The Meaning of Amos 3:12 Explained

Amos 3:12

KJV: Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.

YLT: Thus said Jehovah: As the shepherd delivereth from the lion's mouth Two legs, or a piece of an ear, So delivered are the sons of Israel, Who are sitting in Samaria on the corner of a bed, And in Damascus on that of a couch.

Darby: Thus saith Jehovah: Like as the shepherd rescueth out of the jaw of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be rescued that sit in Samaria in the corner of a couch, and upon the damask of a bed.

ASV: Thus saith Jehovah: As the shepherd rescueth out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued that sit in Samaria in the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus saith  the LORD;  As the shepherd  taketh out  of the mouth  of the lion  two  legs,  or a piece  of an ear;  so shall the children  of Israel  be taken out  that dwell  in Samaria  in the corner  of a bed,  and in Damascus  [in] a couch. 

What does Amos 3:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh also predicted that only a small remnant of the people would survive. The situation would be similar to when a shepherd snatched a remaining fragment of a sheep, a couple of leg bones or a small piece of an ear, from the mouth of an attacking wild animal. It would be like when someone stole everything in a house and the owner could only hold onto a piece of his bed or a bedspread. Similarly, an overpowering enemy would steal away the people of Samaria, and only a few would escape. Evidently about27 ,000 Israelites from Samaria suffered captivity. [1]
The figure of a shepherd represented Yahweh in Israel"s literature (e.g, Psalm 23:1; et al.). The people would have seen Him as the one who would rescue the remnant as well as the one who would allow the enemy to overpower them.

Context Summary

Amos 3:1-15 - The Lord's Word Must Come True
The closer our relationship with God, the more searching His scrutiny and chastening. The sins of God's children which may seem of slight consequence are rigorously dealt with by their Heavenly Father, who loves them too well to allow their life to be permanently injured. It is because God loves us that He is so quick in detecting the least symptoms of disease. But we must agree with Him as to the sinfulness of sin, the need of cleansing, the hopelessness of our old nature, and the world's urgent need both of our sympathy and sacrifice. So only shall we walk with God as Enoch did. The soul that is one with Him is on the alert, as is the traveler who hears the lion's roar in the forest. Watch; ye know not the hour!
The nobles of Egypt and Philistia are summoned to view the sins of Samaria and to confirm the justice of her penalty. From all sides the invader would descend on the recreant land. Only a fragment should escape, like the small piece of a lamb rescued from the jaws of the savage beast of prey. The couch of luxury, the bed of sloth, the golden calf of Beth-el-all marked the degeneracy of the Chosen People. May the sorrows through which the world is passing at this hour be the means of cleansing human society from these same evils that our Christian civilization may escape the penalties that overtook Israel! [source]

Chapter Summary: Amos 3

1  The necessity of God's judgment against Israel
9  The publication of it, with the causes thereof

What do the individual words in Amos 3:12 mean?

Thus says Yahweh as takes a shepherd from the mouth of a lion two legs or a piece of an ear so shall be taken out the sons of Israel who dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch
כֹּה֮ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֒ כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ יַצִּ֨יל הָרֹעֶ֜ה מִפִּ֧י הָאֲרִ֛י שְׁתֵּ֥י כְרָעַ֖יִם א֣וֹ בְדַל־ אֹ֑זֶן כֵּ֣ן יִנָּצְל֞וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן בִּפְאַ֥ת מִטָּ֖ה וּבִדְמֶ֥שֶׁק עָֽרֶשׂ

כֹּה֮  Thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֒  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יַצִּ֨יל  takes 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
הָרֹעֶ֜ה  a  shepherd 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
מִפִּ֧י  from  the  mouth 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
הָאֲרִ֛י  of  a  lion 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲרִי 
Sense: lion.
שְׁתֵּ֥י  two 
Parse: Number, fdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
כְרָעַ֖יִם  legs 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: כֶּרַע  
Sense: leg.
בְדַל־  a  piece 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בָּדָל  
Sense: a piece, severed piece, a piece (of an ear).
אֹ֑זֶן  of  an  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
כֵּ֣ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יִנָּצְל֞וּ  shall  be  taken  out 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙  who  dwell 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן  in  Samaria 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֹׁמְרֹון  
Sense: the region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the 0 tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam.
בִּפְאַ֥ת  in  the  corner 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: פֵּאָה 
Sense: corner, edge, side, quarter, extremity.
מִטָּ֖ה  of  a  bed 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִטָּה  
Sense: couch, bed, bier.
וּבִדְמֶ֥שֶׁק  and  on  the  edge 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דְּמֶשֶׁק  
Sense: damask?, silk? (meaning uncertain).
עָֽרֶשׂ  of  a  couch 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֶרֶשׂ  
Sense: couch, divan, bed.