Amos 3:8 (ASV)

Passage

The lion hath roared; who will not fear? The Lord Jehovah hath spoken; who can but prophesy?

Nearby Context

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?

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord Jehovah will do nothing, except he reveal his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Amos 3:8 The lion hath roared; who will not fear? The Lord Jehovah hath spoken; who can but prophesy?

Amos 3:9 Publish ye 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 what great tumults are therein, and what oppressions in the midst thereof.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lion", "hath", "roared", "fear", "lord", "jehovah", and "spoken". 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 Jehovah will do nothing..." into verse 9's "Publish ye in the palaces at Ashdod...", 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.