The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
Parallel translations
- WEB The lion has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord Yahweh has spoken. Who can but prophesy?
- BSB The lion has roared—who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken—who will not prophesy?
- NKJV A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?
- NASB A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can do anything but prophesy?
- NLT The lion has roared— so who isn’t frightened? The Sovereign Lord has spoken— so who can refuse to proclaim his message?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
When the lion roars, all fear; when the Lord speaks, the prophet must prophesy. Amos is compelled by God's word and cannot stay silent.
Overview
The roaring lion (Yahweh) provokes fear; God's speech compels proclamation. Amos defends his ministry: he speaks not by choice but under divine constraint. A true prophet cannot withhold the word entrusted to him. This compulsion to declare God's message echoes in the apostles, who said they could not but speak of Christ (Acts 4:20).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Acts 4:20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
- Amos 3:4Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
- Jer 20:9Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But 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.
- Amos 1:2And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.
- Amos 7:12–17Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
- 1 Cor 9:16For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
- Rev 5:5And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
- Amos 2:12But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
- Jonah 1:1–3Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
- Job 32:18–19For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me.
- Acts 5:20Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
- Jonah 3:1–3And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
- Acts 5:29Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
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Christ at the center
Amid judgment on injustice, Amos promises the raising up of David's fallen tent — read by James in Acts 15 as the ingathering of the nations into the kingdom of the risen Christ.
How Amos 3:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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