Amos 1:2 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The Lord's voice is likened to a lion's roar from Jerusalem, a sound so terrible that pastures mourn and even fertile Carmel withers.
What Does Amos 1:2 Mean?
The book's keynote is struck in a single image. The Lord roars like a lion from Zion, and the whole land feels it, from the shepherd's grazing grounds to the lush heights of Mount Carmel. A roar is the sound a lion makes when it has already seized its prey.
This is no distant deity. When God speaks, creation responds, and the green places wither before His word. Yet the very voice that brings drought and mourning is also the voice that can bring rain and life. To hear the Lord roar is to be summoned to reverence, to recognize that His word is not a sound we control but a power that humbles the proud and wakes the careless.
Amos 1:2 in the Original Language
sha'ag (שָׁאַג), 'roar' -- the deep cry of a lion over its prey, used here for the Lord's voice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amos 1:2
What does Amos 1:2 mean?
The Lord's voice is likened to a lion's roar from Jerusalem, a sound so terrible that pastures mourn and even fertile Carmel withers.