Amos 3:4 (ASV)

Passage

Will 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?

Nearby Context

Amos 3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities.

Amos 3:3 Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?

Amos 3:4 Will 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?

Amos 3:5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is [set] for him? shall a snare spring up from the ground, and have taken nothing at all?

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lion", "roar", "forest", "hath", "prey", "young", and "taken". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lion" and "roar", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Shall two walk together except they have..." into verse 5's "Can a bird fall in a snare...", so "lion" and "roar" 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 "roar" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.