Introduction: A Prelude to the Prophecies of Rebuke
Chapter 3 of Amos opens with a solemn proclamation to the entire nation, through which the prophet lays the foundation for all the prophecies that follow. The Malbim teaches a central principle: the verses from the beginning of the chapter through verse 8 are not a prophecy of retribution in their own right, but rather a series of introductory premises for the prophecies delivered from verse 9 through the end of Chapter 4. The Holy One, Blessed is He, seeks to prepare the people: when you see troubles arriving, know that this is neither chance nor natural occurrence, but a guiding Hand - a Hand that gave advance warning.
"Against the Entire Family That I Brought Up from the Land of Egypt"
שִׁמְעוּ אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה עֲלֵיכֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל כׇּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלֵיתִי מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר׃ - Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the entire family that I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
What is meant by "the family"? The Radak explains: a nation, an entire people, is termed a "family." We find this similarly in the Prophets: "And if the family of Egypt will not go up... upon them shall be no rain" - showing that all of Egypt is referred to as a family. And what is the underlying message? I am the One who brought you up from the land of Egypt; I acquired you to be My own portion, so that you would not be subject to the celestial ministers or the astrological constellations, but rather held under My direct, individual Divine providence.
"You Alone Have I Known" - Closeness Itself Generates Accountability
רַק אֶתְכֶם יָדַעְתִּי מִכֹּל מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲדָמָה עַל־כֵּן אֶפְקֹד עֲלֵיכֶם אֵת כׇּל־עֲוֺנֹתֵיכֶם׃ - You alone have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities.
"I have known" means I have loved, as Rashi explains. In Scripture, the root for knowledge conveys connection, closeness, and affection. The Malbim cites proofs for this: "For I have known him, so that he may command his children and his household after him," "I have known you by name," "The Lord knows the way of the righteous" - in all these instances, the meaning is that the Holy One, Blessed is He, is intimately connected and loving. You alone did I love, yet you rebelled against Me.
On the surface, there appears to be a paradox: Because you are My child, therefore I strike you? One would expect closeness to foster preferential leniency. The Radak explains: precisely because I knew you and chose you from among all peoples, therefore I will reckon with your iniquities. You witnessed the signs and wonders, you saw how much goodness I bestowed upon you and how much I invested in you, yet instead of fulfilling My will, you rebel against Me - therefore, I will visit your sins upon you. This is thoroughly logical: a king is far more indignant when the servants standing directly in his presence transgress his command than when those far removed from him do so.
The Radak continues: concerning the pagan nations, the Holy One, Blessed is He, is not as concerned, as it were, whether they do good or do evil. Under ordinary circumstances, Hashem does not chasten them with moral rebuke. Only in monumental matters, such as the violence of the Generation of the Flood or the deeds of the people of Sodom, does He intervene directly. But regarding Israel, because they are close to Me, I hold them accountable for their iniquities. This is the meaning of the verses, "Through those near to Me I will be sanctified," and "Around Him it storms exceedingly" - it is specifically those who are closest, those standing in the presence of the Holy One, Blessed is He, upon whom the standard of judgment is most exacting. As Chazal stated: "Pagan nations are different, for judgment is not so strictly assigned to them."
The root of this matter has already been explained through the study of Nefesh HaChaim: spiritual reality is such that Israel is bound to the upper worlds by a silver cord. Their souls stem from the highest realms, from the Holy Chariot, through the cascade of the worlds - Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. Every action performed by an Israelite here below shakes and stirs all the cosmic worlds. By contrast, a non-Jew has no such connection to the upper worlds, and his actions do not reach even to the ceiling.
Therefore, when Titus destroyed the Beit HaMikdash, nothing happened on the cosmic spiritual plane. Chazal tell us that a Heavenly voice came forth and proclaimed to him: "You have ground already-ground flour." He entered the Holy of Holies and committed an egregious transgression upon a Sefer Torah, yet nothing happened to him on the spot. By contrast, if a Kohen Gadol entered without proper spiritual purification, he was pulled out by a chain, having died on the spot. Why? Because Titus entering was like a dog entering the Holy Temple: would one hold a dog liable to karet or the death penalty? What can one expect from a dog? But a person who enters where he is forbidden incurs karet and death. The accountability corresponds to the person whose actions impact the highest realms. Thus Hashem declares: You alone have I known, to you alone am I bound, therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities.
