Amos 3:2 (GNV)

Passage

You onely haue I knowen of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visite you for all your iniquities.

Nearby Context

Amos 3:1 Heare this worde that the Lord pronounceth against you, O children of Israel, euen against the whole familie which I brought vp from the land of Egypt, saying,

Amos 3:2 You onely haue I knowen of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visite you for all your iniquities.

Amos 3:3 Can two walke together except they bee agreed?

Amos 3:4 Will a lion roare in ye forest, when he hath no pray? or wil a lions whelpe cry out of his den, if he haue taken nothing?

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Heare this worde that the Lord pronounceth..." into verse 3's "Can two walke together except they bee...", so "iniquities" and "onely" 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 "onely" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.