Amos 3:4 (DRB)

Passage

Will a lion roar in the forest, if he have no prey? will the lion's whelp 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 will I visit upon you all your iniquities.

Amos 3:3 Shall two walk together except they be agreed?

Amos 3:4 Will a lion roar in the forest, if he have no prey? will the lion's whelp cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

Amos 3:5 Will the bird fall into the snare upon the earth, if there be no fowler? Shall the snare be taken up from the earth, before it hath taken somewhat?

Amos 3:6 Shall the trumpet sound in a city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, which the Lord hath not done?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lion", "roar", "forest", "prey", "lion's", "whelp", "taken", and "nothing". 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 be..." into verse 5's "Will the bird fall into the 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.