The parable of a father and son is an excellent illustration: it is specifically your own son who receives a slap from you because he did something grave (this is not to endorse physical punishment, but is cited purely as an example). Yet if the neighbor's son did the exact same thing - or perhaps seven times worse - you would never raise a hand against him. And not merely because you do not want to get entangled with his father, but because you genuinely have no stake in him: let his father deal with it. But you, my son - "You alone have I known, therefore I will visit upon you." When we are close to someone, we hold them to a standard; when someone is distant from us, we place no demands upon them.
The Malbim adds: There is no other family among the families of the earth that I know as I know you - a knowing that signifies constant providence, close spiritual supervision. All other families of the earth are subject to the laws of nature, guided by the host of heaven and the dominion of the stars, whereas we are guided directly by Hashem Himself. The Land of Israel is "a land upon which the eyes of Hashem your God are always, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year," while the lands of the nations are governed through seventy heavenly ministers. "He does not know them" does not mean a lack of knowledge, God forbid, but rather that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not set His eyes and heart to supervise them with constant, intimate providence.
It follows from this that you are held to far greater accountability. Therefore, the people of Israel are cautioned even against shituf (associating another power with God), something a non-Jew is not cautioned against. A gentile may go to church, worship Hashem, and also believe in that man, and according to most poskim, there is no prohibition for him in doing so. But for a Jew - a church is a house of idolatry. And if he argues: "Behold, I believe in Hashem as well?" You are warned against shituf, against associating the Name of Heaven with anything else. Thus you learn: "You alone have I known" - I exercise over you an intimate providence that no other nation receives, and therefore you are held to far stricter standards than they are.
The Prophet's Chain of Rhetorical Questions
The following verses are all phrased as rhetorical questions, one after another, and each is intended to direct rebuke to the people. Let us examine them one by one and explore several explanations for each.
הֲיֵלְכוּ שְׁנַיִם יַחְדָּו בִּלְתִּי אִם־נוֹעָדוּ׃ - Can two walk together unless they have agreed to meet?
Rashi explains that there is a rebuke here directed at the people. They said to the prophets, "Do not prophesy"; we do not want to hear you, do not tell us what Hashem says. Hashem says to them: Do you imagine that the prophet prophesies on his own? Just as when you see two people walking together - at the exact same moment, on the same day, with the same destination and purpose - you immediately understand that they coordinated beforehand to walk together, so too you must understand that prophecy does not come upon a prophet arbitrarily, but only because Hashem designated His words for him. The prophet does not prophesy from his own heart.
The Radak interprets the verse literally, rather than as a parable: Come and see what has happened to you after you rebelled against Me. Previously, you could walk along the roads even alone, safe on your journey without fear of hazards, harmful spirits, or enemies. But now, after you have sinned, no one ventures out into the street unless two people have agreed to travel together. This is testament to the deterioration: personal safety has sunken so low. And whence did this come, if not because you abandoned the way of Hashem?
The Radak also cites the commentary of the Ibn Ezra, who follows Rashi's line of thought with a slight variation: these words are spoken metaphorically. Consider that the prophet's words are true, for the prophet foretells the future and that future comes to pass. And what will you say - that this is mere coincidence? Just as you understand that two people will not walk together unless they have arranged to meet, so too you must understand that it is impossible for a prophet to speak a word and have it fulfilled exactly as it left his mouth unless Someone appointed these words to him and delivered the message. Thus, according to Rashi: no word comes from the prophets' mouths unless I have convened with them; and according to the Ibn Ezra: it is impossible for their words to materialize unless they originate from Me. From this you should have learned not to disobey the words of the prophets.
And the Malbim, in keeping with his approach, explains that this is the first premise: when you see that you are being punished, know that it comes from Me. Do not think it is coincidence, or the celestial bodies, or the weather pattern, or any other natural explanation. When you suddenly see several nations join together to harm you - nations that were distant from one another, had no connection, and were at times even hostile toward each other - do you truly think there is no One who convened them and gathered them to rise against you? Know that this is a deliberate plan, built upon the fact that you abandoned My ways; therefore, I assembled two to walk together, because they were summoned by Me.
"Will a Lion Roar in the Forest"
הֲיִשְׁאַג אַרְיֵה בַּיַּעַר וְטֶרֶף אֵין לוֹ הֲיִתֵּן כְּפִיר קוֹלוֹ מִמְּעֹנָתוֹ בִּלְתִּי אִם־לָכָד׃ - Will a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out from his den unless he has captured something?
