Verse (Click for Chapter) 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 VersionAs [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 BibleAs 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 BibleAs 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 1917As 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 WallJump 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 WallAmos 5 1. A lamentation for Israel.4. An exhortation to repentance. 21. God rejects their hypocritical service. It will be like a man who flees from a lion This phrase illustrates the inescapable nature of divine judgment. In the ancient Near East, lions were common threats, symbolizing danger and fear. The imagery of fleeing from a lion suggests a desperate attempt to escape imminent peril. Biblically, lions often represent God's judgment or powerful adversaries (e.g., 1 Peter 5:8, where Satan is likened to a roaring lion). The context of Amos is a warning to Israel about the coming judgment due to their unfaithfulness and injustice. only to encounter a bear or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall only to be bitten by a snake Persons / Places / Events 1. AmosA prophet from the southern kingdom of Judah, Amos was called by God to deliver a message of judgment to the northern kingdom of Israel. His prophecies are characterized by a strong call for justice and righteousness. 2. Israel The northern kingdom, which had fallen into idolatry and social injustice. Amos's message was directed towards their impending judgment due to their unfaithfulness to God. 3. Lion and Bear Symbolic representations of danger and judgment. In the context of Amos, they represent the inescapable nature of God's judgment. 4. House Represents a place of perceived safety and security. The imagery of entering a house only to be bitten by a snake underscores the futility of seeking refuge from God's judgment through human means. 5. Snake A symbol of unexpected danger and judgment. It highlights the inevitability and surprise of God's judgment when one thinks they are safe. Teaching Points The Inevitability of Divine JudgmentGod's judgment is unavoidable for those who persist in sin. Just as the man in Amos 5:19 cannot escape danger, neither can we escape God's righteous judgment without repentance. False Security Trusting in worldly security or human solutions is futile when facing divine judgment. True safety is found only in repentance and obedience to God. The Surprise of Judgment Judgment can come unexpectedly, like a snake bite. We must live in readiness, aligning our lives with God's will to avoid being caught off guard. The Call to Repentance Amos's message is a call to repentance. We must examine our lives, turn from sin, and seek God's mercy to avoid the consequences of judgment. The Role of Prophets Prophets like Amos serve as God's messengers, warning of judgment and calling for repentance. We should heed their messages and apply them to our lives today.(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 likeכַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר (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 Links Amos 5:19 NIVAmos 5:19 NLT Amos 5:19 ESV Amos 5:19 NASB Amos 5:19 KJV Amos 5:19 BibleApps.com Amos 5:19 Biblia Paralela Amos 5:19 Chinese Bible Amos 5:19 French Bible Amos 5:19 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Amos 5:19 As if a man fled (Amo. 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