Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Amos 3:8
The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
The Lion hath roared: who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken: who can but prophesy? – that is, there is cause for you to fear, when the Lord roareth from Zion; but if ye fear not, Gods prophets dare not but fear. So Paul saith, necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, a dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me 1Co 9:16-17; and Peter and John, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye! For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act 4:19-20; Moses was not excused, though slow of speech; nor Isaiah, though of polluted lips; nor Jeremiah, because he was a child; but God said, Say not, I am child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak Jer 1:7. And Ezekiel was bidden, be not rebellious, like that rebellious house Eze 2:8. And when Jeremiah would keep silence, he saith, His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay Jer 20:9.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. The lion hath roared,] God hath sent forth a terrible alarm, Who will not fear? Can any hear such denunciations of Divine wrath and not tremble?
The Lord God hath spoken] And those only who are in communion with him have heard the speech. Who can but prophesy? Who can help proclaiming at large the judgment threatened against the nation?
But I think naba, here, is to be taken in its natural and ideal signification, to pray, supplicate, or deprecate vengeance. The Lord hath spoken of punishment – who can help supplicating his mercy, that his judgments may be averted?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The lion hath roared; God hath threatened; and, as a lion roareth when near his prey, so God hath terribly threatened what is near to be done. Amos lived and prophesied in Jeroboams time, about A.M. 3150, and these threatened judgments began to come upon Israel when the conspiracies and usurpations of Shallum, Menahem, &c. filled all with blood and confusions, about A.M. 3177.
Who will not fear? what wise man, who that is solicitous for his own good and safety, or that hath any affections for the good of others, will do less than reverence and fear, and prevent by a speedy repentance?
The Lord God hath spoken: this is plainly what was before figuratively set forth, God had spoken to his prophets but dreadful things against Israel. Who can but prophesy? they dare not conceal them, Amos cannot but speak what he had heard, Jer 1:17; Act 4:19; 5:25.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. As when “the lion roars”(compare Amo 1:2; Amo 3:4),none can help but “fear,” so when Jehovah communicates Hisawful message, the prophet cannot but prophesy. Find not fault withme for prophesying; I must obey God. In a wider sense true of allbelievers (Act 4:20; Act 5:29).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The lion hath roared, who will not fear?…. Amos said this from his own experience, who, having been a herdsman in the wilderness of Tekoa, had often heard a lion roar, which had put him into a panic, both for himself, and the cattle he kept; the figure is explained in the next clause:
the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? whether it be to foretell future events, which the Lord has made known shall come to pass; or to preach the word, which is to prophesy to edification, to exhortation, and comfort, 1Co 14:3; or to perform the more private exercises of religion, as singing of psalms, praying, c. 1Ch 25:1 these things who can forbear doing, to whom the Lord has spoken either in a dream or vision, or in his word, and by his Spirit; and to whom he has given a call and commissions, and gifts and graces, qualifying them for such service? who that has the fear of God in his heart, and his glory in view, and the good of others, that can refrain from it? nay, it is of dangerous consequence to refuse it; for if the roaring of a lion is so terrible, and if the wrath of an earthly king is as the roaring of a lion, much more the wrath and displeasure of the King of kings. Jonah declined prophesying when the Lord spoke to him, but what was the consequence of it? the prophet by this seems to justify himself in prophesying, and that he ought not to be blamed for it, seeing the Lord had given him the word, and therefore he ought to publish it. This may be particularly applied to the ministers of the word, who have a call, a charge and gifts from Christ, and on whom there is a necessity laid to preach the Gospel; and who should not shut, to declare it on any account; nor can they, who have it in their hearts, and as fire in their bones; who have seen and heard, and handled of the word of life, let what will be the consequence of it; see Ps 68:11.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
It now follows, The lion roars who would not fear? The Lord Jehovah speaks, who would not prophesy? In this verse the Prophet reproved the Israelites for their usual contentions with the Prophets when their sins were sharply reprehended. Thus indeed are men wont to do; they consider not that Prophets are sent from above, and that there is a charge committed to them. Hence, when Prophets are severe in their words, the world clamors and wrangles: “What do these men intend? Why do they urge us so much? Why do they not allow us to rest quietly? for they provoke against us the wrath of God.” Whenever then men are roused, they immediately menace God’s Prophets with strife and contention, and regard not threatening as coming from God himself. This vice the Prophet now condemns: The lion roars, he says, who would not fear? God speaks, who would not prophesy? “Ye think that I am your adversary; but ye can gain nothing by quarreling with me: were I silent, the voice of God would of itself be formidable enough. The evil then proceeds not from my mouth, but from God’s command; for I am constrained, willing or unwilling, to obey God: he has chosen me to be a Prophet, and has showed what he intends that I should proclaim. What can I do, he says? I am not at liberty to invent revelations; but I faithfully bring forth to you what has been delivered to me by the Lord. How great then is your madness, that ye contend with me, and consider not that your strife and contention is with God himself?” We now see what the Prophet meant, and also understand, why he adduced the four similitudes, of which we have already spoken. I now proceed with the remaining context.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) Roared.Comp. the imagery of Amo. 1:2, and that of Amo. 3:4. The voice of the Lord is so audible, so clearly portending the coming judgment, that universal terror inevitably follows. (Comp. If these should hold their peace, the stones would cry out.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
DISCOURSE: 1188
GODS VOICE TO SINNERS
Amo 3:8. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
THERE is not any thing more strange and unreasonable than that utter disregard which is shewn to the word of God. If we see appearances in the sky, we can form some judgment of the weather: if we take notice of common occurrences in the world, we can draw plain and obvious conclusions from them. The prophet justly observes [Note: ver. 46.], that if a lion roar, we conclude he has taken, or is about to seize, his prey: if a bird be caught in a snare, we take for granted that the snare was laid with that design: if an alarm be given in the city, we suppose that there is reason for that alarm: or if any disastrous event have taken place, we consider it as ordered by an overruling Providence. Yet when God speaks in his word, we imagine that there is no occasion for it, nor any need to regard it. But it becomes us to attend with reverence to all his messages, whether of wrath or mercy. Whatever he has revealed to us by his servants the prophets, he will surely do: and they are commanded to make known his determinations, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear. Hence the prophet Amos, desirous at once to expose the obstinacy of the unbelieving Jews, and to vindicate his own faithfulness towards them, addresses himself to their consciences in this animated expostulation, this convincing apology.
