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

10But they do not know how to do what is right,” declares the Lord, “these who store up violence and devastation in their citadels.” 11Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “An enemy, one surrounding the land, Will take down your fortifications from you, And your citadels will be looted.” This is what the Lord says: “Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, So will the sons of Israel living in Samaria be snatched away-- With the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch! 13Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,” Declares the Lord God, the God of armies. 14“For on the day that I punish Israel’s offenses, I will also punish the altars of 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

• Thisכֹּהkôh · thusH3541
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saysאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the shepherdרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• snatchesנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• from the lion’sאֲרִי'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
• mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• a coupleשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• of legsכֶּ֫רַעkârâ‛ · legH3767
• orאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176
• a pieceבָּדָלbâdâl · pieceH915
• of an earאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · earH241
• Soכֵּןkên · soH3651
• will the sonsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• livingיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in Samariaשֹׁמְרוֹןshômerôn · SamariaH8111
• cornerפֵּאָהpê'âh · sideH6285
• of a bedמִטָּהmiţţâh · bedH4296
• coverדְּמֶשֶׁקdemesheq · silkH1833
• of a couchעֶ֫רֶשׂ‛ereώ · bedH6210

Cross-references for Amos 3:12

• 1 Samuel 17:34But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a sheep from the flock,
• Isaiah 31:4For this is what the Lord says to me: “As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey, Against which a band of shepherds is called out, And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise, So will the Lord of armies come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”
• Amos 9:2Though they dig into Sheol, From there My hand will take them; And though they ascend to heaven, From there I will bring them down.
• 1 Kings 20:30But the rest fled to Aphek into the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city, going from one inner room to another.
• 1 Kings 22:25And Micaiah said, “Behold, you are going to see how on that day when you go from one inner room to another trying to hide yourself.”
• Isaiah 8:4for before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”
• Isaiah 17:1The pronouncement concerning Damascus: “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city And will become a fallen ruin.
• Romans 11:4But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
• 1 Kings 20:34And Ben-hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you can make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” Ahab said, “And I will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.
• 2 Kings 16:9So the king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and captured it, and led the people of it into exile to Kir, and put Rezin to death.

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
• Children of Israel
• Agreed
• Bed
• Lions
• Silk
• Amos (1)
• Cushion

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