Amos Chapter 3 verse 5 Holy Bible
Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is `set' for him? shall a snare spring up from the ground, and have taken nothing at all?
read chapter 3 in ASV
Is it possible for a bird to be taken in a net on the earth where no net has been put for him? will the net come up from the earth if it has taken nothing at all?
read chapter 3 in BBE
Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth when no gin [is laid] for him? Will the snare spring up from the earth when nothing at all hath been taken?
read chapter 3 in DARBY
Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?
read chapter 3 in KJV
read chapter 3 in WBT
Can a bird fall in a trap on the earth, Where no snare is set for him? Does a snare spring up from the ground, When there is nothing to catch?
read chapter 3 in WEB
Doth a bird fall into a snare of the earth, And there is no gin for it? Doth a snare go up from the ground, And prey it captureth not?
read chapter 3 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 5. - The thought here is that the punishment is deserved as well as certain. A bird is not caught unless a trap is set for it. The trap which the sinner sets for himself is sin. Can a bird fall in a snare (pach) upon the earth, where no gin (moqesh) is for him? i.e. is set for him? The "gin" is a net with a stick for a spring, which flew up when touched, carrying part of the net with it, and thus the bird was enclosed and caught (see Kitto, 'Cyclop.,' s.v. "Fowling," 2:36). The LXX. probably read yoqesh, as they translate, ἄνευ ἐξευτοῦ, "without a fowler." So the Vulgate, absque aucupe. The second clause should be, Shall a snare (pach) spring up from the ground without taking anything? The snare, or trap stick, would not rise if it had not caught something. The sin is there, and the sinners shall surely not escape. When God appoints retributive punishments for the guilty, and announces the same by his prophets, they may be expected with absolute certainty.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5) Can a bird.--Better, Does the snare rise up from the ground, and take nothing at all?" E.V. "take up" is due to ambiguity of the Hebrew. The idea is that Israel "like a silly dove" is falling into snares. The snare, even now, may be seen springing from the earth. The armies and politics of the nation that will enclose Israel are already in motion.
