Amos 3:6
Shall the trumpet sound in a city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, which the Lord hath not done?
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- si clanget tuba in civitate, et populus non expavescet ? si erit malum in civitate, quod Dominus non fecerit ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- εἰ φωνήσει σάλπιγξ ἐν πόλει καὶ λαὸς οὐ μὴ πτοηθήσεται; εἰ ἔσται κακία ἐν πόλει ἣν Κύριος οὐκ ἐποίησεν;
- Hebrew (WLC)
- אִם יִתָּקַ֤ע שׁוֹפָר֙ בְּעִ֔יר וְעָ֖ם לֹ֣א יֶחֱרָ֑דוּ אִם תִּהְיֶ֤ה רָעָה֙ בְּעִ֔יר וַיהוָ֖ה לֹ֥א עָשָֽׂה
Haydock's commentary
Afraid. Yet you can hear these terrible truths without consternation! Will you therefore escape? (Calmet)
Evil. He speaks of the evil of punishments of war, famine, pestilence, desolution, &c., but not of the evil of sin, of which God is not the author. (Challoner)
All evil of punishment is sent by God, either to reclaim sinners or to be the beginning of sorrows, if they die impenitent. (Worthington)
You know that He rewards or punishes. If, therefore, what I foretell come to pass, do not blame me.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom Three Homilies Concerning the Power of Demons, Homily I. Against Those Who Say that Demons Govern Human Affairs
For what reason did he not at once proceed to the division of tongues, but first of all defend himself, as if about to be judged in a lawcourt? And yet at least no one can say to him why hast thou thus done? yea he is at liberty to do all things as he wills. But still as one about to give account, he thus sets up a defence, teaching us to be gentle and loving. For if the master defends himself to his servants, even when they have done him this wrong; much more ought we to defend ourselves to one another, even if we are wronged to the highest degree. See at least how he defends himself. “Behold they have all one mouth and one speech” saith he, “and this they have begun to do,” as if he said let no one accuse me of this when he sees the division of tongues. Let no one consider that this difference of speech was made over to men from the beginning. …
St John Damascene An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, That God is not the cause of evils
His permission, therefore, is usually spoken of in the Holy Scripture as His energy and work. Nay, even when He says that God creates evil things , and that there is no evil in a city that the Lord hath not done , he does not mean by these words that the Lord is the cause of evil, but the word ‘evil’ is used in two ways, with two meanings. For sometimes it means what is evil by nature, and this is the opposite of virtue and the will of God: and sometimes it means that which is evil and oppressive to our sensation, that is to say, afflictions and calamities. Now these are seemingly evil because they are painful, but in reality are good. For to those who understand they became ambassadors of conversion and salvation. The Scripture says that of these God is the Author.
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X, Chapter V. An objection, how God Himself can be said to create evil
Germanus : We often read in holy Scripture that God has created evil or brought it upon men, as is this passage: “There is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else: I form the light and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil.” And again: “Shall there be evil in a city which the Lord hath not done?”