To bring home his words to our own hearts, we shall consider,
I.
What God hath spoken to us
[There is no description of persons whose character God has not delineated, and whose end he has not determined. And it would be a pleasing task to exemplify this remark in the Divine declarations concerning the righteous: but Gods voice in the text is compared to the roaring of a lion: on which account we must confine ourselves rather to his denunciations of wrath and vengeance which he will execute on the ungodly.
What then hath he spoken to profane sinners [Note: 1Co 6:9-10.]? Alas! how numerous their classes! how dangerous their self-deceptions! how awful their end [Note: See also Eph 5:3-6.]! And is not such a declaration more terrible than the roaring of a lion? Let us then hear and fear [Note: Deu 31:12-13.].
To self-righteous Pharisees his voice is not less tremendous. In the parable addressed to those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, the preference given to the self-condemning sinner is strongly marked; and Gods determination to abase the self-exalting is plainly declared [Note: Luk 18:9-14.]. Yes; before God, and angels, and men, shall such characters be abased in the day of judgment, when publicans and harlots shall be admitted into heaven before them [Note: Mat 21:31.]. Is not this a just ground of fear to those, whose hearts are not broken with a sense of sin?
But more dreadful still are the threatenings denounced against hypocritical professors of religion. Their doom is characterized as the most severe of any [Note: Mat 24:51.]: and the wrath which they heap up to themselves, while they hold the truth in unrighteousness, is beyond measure great [Note: Job 36:13.]. Let the proud and passionate, the malicious and revengeful, the worldly and covetous, the impure and sensual professor, hear this: and let them know, that the Lamb of God will be a lion to them, if they walk not more worthy of their high calling [Note: Psa 50:16-22. with Hos 13:6-8.].
There is however one description of persons, against whom Gods threatenings are more awful still. He declares that negligent and unfaithful ministers shall perish under the accumulated guilt of destroying the souls committed to their charge. The blood of all whom they have neglected to warn shall be required at their hands [Note: Eze 33:6.]. Surely if the voice of God to others be as the roaring of a lion, to these it is rather as the voice of thunder. O, that it might be for ever sounding in the ears of all who are in the service of the sanctuary, till there should not be found one negligent or unfaithful minister in the Christian church!]
II.
What effect it should have upon us
[With respect to ministers, should they not fear? Does it become them, in the very face of such warnings, to indulge a slothful spirit, or to withhold the truth from their people through fear of offending them? Ought they, however their hearers may wish it, to speak smooth things to them, and to prophesy deceits [Note: Isa 30:10-11.]? Should they be intent on feeding themselves rather than the flock [Note: Eze 34:2-3; Eze 34:10.]; and be more studious to establish a reputation as preachers, than to save the souls committed to them? Surely, when it is considered whose ambassadors they are, and to whom they must give account, and what must be their doom if any perish through their neglect, they can never study too earnestly to approve themselves to God [Note: 2Ti 2:15. Act 20:28.], that they may give up their account to him with joy, and not with grief [Note: Heb 13:17.].
With respect to others, of whatever description they may be, it becomes them well to fear, when the Lord God, the almighty and immutable Jehovah, speaks to them such momentous truths [Note: There is a peculiar emphasis in the name by which Jehovah is here called. See also Jer 5:21-22 and Rev 15:3-4.] What is there that can justify any man in casting off the fear of God? Can we deny that he hath roared as a lion? or are we stronger than he, that we dare to provoke him to jealousy [Note: 1Co 10:22.]? Or can we elude his search, when he shall summon us to his judgment-seat [Note: Jer 23:24 and Job 34:22 and Psa 139:7-12.]? Or have we any reason to doubt whether he will execute his threatenings [Note: Eze 24:14.]?