Rashi explains: When a lion seizes its prey, it is its nature to roar, and it does not roar unless it has prey. "Captured" (lachad) means seized. Likewise, Scripture states: "He roars like young lions, growls, and seizes prey" (Yeshayahu 5:29), and "As the lion and the young lion growl over their prey" (ibid. 31:4) - when do the lion and the young lion growl? When there is prey. And who is the lion here? Nebuchadnezzar. A lion that has come up from his thicket will come, roar against you, and Heaven spare us, he will have prey - he will devour of you.
Rashi brings an additional explanation by way of allegory: The prophets compare the Holy Spirit resting upon them to the roar of a lion, as it is stated later: "A lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord G-d has spoken; who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:8). The roar is the celestial voice descending upon the prophet when he receives his prophecy. And this is what He tells them: Would the Holy Spirit enter the mouth of the prophets unless retribution had been decreed before Him? Do you think the prophet prophesies on his own, without an actual calamity that I commanded him to announce? These words align wonderfully with what was explained in the previous verse: Does a prophet speak without My having met with him? And if I met with him and told him of calamity, would he proclaim calamity if there is truly no prey, that is, if retribution is not to come? "Will a young lion give forth his voice from his den unless he has captured?" - would the Holy One, blessed be He, speak harsh words unless you were trapped in the snare of iniquity, sin, and straying from the path? Certainly, you have been trapped by your transgressions, and therefore He speaks these words to the prophets. If so, why do you tell the prophets, "Do not prophesy"?
Radak explains along lines similar to Rashi: When a lion goes out to prey, it roars, and when it roars, the beasts freeze in their tracks out of dread and terror, and then it takes whatever it pleases. So too, when the enemy comes, G-d forbid, he will take whatever he pleases, and under no circumstances will he leave empty-handed. "Will a lion roar in the forest and he has no prey?" - if he roars, you will stand frozen and he will take you as prey, whether taking captive or killing. This threat is imminent and real, and do not think that the prophets fabricate things from their own hearts.
Radak further cites the explanation of Ibn Ezra: Is it the custom of a lion to roar over its prey without devouring it? Will My roar go forth in vain? I have spoken harsh words, and will the roar not take effect? Surely, because of this roar, you were supposed to mend your ways, yet you did not repent. And if the lion that came up from its thicket raises its voice over the prey - can the prey escape its grip? So too with you: how can you imagine escaping My decree? If you see that a roaring lion inevitably comes away with prey, all the more so when I decree - the decree will be fulfilled. You should have feared the words of the prophets.
Aryeh and Kfir - Two Dynamics, Two Facets of Retribution
Malbim continues along his approach and sees here a second introduction to the prophecies from verse 9 onward: The lion roaring in the forest certainly has prey, and does not roar in vain. So too, the king of Assyria, who is compared to a lion, will roar when he comes, and his roar will not be in vain; rather, he will come and tear prey, with none to deliver from his hand.
Note, says Malbim: The parable here is twofold. There is an aryeh (mature lion) and by contrast a kfir (young lion); the aryeh roars, while the kfir gives forth its voice; the aryeh roars in the forest, and the kfir from its den. What is the difference? Malbim has already explained in numerous places, and we have seen this more than once: an aryeh is a mature lion, whereas a kfir is a young lion. The young lion is less confident in itself; therefore, it stays in its den, waits for animals to pass by, and pounces to seize its prey. The mature lion is far more powerful and does not fear venturing out; hence, it roars in the forest, not from its den. Furthermore: because the kfir is younger and weaker, it "gives forth its voice," whereas the aryeh "roars" - and a roar is far more powerful than merely giving forth one's voice.
And to what does this correspond? The lion is the king of Assyria. Whether he roars against them in their own land, meaning he goes out from his place to come here - like a lion leaving its den into the forest; or whether he captures some of them "from his den," meaning that the king of Assyria remains in his place and you go to him. And when did this occur? When Hoshea the son of Elah went out to the king of Assyria, who detained him and cast him into prison, capturing him like a young lion when he reached the border of Assyria. Hashem says: In either case, none can deliver from My hand.
Malbim adds further: "Will a lion roar in the forest and he has no prey?" - the lion roars when it catches sight of the prey, even before capturing it, because it is confident in its might that it will seize it. But as for the young lion - "Will a young lion give forth his voice from his den unless he has captured?" - only after it has already captured does it give forth its voice.
Here one must note a source cited by Malbim that is puzzling: Malbim writes that when the lion sees prey it roars, as it is written, "The young lions roar after their prey" (Tehillim 104:21) - because it is confident in its might that it will seize it. Yet here he is speaking of an aryeh, which roars upon merely seeing the prey, in contrast to the kfir, which gives forth its voice only after capturing! Instead of citing a verse about an aryeh, he cites a verse about a kfir. Had the verse said "The lions (ariot) roar after their prey," it would fit his explanation. But "The young lions (kefirim) roar after their prey" is difficult to understand, for young lions do not roar, but rather give forth their voice, and they do not give forth their voice until after they have captured.
One possible resolution: Perhaps Malbim understands that only when aryeh and kfir are mentioned together does Scripture intend to distinguish between them - the mature and the young. But when a verse speaks of kefirim alone, it refers to the species as a whole, and generally, when referring to a species, the reference is to the mature ones rather than the young. This is much like how the term ruach is often used: when one says "his spirit spoke" or "his soul," does one intend to distinguish between neshamah, ruach, and nefesh? After all, "And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" - was it specifically a neshamah and neither a ruach nor a nefesh? Rather, it is an umbrella term. So too, kefirim is sometimes an umbrella term referring to lions generally. However, this remains somewhat difficult, for in that very verse Malbim himself explains kefirim as a young lion just as he explains here; therefore, a definitive explanation for this proof text remains elusive.
"Will a Bird Fall into a Snare on the Ground"
הֲתִפֹּל צִפּוֹר עַל־פַּח הָאָרֶץ וּמוֹקֵשׁ אֵין לָהּ הֲיַעֲלֶה־פַּח מִן־הָאֲדָמָה וְלָכוֹד לֹא יִלְכּוֹד׃ - Does a bird fall into a snare on the ground when there is no trap set for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground without having caught anything?
Rashi explains: Is it possible for a bird to fall upon a snare on the ground without the snare causing it to stumble? That is to say: Do you truly believe that you can commit sins and they will not become a snare and a trap for you, that they will not bring about your downfall and harm? "Does a snare spring up from the ground without having caught anything?" - will your iniquities ascend on High without ensnaring you, without you being seized on their account?
Radak sees here another parable, meant to convey: Know that the enemy who marches here will not return empty-handed. Just as he explained earlier - does a lion lack prey? Did the young lion not seize a catch? - inevitably, if he comes, he will conquer, strike, and consume. So too here: when the king of Assyria arrives, he will capture, and we will be caught in the snare like an ensnared bird.
Radak cites in the name of a sage that specifically a bird of the sky is used here as an example, because man has no natural dominion to seize a bird and no power of control over it. Earthbound beasts are close to us and easier to capture, but the bird of the sky is distant and difficult to catch. A pach is a concealed snare, as in the phrase "they hid a snare for me" - a pit or trap prepared for an animal to fall into. For domestic animals and wild beasts, they would dig a pit and cover it with thin branches and leaves, and the animal would walk along and plunge inside. A mokesh (trap), as we have already explained, was sometimes an obstacle placed before the snare, which the animal trips over, tumbling directly into the trap.
What is the verse coming to teach? That man, through his schemes and cunning, can bring down a bird and trap it in a snare even though it is far above him. Hashem says to them: I am far above you - can I not snare you, who dwell down on earth? In simple terms: Are you not in My hands? If you can trap a bird distant from you, can I, Who am close to you, not snare you? How did you imagine you could escape Hashem? You have no wisdom against Me, and there is no way to evade the trap in which I have decreed you will be caught. And who is that trap? The enemy.
And do not imagine, says Radak, that he will strike a blow and simply walk away. "Does a snare spring up from the ground without having caught anything?" - the trap was laid in the ground, and when it is lifted and pulled up, it is a sure sign that game has been caught inside it. For if not, why would you lift it? Leave it until a bird or beast is caught in it! If you pull it from its place, prey must have already been captured. So too with the enemy: do you suppose he will depart the land without taking captives, without exiling you, and without chastising and afflicting you? When he comes - he will strike you a severe blow, and when he departs from here, he will capture you and carry you off with him.
