Amos 4:8 (LSB)

Passage

So two or three cities would wander around to another city to drink water, But would not be satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.

Nearby Context

Amos 4:6 “But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities And lack of bread in all your places, Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.

Amos 4:7 “And I also withheld the rain from you While there were still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city, And on another city I would not send rain; One portion would be rained on, While the portion not rained on would dry up.

Amos 4:8 So two or three cities would wander around to another city to drink water, But would not be satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.

Amos 4:9 “I struck you with scorching wind and mildew; And the gnawing locust was devouring Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.

Amos 4:10 “I sent a pestilence among you after the manner of Egypt; I killed your choice men by the sword along with your captured horses, And I made the stench of your camp rise up even in your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "three", "cities", "wander", "around", "another", "city", "drink", and "water". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "three" and "cities", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "And I also withheld the rain from..." into verse 9's "I struck you with scorching wind and...", so "three" and "cities" 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 "three" and "cities" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.