Bible Strands
Amos 1:2
He said: “The LORD roars from Zion and raises His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet Amos delivers this vision concerning Israel two years before an earthquake during the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam. The LORD speaks to the audience, announcing judgment from Zion and Jerusalem.
The words — The text highlights יִשְׁאָג (yish.'Ag), meaning "he will roar," and אָֽבְלוּ (a.ve.Lu), meaning "they will dry up." These verbs describe Yahweh's threatening voice and the resulting desolation of the land.
The thread — This imagery of the LORD roaring from Zion appears in Joel 3:16, Jeremiah 25:30, and Isaiah 42:13. Each passage links the divine roar to trembling, judgment, or warrior-like triumph.
Why it lands — The text states that Yahweh's voice causes pastoral lands to wither before interpreting it as a warning of impending judgment. Readers must acknowledge that divine authority overrides national security and demands accountability.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he said, The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.
Cross-references
- Joel 3:16 The LORD will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
- Jeremiah 25:30 So you are to prophesy all these words against them and say to them: ‘The LORD will roar from on high; He will raise His voice from His holy habitation. He will roar loudly over His pasture; like those who tread the grapes, He will call out with a shout against all the inhabitants of the earth.
- Isaiah 42:13 The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over His enemies:
- Amos 9:3 Though they hide themselves atop Carmel, there I will track them and seize them; and though they hide from Me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them.
- Jeremiah 12:4 How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field be withered? Because of the evil of its residents, the animals and birds have been swept away, for the people have said, “He cannot see what our end will be.”
- Nahum 1:4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts.
- Proverbs 20:2 The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.
- Isaiah 33:9 The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is ashamed and decayed. Sharon is like a desert; Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
- Isaiah 35:2 It will bloom profusely and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
- Jeremiah 14:2 “Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.