Amos 5:19
New International Version
It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him.

New Living Translation
In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion— only to meet a bear. Escaping from the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house— and he’s bitten by a snake.

English Standard Version
as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him.

Berean Standard Bible
It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake.

King James Bible
As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

New King James Version
It will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him!

New American Standard Bible
As when a man flees from a lion And a bear confronts him, Or he goes home, leans with his hand against the wall, And a snake bites him.

NASB 1995
As when a man flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him.

NASB 1977
As when a man flees from a lion, And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall, And a snake bites him.

Legacy Standard Bible
As when a man flees from a lion And a bear meets him; Or he goes home, leans his hand against the wall, And a snake bites him.

Amplified Bible
It is as if a man runs from a lion [escaping one danger] And a bear meets him [so he dies anyway], Or goes home, and leans with his hand against the wall And a snake bites him.

Christian Standard Bible
It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him. He goes home and rests his hand against the wall only to have a snake bite him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him. He goes home and rests his hand against the wall only to have a snake bite him.

American Standard Version
As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

Contemporary English Version
You will run from a lion, only to meet a bear. You will escape to your house, rest your hand on the wall, and be bitten by a snake.

English Revised Version
As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
It is like a person who flees from a lion only to be attacked by a bear. It is like a person who goes home and puts his hand on the wall only to be bitten by a snake.

Good News Translation
It will be like someone who runs from a lion and meets a bear! Or like someone who comes home and puts his hand on the wall--only to be bitten by a snake!

International Standard Version
It will be like a man who runs from a lion, only to encounter a bear; or who comes home, leans his hand against a wall, and a serpent bites him!

Majority Standard Bible
It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake.

NET Bible
Disaster will be inescapable, as if a man ran from a lion only to meet a bear, then escaped into a house, leaned his hand against the wall, and was bitten by a poisonous snake.

New Heart English Bible
As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; Or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

Webster's Bible Translation
As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

World English Bible
As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
As [when] one flees from the face of the lion, "" And the bear has met him, "" And he has come into the house, "" And has leaned his hand on the wall, "" And the serpent has bitten him.

Young's Literal Translation
As when one fleeth from the face of the lion, And the bear hath met him, And he hath come in to the house, And hath leant his hand on the wall, And the serpent hath bitten him.

Smith's Literal Translation
According as a man will flee from the face of the lion and the bear struck upon him, and he came into the house and leaned his hand upon the wall, and the serpent bit him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
As if a man should flee from the face of a lion, and a bear should meet him: or enter into the house, and lean with his hand upon the wall, and a serpent should bite him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
It is as if a man flees from the face of a lion, only to have a bear meet him; or, he enters a house and leans with his hand against the wall, only to have a snake bite him.

New American Bible
As if someone fled from a lion and a bear met him; Or as if on entering the house he rested his hand against the wall, and a snake bit it.

New Revised Standard Version
as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
As when a man fled from a lion and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
As when a man fled from before a lion and a bear met with him, and he entered the house and he put his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
As if a man did flee from a lion, And a bear met him; And went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
As if a man should flee from the face of a lion, and a bear should meet him; and he should spring into his house, and lean his hands upon the wall, and a serpent should bite him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Day of the LORD
18Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light. 19It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake. 20Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it?…

Cross References
Isaiah 24:18
Whoever flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Jeremiah 48:44
“Whoever flees the panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For I will bring upon Moab the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.

Job 20:24
Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him.

Isaiah 8:22
Then they will look to the earth and see only distress and darkness and the gloom of anguish. And they will be driven into utter darkness.

Isaiah 10:3
What will you do on the day of reckoning when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

Isaiah 24:17
Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth.

Isaiah 59:9
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

Jeremiah 11:11
Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them.

Jeremiah 15:2
If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.’

Lamentations 3:47
Panic and pitfall have come upon us—devastation and destruction.

Matthew 24:43
But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

Luke 21:35
For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth.

1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Hebrews 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Revelation 6:16-17
And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. / For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”


Treasury of Scripture

As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

As if.

