Amos 4:3 (DBY)

Passage

and ye shall go out by the breaches, every one straight before her, and ye shall be cast out to Harmon, saith Jehovah.

Nearby Context

Amos 4:1 Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, that oppress the poor, that crush the needy, that say to their lords, Bring, and let us drink:

Amos 4:2 the Lord Jehovah hath sworn by his holiness, that behold, days shall come upon you, when he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fish-hooks;

Amos 4:3 and ye shall go out by the breaches, every one straight before her, and ye shall be cast out to Harmon, saith Jehovah.

Amos 4:4 Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices in the morning, your tithes every three days,

Amos 4:5 and burn a thank-offering with leaven, and proclaim, publish, voluntary offerings: for this pleaseth you, children of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "breaches", "straight", "before", "cast", "harmon", and "saith". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "breaches", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "the Lord Jehovah hath sworn by his..." into verse 4's "Come to Bethel and transgress at Gilgal...", so "shall" and "breaches" 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 "shall" and "breaches" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.