Amos 3:2 (DRB)

Passage

You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities.

Nearby Context

Amos 3:1 Hear the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning you, O ye children of Israel: concerning the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying:

Amos 3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities.

Amos 3:3 Shall two walk together except they be agreed?

Amos 3:4 Will a lion roar in the forest, if he have no prey? will the lion's whelp cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "iniquities", "only", "known", "families", "earth", "therefore", "visit", and "upon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "iniquities" and "only", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Hear the word that the Lord hath..." into verse 3's "Shall two walk together except they be...", so "iniquities" and "only" belong inside that flow. In Amos context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "iniquities" and "only" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.