New English Translation
Amos 5:3
3The sovereign Lord says this: “The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers will have only a hundred left; the town that marches out with a hundred soldiers will have only ten left for the family of Israel.”
Amos 5:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For thus saith the Lord God; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel: “Your city that marches out a thousand strong will have only a hundred left; your town that marches out a hundred strong will have only ten left.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For thus says the Lord God: "The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel."
- New King James Version (NKJV)For thus says the Lord God: “The city that goes out by a thousand Shall have a hundred left, And that which goes out by a hundred Shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”
Context of Amos 5:3
1Listen to this funeral song I am ready to sing about you, family of Israel: 2“The virgin Israel has fallen down and will not get up again. She is abandoned on her own land with no one to help her get up.” The sovereign Lord says this: “The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers will have only a hundred left; the town that marches out with a hundred soldiers will have only ten left for the family of Israel.” 4The Lord says this to the family of Israel: “Seek me so you can live! 5Do not seek Bethel! Do not visit Gilgal! Do not journey down to Beer Sheba! For the people of Gilgal will certainly be carried into exile; and Bethel will become a place where disaster abounds.”
Read all of Amos 5Amos 5:3 word by word
כִּ֣י כֹ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הָעִ֛יר הַיֹּצֵ֥את אֶ֖לֶף תַּשְׁאִ֣יר מֵאָ֑ה וְהַיּוֹצֵ֥את מֵאָ֛ה תַּשְׁאִ֥יר עֲשָׂרָ֖ה לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- The cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- that went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- a thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- shall leaveשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
- an hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for Amos 5:3
- Deuteronomy 4:27Then the Lord will scatter you among the peoples and there will be very few of you among the nations where the Lord will drive you.
- Deuteronomy 28:62There will be very few of you left, though at one time you were as numerous as the stars in the sky, because you will have disobeyed the Lord your God.
- Isaiah 1:9If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors, we would have quickly become like Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 10:22For though your people, Israel, are as numerous as the sand on the seashore, only a remnant will come back. Destruction has been decreed; just punishment is about to engulf you.
- Ezekiel 12:16But I will let a small number of them survive the sword, famine, and pestilence, so that they can confess all their abominable practices to the nations where they go. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
- Romans 9:27And Isaiah cries out on behalf of Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved,
Commentaries on Amos 5:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The city that went out by a thousand - The city that could easily have furnished, on any emergency, a thousand fighting men, can now produce scarcely one hundred - one in ten of the former number; and now of the hundred scarcely ten remain: so reduced was Israel when Shalmaneser besieged and took Samaria, and carried the residue into captivity.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The city that went out by a thousand - (that is, probably that sent out a thousand fighting men, as the word “went out” is often used for, “went out” to fight,) “shall have” literally, “shall retain, an hundred.” She was to be decimated. Only, the tenth alone was to be reserved alive; the nine-tenths were to be destroyed. And this, alike in larger places and in the small. The city “that went forth an hundred shall retain ten.” Smaller places escape for…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3This verse is a reversal of the promises made in Leviticus 26:8.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. went out by a thousand--that is, "the city from which there used to go out a thousand" equipped for war. "City" is put for "the inhabitants of the city," as in Am 4:8. shall leave ... hundred--shall have only a hundred left, the rest being destroyed by sword and pestilence (De 28:62).Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Amos 5
- 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
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Commentaries