepherd

In the dictionaries

• Damascus
• Israel
• Samaria
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Samaria, Samaritan
• Children of Israel
• Agreed
• Bed
• Bedstead

Commentaries on Amos 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings