Amos 3:8 (KJV)

Passage

The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Nearby Context

Amos 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Amos 3:8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Amos 3:9 Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.

Amos 3:10 For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lion", "hath", "roared", "fear", "lord", "spoken", and "prophesy". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lion" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing..." into verse 9's "Publish in the palaces at Ashdod and...", so "lion" and "hath" belong inside that flow. In Amos context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lion" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.