3:8 A lion has roared! 1 Who is not afraid?
The sovereign Lord has spoken! Who can refuse to prophesy? 2
8:1 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw 3 a basket of summer fruit. 4
1 sn The roar of the lion is here a metaphor for impending judgment (see 1:2; cf. 3:4, 12). Verses 7-8 justify Amos’ prophetic ministry and message of warning and judgment. The people should expect a prophetic message prior to divine action.
2 sn Who can refuse to prophesy? When a message is revealed, the prophet must speak, and the news of impending judgment should cause people to fear.
3 tn Heb “behold” or “look.”
4 sn The basket of summer fruit (also in the following verse) probably refers to figs from the summer crop, which ripens in August-September. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 115.