Amos 2:14

Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The prophet Amos pronounces this oracle of judgment to the northern kingdom of Israel. The declaration follows God's statement that He is about to crush the nation as with a cart full of grain.

The words — מָנוֹס (manos) means a place of escape, and יְאַמֵּץ (ya'metz) means to make firm or prevail. Paired with כֹּחוֹ (kocho), meaning his power, the phrase describes the collapse of human capability when divine judgment arrives.

The thread — The same theme of failed human power runs in Jeremiah 9:23, which forbids boasting in strength, and Psalms 33:16, which states no warrior is delivered by great strength. Ecclesiastes 9:11 reinforces this by noting the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong.

Why it lands — The text states that physical prowess and military might cannot secure survival against divine action. It requires the reader to discard reliance on personal strength and accept the limits of human ability.

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

וְאָבַ֤דve./'a.Vadand/ it will be lost מָנוֹס֙ma.nOsa place of escape מִקָּ֔לmi./Kalfrom/ a swift [person]וְחָזָ֖קve./cha.Zakand/ a strong [person]לֹא־lo'-not יְאַמֵּ֣ץye.'a.Metzhe will make firm כֹּח֑וֹko.Ch/opower/ his וְגִבּ֖וֹרve./gi.Borand/ a mighty [person]לֹא־lo'-not יְמַלֵּ֥טye.ma.Lethe will save נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃naf.Sh/olife/ his

King James Version

Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

Cross-references

Jeremiah 9:23 This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
Psalms 33:16 No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.
Amos 9:1 I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Topple them on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the rest with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of the fugitives will escape.
Job 11:20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”
Isaiah 30:16 “No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.