John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Amos 3:4
Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey ?.... He will not, unless he has it in his sight, or in his paws; he roars when he first sees it, whereby he terrifies the creature, that it cannot move till he comes up to it; and when he has got it in his paws, he roars over it, to invite others to partake with him. Now prophecy from the Lord is compared to the roaring of a lion, Amos 1:2 ; and this is never in a way of judgment without a cause; the sin of men, or of a nation, which... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Amos 3:1-8
The scope of these verses is to convince the people of Israel that God had a controversy with them. That which the prophet has to say to them is to let them know that the Lord has something to say against them, Amos 3:1. They were his peculiar people above others, knew his name, and were called by it; nevertheless he had something against them, and they were called to hear what it was, that they might consider what answer they should make, as the prisoner at the bar is told to hearken to his... read more