Amos 3:4

New Century Version

A lion in the forest does not roar unless it has caught an animal; it does not growl in its den when it has caught nothing.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Does a lion roar in the forestwhen it has no prey?Does a young lion growl from its lairunless it has captured something?

Hebrew Names Version
Will a lion roar in the thicket, When he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out of his den, If he has caught nothing?

King James Version
Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

English Standard Version
Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing?

New American Standard Bible
Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something?

Amplified Bible
Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den if he has not captured something?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Will a lion roare in ye forest, when he hath no pray? or wil a lions whelpe cry out of his den, if he haue taken nothing?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something?

Legacy Standard Bible
Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey?Does a young lion give forth its voice from its den unless it has captured something?

Berean Standard Bible
Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his den if he has caught nothing?

Contemporary English Version
Does a lion roar in the forest unless it has caught a victim? Does it growl in its den unless it is eating?

Complete Jewish Bible
Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his lair if it has caught nothing?

Darby Translation
Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den if he have taken nothing?

Easy-to-Read Version
A lion will roar in the forest only if it catches its prey. A young lion roaring in his cave means he has caught something to eat.

George Lamsa Translation
Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Or does a lion cry out of his den if he has taken no prey?

Good News Translation
Does a lion roar in the forest unless he has found a victim? Does a young lion growl in his den unless he has caught something?

Lexham English Bible
Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a fierce, young lion cry out from his den unless he has caught something?

Literal Translation
Will a lion roar in the forest when there is no prey for him? Will a young lion cry out of his den except he has caught something ?

American Standard Version
Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

Bible in Basic English
Will a lion give his loud cry in the woodland when no food is there? will the voice of the young lion be sounding from his hole if he has taken nothing?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? Will a young lion give forth his voice out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

King James Version (1611)
Will a lyon roare in the forrest, when he hath no pray? will a young lyon cry out of his den, if he haue taken nothing?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wyll a lion roare in the forest when he hath no pray? or wil a lions whelpe crye out of his denne, if he haue taken nothing?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Will a lion roar out of his thicket if he has no prey? will a lion’s whelp utter his voice at all out of his lair, if he have taken nothing?

English Revised Version
Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

World English Bible
Will a lion roar in the thicket, When he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out of his den, If he has caught nothing?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whether a lioun schal rore in a forest, no but he haue prey? Whether the whelp of a lioun schal yyue vois fro his denne, no but he take ony thing?

Update Bible Version
Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has taken nothing?

Webster's Bible Translation
Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he hath taken nothing?

New English Translation
Does a lion roar in the woods if he has not cornered his prey? Does a young lion bellow from his den if he has not caught something?

New King James Version
Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?

New Living Translation
Does a lion ever roar in a thicket without first finding a victim? Does a young lion growl in its den without first catching its prey?

New Life Bible
Does a lion make noise among the trees when he has no food? Does a young lion cry out from his home if he has not caught anything?

New Revised Standard
Does a lion roar in the forest, when it has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from its den, if it has caught nothing?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Will a lion roar in the forest, when, prey, he hath none? Will a young lion utter his voice out of his den, when he hath made no capture?

Douay-Rheims Bible
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?

Revised Standard Version
Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing?

Young's Literal Translation
Roar doth a lion in a forest and prey he hath none? Give out doth a young lion his voice from his habitation, If he hath not caught?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Doth a lyon roare in the wodde, excepte he haue a pray? Or crieth a lyons whelpe out of his denne, excepte he haue gotten somthige?

Contextual Overview

¹ Listen to this word that the Lord has spoken against you, people of Israel, against the whole family he brought out of Egypt. ² "I have chosen only you out of all the families of the earth, so I will punish you for all your sins." ³ Two people will not walk together unless they have agreed to do so. ⁴ A lion in the forest does not roar unless it has caught an animal; it does not growl in its den when it has caught nothing. ⁵ A bird will not fall into a trap where there is no bait; the trap will not spring shut if there is nothing to catch. ⁶ When a trumpet blows a warning in a city, the people tremble. When trouble comes to a city, the Lord has caused it. ⁷ Before the Lord God does anything, he tells his plans to his servants the prophets. ⁸ The lion has roared! Who wouldn't be afraid? The Lord God has spoken. Who will not prophesy?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a lion: Amos 3:8, Amos 1:2, Psalms 104:21, Hosea 11:10

cry: Heb. give forth his voice

Reciprocal: Psalms 10:9 - secretly Jeremiah 2:15 - young lions Hosea 5:14 - as a lion Hosea 13:7 - General 1 Peter 5:8 - as

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "How could you have done such a thing?" She answered, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."

