Amos 5:3

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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)The Sovereign Lord says: “When a city sends a thousand men to battle, only a hundred will return. When a town sends a hundred, only ten will come back alive.”

Context of Amos 5:3

1Hear this word, Israel, this lament I take up concerning you: 2“Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again, deserted in her own land, with no one to lift her up.” 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.” 4This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live; 5do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”

Amos 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 4:27The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you.
• Deuteronomy 28:62You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God.
• Isaiah 1:9Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.
• Isaiah 10:22Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous.
• Ezekiel 12:16But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
• Romans 9:27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by 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

• God
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Manifold
• Seek

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