Amos 3:3

3:3 Do two walk together without having met? ¹ 

Amos 5:19

5:19 Disaster will be inescapable, ² 

as if a man ran from a lion only to meet a bear,

then escaped ³  into a house,

leaned his hand against the wall,

and was bitten by a poisonous snake.

[3:3]  ¹ sn The rhetorical questions in vv. 3-5 expect the answer, “No, of course not!” Those in v. 6 anticipate the answer, “Yes, of course they do/he is.” They all draw attention to the principle of cause and effect and lay the logical foundation for the argument in vv. 7-8. Also note the progression from a general question in v. 3 to the “meetings” of two animals (v. 4), to that of an animal and a human trap (v. 5), to a climax with the confrontation with the Lord (v. 6). Each of these meetings is disastrous.

[5:19]  ² tn The words “Disaster will be inescapable” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:19]  ³ tn Heb “went” (so KJV, NRSV).