Amos 3:13 kjv
Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,
Amos 3:13 nkjv
Hear and testify against the house of Jacob," Says the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,
Amos 3:13 niv
"Hear this and testify against the descendants of Jacob," declares the Lord, the LORD God Almighty.
Amos 3:13 esv
"Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob," declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,
Amos 3:13 nlt
"Now listen to this, and announce it throughout all Israel, " says the Lord, the LORD God of Heaven's Armies.
Amos 3 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Amos 3:12 | Thus says the LORD; As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of ear; so shall the children of Israel dwell in Samaria... | God's preservation amid destruction |
| Amos 6:11 | For behold, the LORD commands, and the great house will be smitten into fragments, and the small house into breaches. | Judgment on wealthy oppressors |
| Isaiah 3:5 | And the people will oppress one another, every one against his neighbor, and the youth will insult the elder... | Social chaos and oppression |
| Isaiah 10:2 | to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right... | Exploitation of the vulnerable |
| Jeremiah 5:27-28 | Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of plunder. Therefore they have become great and have grown rich. They have grown sleek and fat... | Wealth gained through corruption |
| Micah 3:10 | Who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. | Judgment for oppression |
| Micah 6:12 | For her rich men are full of violence... | Violence accompanying wealth |
| Psalm 73:6-9 | Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. Their eye bulges from fatness; they have more than heart can wish. They scoff and speak evil... | Wickedness of the prosperous |
| Matthew 23:25 | Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside, they are full of greed and self-indulgence. | Hypocrisy and inner corruption |
| Luke 6:24 | But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. | Woes for the rich |
| Luke 12:16-21 | And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a certain rich man yielded its crops. And he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’... | Parable of the rich fool |
| James 5:1-6 | Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the coming miseries upon you. Your riches have rotted, and your moths have eaten your garments. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be a testimony against you and will devour your flesh like fire. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. | Judgment on exploitative rich |
| Revelation 18:7 | By the amount she glorified herself and indulged in sensuality, by so much do not give her relief from her torment and grief. | Judgment on decadent city |
| Proverbs 15:25 | The LORD builds up the house of the proud, but he walls off the widow's property. | God's protection for the weak |
| Proverbs 29:4 | By justice a king gives stability to the land, but he who is greedy for bribes throws it into chaos. | Justice vs. greed |
| Jeremiah 22:13-17 | “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who uses his neighbor without wages and does not give him his due... | Judgment on exploitative rulers |
| Amos 5:11-12 | Therefore because you tread hard on the poor and take from him exactions of wheat, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. | Specific sins of oppression |
| Amos 8:4-6 | Hear this, you who trample on the needy, and do so to crush the poor of the land... | Condemnation of exploitation |
| Amos 3:14 | that I will punish Samaria for her iniquity, and for her house of ivory, and for the comfortable houses. | Consequence of sins |
| Amos 3:15 | I will strike the winter house with the summer house, and the houses of elephants shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end,” declares the LORD. | Destruction of luxurious homes |
Amos 3 verses
Amos 3 13 Meaning
This verse signifies that God will not overlook the injustices and excesses committed by the wealthy and powerful in Samaria. Their destructive actions will ultimately rebound upon them, leading to their complete ruin and the demolition of their fortified palaces.
Amos 3 13 Context
Amos 3:13 is part of a broader indictment against the northern kingdom of Israel, specifically Samaria. In the preceding verses (Amos 3:9-12), God announces judgment on Israel's oppressors, comparing them to a lion devouring its prey. Amos charges them with performing injustice and robbery within their strongholds. This particular verse pronounces God's judgment upon those who have built their opulent homes through illicit means. The prophet’s message is delivered during a period of relative prosperity for Israel, which was often accompanied by increased social injustice and a disregard for God's law. The immediate context is God’s decree through Amos to execute judgment upon Samaria for its sins of oppression and luxurious living built on the suffering of the poor. The pronouncements are part of a series of judgments detailed in the first nine chapters of Amos, highlighting God's intolerance for unrighteousness.
Amos 3 13 Word Analysis
- Listen (shema'): This is an imperative verb, emphasizing the need for attentive hearing. It implies not just to hear sound but to understand and obey. It’s a call to heed God’s word, a recurring theme in the Old Testament.
- to Hear (lishmoa'): Similar to the first word, emphasizing attentive reception of God's pronouncement.
- This word (et-had-dabar): Refers specifically to the message and pronouncements of God being delivered through Amos. It is singular, indicating the specific decree of judgment.
- Testify (hgned): In this context, it means to bear witness against. God is bearing witness against Israel by exposing their sin and declaring the consequences.
- against you (ba-kem): Directly addressing the people of Israel, particularly the leaders and wealthy within Samaria.
- In the land of Egypt (b-erets Mitsrayim): This serves as a pointed reminder of God's historical faithfulness and deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. It highlights the stark contrast between God’s past redemptive actions and Israel’s current disobedience and reliance on their own fortified cities. It evokes the foundational experience of their nation.
- In the house of Israel (b-beith-Yisrael): Specifying the covenant community to whom God is speaking, and to whom this judgment pertains.
- For the great houses (et-ba-tyy ham-gdlwym): "Houses" here refers to luxurious residences, palaces, and strongholds. "Great" emphasizes their size, grandeur, and perhaps their influence or power. These represent the wealth and comfort attained through injustice.
- And the houses of oppressors (wes-baty’ hwgsmym): "Oppressors" (hvgsmym) specifically points to those who practice oppression, injustice, and exploitation. This reinforces the sin being addressed. The "houses" here refer to their dwellings which are symbols of their ill-gotten gains.
Amos 3 13 Bonus Section
The phrase "the land of Egypt" can be seen as a rhetorical device highlighting Israel's descent into a state worse than the very bondage from which God rescued them. They are acting as oppressors, mirroring the system they escaped. The "houses" are not just buildings but represent the accumulated wealth and security derived from wicked practices, which God declares will be shattered. This verse illustrates a principle found throughout scripture: God holds His people accountable, and their prosperity is unacceptable if built on sin and the suffering of others. The prophet’s imagery is vivid and impactful, aiming to impress upon the people the severe consequences of their social and economic injustice.
Amos 3 13 Commentary
Amos forcefully declares that God’s judgment is absolute and undeniable, targeting not only the actions but also the very structures of oppression. The mention of Egypt serves as a potent reminder of God's covenant loyalty and His power to deliver, contrasting it with Israel's current defiant state. God's verdict is that the luxurious residences of the wealthy and powerful, built upon the backs of the poor and through systemic injustice, will be utterly destroyed. This is not merely a statement about architectural collapse but about the dismantling of a society that has rejected divine justice and mercy. The emphasis is on the certainty of judgment against those who abuse their privilege and oppress others.