Amos 9:1,2
I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered…

1 Kings 20:29,30
And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day…

Job 20:24,25
He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through…

Jump to Previous
Bear Bit Bite Bites Bitten Entered Face Fled Flee Flees Fleeth Goes Hand Home House Leant Lion Meet Meets Met Rested Running Serpent Snake Wall
Jump to Next
Bear Bit Bite Bites Bitten Entered Face Fled Flee Flees Fleeth Goes Hand Home House Leant Lion Meet Meets Met Rested Running Serpent Snake Wall
Amos 5
1. A lamentation for Israel.
4. An exhortation to repentance.
21. God rejects their hypocritical service.














It will be like a man
This phrase sets the stage for a vivid simile, a common literary device in Hebrew prophecy. The "man" represents the people of Israel, who are the primary audience of Amos's message. In the Hebrew context, the "man" is everyman, symbolizing the collective experience of the nation. This imagery is meant to be relatable and personal, drawing the listener into the narrative.

who flees from a lion
The lion in ancient Near Eastern culture often symbolized danger and power. In the Hebrew Bible, lions are frequently used to depict God's judgment or a formidable enemy (e.g., 1 Samuel 17:34-37). Here, the lion represents an immediate and terrifying threat from which the man escapes. This escape might initially seem like a relief, but it is only temporary.

only to encounter a bear
The bear, another symbol of danger, suggests a different but equally deadly threat. In the ancient world, bears were known for their ferocity, especially when provoked or protecting their young (2 Kings 2:24). The transition from lion to bear emphasizes the inescapability of divine judgment. The Israelites might avoid one calamity, only to face another, underscoring the futility of trying to escape God's righteous judgment.

who enters his house
The house is traditionally a place of safety and refuge. In the Hebrew mindset, one's home was a sanctuary from the outside world. This phrase suggests a false sense of security, as the man believes he has finally found safety. The house symbolizes the complacency and false assurance of the Israelites, who think they can find peace without true repentance.

and rests his hand against the wall
Resting one's hand against the wall implies a moment of relaxation and relief. The wall, a structural support, represents stability and protection. In this context, it signifies the Israelites' reliance on their own strength and understanding. However, this reliance is misplaced, as the subsequent events reveal.

only to have a snake bite him
The snake, often associated with deceit and danger (Genesis 3:1-15), represents an unexpected and insidious threat. The bite is sudden and lethal, symbolizing the unforeseen consequences of Israel's spiritual complacency and disobedience. This imagery serves as a stark warning that judgment will come when least expected, and no earthly refuge can protect against divine retribution.

(19) Your escape will be impossible. You will avoid one calamity, only to fall into a worse.

Verse 19. - Amos explains the dangers of this judgment day by illustrations drawn from pastoral life, equivalent to the rushing from Charybdis into Scylla. Every place is full of danger - the open country, the shelter of the house. Jerome applies the passage to the fate of the kingdom in general: "Fugientibus vobis a facie Nabuchodonosor leonis occurrent Medi, Persae, demum Antiochus Epiphanes, qui moretur in templo et vos instar colubri mordeat, nequaquam foris in Babylone, sed intra terminos terrae sanctae."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
It will be like
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

a man
אִישׁ֙ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

who flees
יָנ֥וּס (yā·nūs)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5127: To flit, vanish away

from
מִפְּנֵ֣י (mip·pə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

a lion
הָאֲרִ֔י (hā·’ă·rî)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 738: A lion

only to encounter
וּפְגָע֖וֹ (ū·p̄ə·ḡā·‘ōw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6293: To impinge, by accident, violence, by importunity

a bear,
הַדֹּ֑ב (had·dōḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1677: The bear

or who enters
וּבָ֣א (ū·ḇā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

his house
הַבַּ֔יִת (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

and rests
וְסָמַ֤ךְ (wə·sā·maḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5564: To prop, to lean upon, take hold of

his hand
יָדוֹ֙ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the wall,
הַקִּ֔יר (haq·qîr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7023: A wall

only to have a serpent
הַנָּחָֽשׁ׃ (han·nā·ḥāš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5175: A serpent

bite him.
וּנְשָׁכ֖וֹ (ū·nə·šā·ḵōw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5391: To strike with a, sting, to oppress with usury


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OT Prophets: Amos 5:19 As if a man fled (Amo. Am)
Amos 5:18
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