Malbim summarizes the point: All of this comes to express that when Israel is trapped in the hand of the king of Assyria, Someone set the snare and laid the trap. Do not think this happened by chance. Two kings converged together to fight against you - did I not designate them? A snare springs up from the ground - did I not plan it? The king of Assyria comes - is this not from Me?
"Shall a Shofar Be Blown in a City"
אִם־יִתָּקַע שׁוֹפָר בְּעִיר וְעָם לֹא יֶחֱרָדוּ אִם־תִּהְיֶה רָעָה בְּעִיר וַיהֹוָה לֹא עָשָׂה׃ - Shall a shofar be blown in a city and the people not tremble? Shall misfortune befall a city and Hashem has not brought it about?
Rashi explains: The watchman would stand upon the high towers, see the enemy troops approaching, and blow the shofar to warn the people. And who are the shofar-blowers whom I send? These are the prophets - "Cry aloud, spare not." The prophet must blow like a shofar, meaning cry out his prophecy and warnings to the people in a loud voice. And just as there is no situation where a shofar is sounded in a city and the people do not tremble - rather, everyone immediately panics - so too you ought to have trembled at the words of the prophets.
And if we seek a parable from our reality today: when a person hears rising and falling sirens, their heart skips a beat. Unless they immediately hear that an exercise was conducted in the Dan region or the like; but without that, one is terrified. The prophet says to them: How did you not tremble at the words of the prophets? After all, the prophets want to rescue you from disaster. Just as the shofar blown in the city warning everyone to flee comes to save lives, so too the prophet who cries out in a great voice calling you to repent comes to save you.
Radak notes that the Targum translates, "If a shofar is blown in a city not at its appointed time." Where did he derive this? The verse does not say "not at its appointed time." Radak explains: A shofar was frequently blown in a city at an appointed time - for joy, for song, to gather the people, or for communal decrees that the city leaders enacted, blowing shofars and trumpets to announce them to the public. People do not tremble at such blasts. But if a shofar is sounded in a city unexpectedly, out of season - not for celebration, not to assemble the people, not for civic decrees - then everyone immediately understands that danger looms, that the enemy is near. If so, how can you not tremble at the words of the prophet whom I sent to you? "Shall misfortune befall a city and Hashem has not brought it about?" - how could you imagine that evil strikes a city without it being from Hashem? After all, the prophet told you these things in advance, and you see how they are fulfilled; how can disaster come upon you, yet you still do not repent?
The Malbim sees here the fourth introduction to the prophecies from verse 9 onward. The shofar is a sign that a sword is coming upon the land or that troubles are approaching, and the people will certainly tremble. This serves as an introduction to what will be said in chapter 4 from verse 4 to the end of the matter, where it is described that Hashem sounds the shofar through the prophets and warns of the looming calamities - famine, locusts, pestilence, sword - yet they do not tremble and are not afraid, attributing everything that occurred to chance and natural causes. And if you understand that everything comes from Hashem, why do you not repent?
"For the Lord God does nothing"
כִּי לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה דָּבָר כִּי אִם־גָּלָה סוֹדוֹ אֶל־עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִים׃ - For the Lord God will do nothing unless He has revealed His secret to His servants the prophets.
The Holy One, blessed be He, does nothing unless He has revealed that secret to His servants the prophets. And behold, you see that His servants the prophets know the secret, prophesy, and tell you of the troubles and what is to come. If so, why are you not concerned that these prophets truly know the secret of Hashem and are therefore warning you? At least take heed, at least do not stiffen your neck. And why do you say to the prophets, "Do not prophesy"? After all, they come to save you; and if they know the secret, it is a sign that they come from Hashem, and if they are from Hashem - they come to save you from these prophecies, yet you carry on as if the world simply continues on its course.
The Malbim adds a point here: lest you say that nothing will help anymore, that we have sinned too much, that there is no longer any point in repenting, that Hashem will no longer accept our repentance, and that the decree is sealed and finalized so that even repentance will not avail. To this he says: see, when Hashem issues a decree and speaks a word, He does not execute it immediately. First He informs His servants the prophets and sends them to warn the people, so that they may turn back from their ways and the decree will be annulled and not come to pass. And the prophet certainly fulfilled Hashem's directive and went to inform the people. Hashem does nothing without first giving notification.
