Amos 3:13

"The LORD says: “As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued who sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed.”"

Key Reflection

Amos 3:13 paints a vivid image of divine rescue in a context where the Israelites, particularly those in Samaria, lived in relative luxury and complacency. The imagery of a shepherd rescuing sheep from a lion's mouth conveys God’s power to protect His people even when they are in dire straits. For Amos’ original audience, this verse would have underscored that despite their comfortable lifestyles, the Israelites were not beyond divine judgment but still under God’s care and potential rescue.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Hear ye and testify ye in -(Rather unto or against ) the house of Israel; first “hear” yourselves, then “testify,” that is, solemnly “protest,” in the Name of God; and “bear witness unto” and “against” them, so that the solemn words may sink into them. It is of little avail to “testfy,” unless we first “hear;” nor can man “bear witness” to what he doth not know; nor will words make an “impression,” that is, leave a trace of themselves, be stamped in or on people’s souls, unless the soul which utters them have first hearkened unto them. Saith the Lord God of hosts - “So thundereth, as it were, the authority of the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of the shepherd.

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