Amos 5:3 Meaning and Explanation
“For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →God foretells devastating loss in war: a town that sends out a thousand soldiers will have only a hundred return, and a hundred only ten.
What Does Amos 5:3 Mean?
The lament gives way to a sobering arithmetic of defeat. A city that marches out a thousand strong will see only a hundred come home; a company of a hundred will be reduced to ten. Nine in ten will fall in the coming judgment.
These are the stark numbers of a nation undone by war. Behind the figures lie countless homes emptied and families broken. The verse refuses to let judgment remain an abstraction; it counts the cost in human lives. Yet even here a remnant survives, the hundred, the ten, a sign that God preserves even in catastrophe. The reader feels the weight of sin's consequences and the mercy that spares a few, and is moved to seek the Lord while there is time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amos 5:3
What does Amos 5:3 mean?
God foretells devastating loss in war: a town that sends out a thousand soldiers will have only a hundred return, and a hundred only ten.