Amos 3:2 (LSB)

Passage

“You only have I known among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Nearby Context

Amos 3:1 Hear this word which Yahweh has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,

Amos 3:2 “You only have I known among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Amos 3:3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?

Amos 3:4 Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion give forth its voice from its den unless it has captured something?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "iniquities", "only", "known", "families", "earth", "therefore", and "punish". 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 this word which Yahweh has spoken..." into verse 3's "Do two men walk together unless they...", 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.