And so we find with Eli the Kohen: his sons Hophni and Phinehas treated the sacrifices and the people who came to offer them with contempt, and the Holy One, blessed be He, sent him a prophet to reprove him. Afterward, when it says "and he did not rebuke them" - that he did not reprove his sons, or at least did not reprove them properly - a prophecy was delivered to Shmuel: "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle," that there would be a ringing in his ears from the sheer horror of the event. And we all know what occurred: Hophni and Phinehas died, the Ark of God was captured, his daughter-in-law went into labor and died, and Eli himself fell backward and broke his neck. A terrible thing happened in Israel on that day, calamity upon calamity - and everything was brought to his knowledge in advance by the prophet; he received a warning and admonition about what was to be. If so, you too - what you have received here is a message from Hashem before the calamity, so that you will repent. Why do you say that you no longer have a chance? Repent! Why do you continue on your path and stiffen your neck?
An Insight of the Gra: "When Wine Enters, Secrets Emerge"
In connection with this verse, there is a wonderful insight from the Vilna Gaon. The Gra says: one can explain the expression "when wine enters, secrets emerge" (nichnas yayin yatza sod) by way of allusion. If you examine where the concept of "sod" (secret or counsel) is mentioned in Tanach, you will find it in only three places: "The secret of Hashem is for those who fear Him" (Tehillim 25), "and His counsel is with the upright" (Mishlei 3:32), and in our verse - "unless He has revealed His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).
And notice: "The secret of Hashem" is for whom? For those who fear Him (Lirei'av) - the letter Yud. Who merits the secret of Hashem? The upright (Yesharim) - again, the letter Yud. "Unless He has revealed His secret to His servants the prophets (Nevi'im)" - the letter Nun. What do we get? Yayin (Yud, Yud, Nun - wine). When wine enters, the secret emerges. Who merits the secret? One who embodies "yayin": Yarei (God-fearing), Yashar (upright), and Navi (prophet). These are the three places where the concept of sod is mentioned.
"A lion has roared; who will not fear?"
אַרְיֵה שָׁאָג מִי לֹא יִירָא אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה דִּבֶּר מִי לֹא יִנָּבֵא׃ - A lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who will not prophesy?
When a lion roars - who will not fear, even though it is merely the roar of an animal and not the voice of the Holy One, blessed be He? All the more so when Hashem has spoken - who will not prophesy? Certainly, if Hashem delivers a message, the prophets tremble at His word, heed His voice, and warn the people. If so, why do the people not repent?
Based on this, the Malbim adds a new explanation for the end of verse 6. If a shofar is sounded in a city and the people do not tremble - and they do not repent, and subsequently calamity strikes the city, know that Hashem did not bring this decree about. And what is the meaning of "Hashem did not do it"? That it is attributed to you. For I warned you, so how could you expect to be spared without trembling? It follows that "if there be evil in a city and Hashem has not done it" is not a rhetorical question, as we explained earlier, but an affirmative statement: Since I sounded a shofar in the city and you were not concerned, and distress and disaster arrived and you were harmed - who is to blame for the damage? You are.
And this is what he is saying: The calamity is not from Hashem; it is from you. Do not say, "Hashem, why did You do this?" - "your iniquities have turned these away," it is your own actions that caused it. As it is stated: "A man's foolishness perverts his way, and his heart rages against Hashem." Do not lodge a complaint against Hashem; rather, you brought the calamity upon yourself, and they brought the misfortune upon themselves. For Hashem does nothing unless He has revealed His counsel to His servants the prophets and warned through them; and since you were warned and did not act, it turns out that you brought the evil upon yourselves, and you have no one to blame but yourselves.
In summary:
The opening of chapter 3 is a multifaceted introduction to the prophecies of retribution to come. First, the prophet teaches us that closeness is the very root of the claim against them: "You alone have I known" - close Divine providence, a direct connection to the upper realms, and therefore heightened responsibility and exacting judgment, which do not apply to the nations of the world. Afterwards, through a chain of rhetorical questions - two walking together, a lion roaring, a young lion crying out from his den, a bird caught in a trap, a shofar sounded in a city - he establishes three fundamental truths: that troubles are never accidental but intentional and destined by Hashem; that the threat is not empty but will be fulfilled and will not return void; and that the Holy One, blessed be He, does nothing without first warning through His prophets. From this stems the piercing conclusion: prophecy is not an irrevocable decree but a call to repentance, and since we were warned and did not tremble - we have no one to blame but ourselves.