Deuteronomy 29:19
These are the kind of people who hear these curses but bless themselves, thinking, "We will be safe even though we continue doing what we want to do." Those people may destroy all of your land, both wet and dry.

2 Kings 1:4
This is what the Lord says: ‘You will never get up from the bed you are lying on; you will die.'" Then Elijah left.

2 Kings 1:6
They said, "A man came to meet us. He said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him what the Lord says: "Why do you send messengers to ask questions of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no God in Israel? You will never get up from the bed you are lying on; you will die."'"

2 Kings 1:16
Elijah told Ahaziah, "This is what the Lord says: ‘You have sent messengers to ask questions of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron. Is it because you think there is no God in Israel to ask? Because of this, you will never get up from your bed; you will die.'"

2 Kings 8:10
Elisha said to Hazael, "Go and tell Ben-Hadad, ‘You will surely recover,' but the Lord has told me he will really die."

Psalms 10:11
The wicked think, "God has forgotten us. He doesn't see what is happening."

2 Corinthians 2:11
I did this so that Satan would not win anything from us, because we know very well what Satan's plans are.

2 Corinthians 11:3
But I am afraid that your minds will be led away from your true and pure following of Christ just as Eve was tricked by the snake with his evil ways.

1 Timothy 2:14
And Adam was not tricked, but the woman was tricked and became a sinner.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey?.... He will not, unless he has it in his sight, or in his paws; he roars when he first sees it, whereby he terrifies the creature, that it cannot move till he comes up to it; and when he has got it in his paws, he roars over it, to invite others to partake with him. Now prophecy from the Lord is compared to the roaring of a lion, Amos 1:2; and this is never in a way of judgment without a cause; the sin of men, or of a nation, which makes them a prey to the wrath and fury of God;

will a young lion cry, or "give forth his voice";

out of his den, if he have taken nothing? that is, if the old lion has taken nothing, and brought nothing unto him; which signifies the same as before; unless by the young lion is meant the prophets of the Lord, who never prophesy but when they have a commission from him, and a people are pointed out to them as the just prey of his wrath and vengeance. All the images here used are very natural; the lion is for the most part in woods and forests, hence called the "lion out of the forest", Jeremiah 5:6; as he is by Theocritus d; where his voice is heard, but not unless he is in sight of his prey, or has got it, even though ever so hungry; but when he has it in view, he roars so terribly, that, as Basil e observes, many animals that could escape him through their swiftness, yet are so frightened at his roaring, that they have no power to move; and they have their dens either in caves or in thickets, where are the she lioness and the young lions, to whom the prey is brought; see Nahum 2:11.

d εκ δρυμοιο λεων, Theocrit. Idyll. 1. e In Hexaemeron, Homil. 9.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? - Then, further, each question by itself suggests its own thought. Amos had already, in repeating Joel’s words, spoken of God’s Voice, under the image of a lion roaring (Amos 1:2; Hosea 11:10 (add Hosea 5:14; Hosea 6:1; Hosea 13:7); Jeremiah 25:30). Hosea had likened Israel to “a silly dove without heat Hosea 7:11; on the other hand, he had likened God’s loud call to repentance to the roaring of the lion, the conversion of Israel to the return of the dove to its home Hosea 11:10-11. As the roaring of the lion causeth terror, for he sendeth forth his terrible roar when he is about to spring on his prey , so God threatens by His prophets, only when He is about to punish. Yet the lion’s roar is a warning to escape. God’s threatening is a warning to betake them to repentance, and so to escape from all fear, by fleeing from their sins. If the season is neglected, wilt thou rescue the prey from the lion’s grasp, or thyself from the wrath of God?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Amos 3:4. Will a lion roar — Should I threaten such a judgment without cause?