Let every one rest assured, that it were far better that a roaring lion should rush out of a thicket to devour him, or that the artillery of a whole army should be pointed at him, than that one single threatening of Almighty God should be in force against him: for as his destruction is more certain, so will it be infinitely more tremendous.]
Address
1.
Be not averse to hear the terrors of Gods law
[Though, of themselves, the threatenings of Gods word will never produce true contrition, yet it is necessary that all should know what the Lord God saith concerning them, in order that they may feel their need of a Saviour. In this respect, the law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ [Note: Gal 3:24.]: and if, by hearing of the wrath to come, we be induced to flee from it, we shall have reason to bless the watchman that sounded the alarm.]
2.
Be thankful to God for the promises of the Gospel
[Blessed be God, the Gospel is full of exceeding great and precious promises: and to him that trembleth at Gods word these promises are made [Note: Isa 66:2.]. Let not then a slavish dread of Gods wrath keep us from embracing the overtures of his mercy. Let us rather flee to Christ the more earnestly, in proportion as we see our guilt and danger. The Israelites were commended by God himself for making this improvement of his terrors [Note: Deu 5:25-26; Deu 5:28.]. And, if we have Christ as our mediator and advocate, we have nothing to fear from heaven, earth, or hell.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Amo 3:8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
Ver. 8. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? ] Who that knoweth the terror of the Lord can dare to do otherwise, when he commandeth it? Shall men fear fire, water, bears, lions, &c., and not the great and terrible God? If he roar upon his servants and say, as to Jeremiah he once did, “Thou therefore, gird up the loins of thy mind, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them,” Jer 1:17 . We must roar against men’s sins, and be instant, though they roar against us for so doing, and threaten never so much. Micaiah will not budge for a king’s authority when once he had seen the Lord in his majesty; nor Paul for an angel’s, Gal 1:8 , the rest of the apostles for the Sanhedrim’s, Act 4:19 ; Act 5:25 . When the emperor threatened Basil with imprisonment, banishment, death, he answered: Let him threaten boys with such spectres; I am resolved: neither menaces nor flatteries shall silence me, or draw me to betray a good cause or conscience. If I deal not plainly and faithfully with your souls, said Bernard, vobis erit damnosum, mihi periculosum. Timeo itaque damnum vestrum, timeo damnationem meam si tacuero: i.e. it will be ill for you, and worse for me. The truth is, you would be betrayed, and I should be damned, if I should hold my peace. Let me be accounted proud, pragmatic, anything rather than found guilty of sinful silence when the Lord calleth me to speak, saith Luther. These were men whose hearts were fraught with the reverential fear of God; and therefore found themselves necessitated to be faithful; besides the love of Christ constraineth them, 2Co 5:14 , so that they could do no less, they could not but speak, Act 4:19 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
The lion bath roared. Figure of speech Hypocatastasis. App-6. the Lord GOD hath spoken. Figure of speech Hermeneia. App-6. Explaining the Figure of speech Hypocatastasis. in the preceding line.
who can but prophesy ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6. Some modern critics alter the Feb. to “be frightened”, not seeing that it is through the prophets that God speaks (Heb 1:1).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
lion: Amo 3:4, Amo 1:2, Rev 5:5
who can: Amo 2:12, Amo 7:12-17, Job 32:18, Job 32:19, Jer 20:9, Act 4:20, Act 5:20, Act 5:29, 1Co 9:16
Reciprocal: Num 23:24 – as a great Job 10:16 – Thou huntest Psa 50:1 – hath spoken Pro 20:2 – fear Isa 1:10 – Hear Isa 5:29 – roaring Isa 31:4 – Like as Jer 2:15 – young lions Jer 4:5 – Blow Jer 25:30 – roar Eze 9:1 – cried Eze 29:21 – the opening Hos 10:14 – shall a Hos 11:10 – he shall roar like Hos 13:7 – General Joe 3:16 – roar Mic 6:9 – Lord’s 1Pe 5:8 – as Rev 10:3 – loud
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8
Amo 3:8. In view of the foregoing logical conclusions, how foolish it would be were the people not to fear since the lion (God) has roared; and what neglect of duty it would be for the prophets not to utter the predictions of warning since the Lord has spoken of them through the channel of inspiration.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
3:8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but {i} prophesy?
(i) Because the people always murmured against the Prophets, he shows that God’s Spirit moved them to speak as they did.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Amos drew the final comparison with allusion to his previous illustrations. The message of judgment coming from the Lord that Amos now brought the Israelites was like the roaring of a lion. Who would not fear such a lion as the sovereign Yahweh? Indeed, how could the mouthpiece of the Lion not prophesy since Yahweh had spoken?
". . . if an untrained rustic farmer is preaching God’s Word, it means God has called him." [Note: Wiersbe, p. 349.]
The two rhetorical questions in this verse introduce the following series of oracles.