John Calvin Commentary Amos 3:1-2

"Hear this word that Jehovah hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities." — Amos 3:1-2 (ASV)

The Prophet undoubtedly wished by these words to confirm his own authority, for he saw that his doctrine was regarded with contempt. It is probable that the words recited here were not only delivered by him once, but had been often repeated. We know how great the pride and confidence of that people was; it was therefore necessary to beat it down, so that they might become accustomed to dread and fear when God reproved them by His prophets.

It was then the common way of speaking when he said, Hear the word which God has spoken concerning you, O children of Israel. He brings forward the name of God here so that they might know that they were not dealing with a mortal man, or with a shepherd, such as he was.

We then observe here what I have just referred to: the Prophet seeks to strengthen his authority as a teacher, so that he might gain more respect among the people. But he adds, concerning the whole family which I brought up out of Egypt. It is certain that this discourse was addressed only to the ten tribes; why, then, does the Prophet speak here so generally?

This was because the kingdom of Israel formed the greater part of the race of Abraham, and on this account, they boasted that the adoption remained with them. Since, then, they despised the tribe of Judah and the half-tribe of Benjamin, which was connected with it, and had always boasted of their great number, the Prophet says here, by way of concession, that they were indeed the blessed seed, the posterity of Abraham—in a word, the elect people, whom God had redeemed from Egypt.

So, the Prophet does not include the kingdom of Judah here but concedes to the Israelites what they boasted—that they were the elect people, the holy race of Abraham, the very nation that had been miraculously delivered. “Let, then,” he says, “all these boasts be granted, yet God will not, on this account, refrain from executing His judgment upon them.”

We now understand the Prophet's design. He first seeks to gain respect for his doctrine and takes the opportunity to speak of his own calling: that he brought nothing of his own, but only faithfully discharged the office committed to him. Indeed, he was the instrument of the Holy Spirit and brought forth nothing from his own mind, but only spoke what the Lord had commanded him.

Then, as the Israelites, relying on their large number, thought that wrong was done to them when they were severely rebuked by the prophets, and as there was an absurd rivalry between them and the kingdom of Judah, the Prophet concedes to them that for which they were foolishly proud. However, at the same time, he shows that they trusted in vain in their number, since God summoned them to judgment, though they were the elect people, the holy seed, and the redeemed nation. These are the main points.

The Prophet afterward declares what he had been charged to say: Only you have I known of all the families of the earth: I will therefore visit you for your iniquities. Many think that he still concedes to the Israelites what they were accustomed to boast of—that they were separated from the common class of men because the Lord had adopted them. But it seems rather to be a reproach cast upon them.

God then brings forward His benefits here (we noted a similar instance yesterday) so that He might magnify even more the sin of the people in returning the worst kind of repayment to God, by whom they had been so liberally and so kindly treated. “I,” He says, “have loved you only.” It is indeed true, as we have often observed in other places, that the Israelites gloried in their privileges; but the Prophet does not seem to have this in view.

God then reasons earnestly with them for being so ungrateful: “You only,” He says, “have I known.” It is indeed certain that God’s care extends to the whole human race, yes, even to oxen and asses, and to the very sparrows. Even the young ravens cry to Him, and the smallest bird is fed by Him.

We therefore see that God’s providence extends to all mortal beings, but not in an equal degree. God has always known all people so as to give what is necessary to preserve life. God has, therefore, made His sun to rise on the entire human race and has also made the earth to produce food. Thus, concerning the necessities of life, He performs the office of a Father toward all people.

But He has known His chosen people because He separated them from other nations, so that they might be like His own family. Israel, then, is said to be known because God favored them alone with a free adoption and designed them to be a peculiar people to Himself. This is the knowledge of which the Prophet now speaks.

But by saying that they only, רק, rek, had been known, He shows that they had been chosen through God’s unique favor, for there was no difference between the seed of Abraham and other nations when considered in themselves; otherwise, this exception would have been superfluous. For if there had been any superiority or merit in the people of Israel, this objection might have readily been made: “We have indeed been chosen, but not without cause, for God had respect for our worthiness.”

But as they differed in no way from other nations, and as the condition of all was alike by nature, the Lord reproaches them with this: that He had known them only; It is as if He said, “How has it happened that you are My peculiar possession and heritage?

Has it been by your merit? Has it been because I was more bound to you than to other nations? You cannot allege these things. It has therefore been My free adoption. You are then the more bound to Me, and less excusable is your ingratitude for rendering to Me so unjust a repayment.” So also Paul says, ‘Who makes thee to differ?’ (1 Corinthians 4:7). He wished to show that every excellence in people ought to be ascribed to God.

For the same purpose it is said here, You only have I loved and known of all the families of the earth: “What were you? You were children of Adam, just as all other nations; the same has been the beginning of all. There is then no reason for you to say that I was attached to you by any bias; I freely chose you and chose you alone.”

All this tends to magnify grace, and their ingratitude thereby appears more evident.

For had God spoken these words about His general benefits, the guilt of His chosen people would not have been so great. But when He says that they only had been chosen, while others were passed by, their impiety undoubtedly seemed more base and wicked for not acknowledging God in return, so as to devote themselves wholly to Him, to whom they owed everything.

And the generosity of God is also evident in this respect: that He had known the Israelites alone, though there were many other nations. Had God owed anything to humankind, He would not have kept it from them; this is certain. But since He repudiated all other nations, it follows that they were justly rejected when He took no account of them.

Why then was it that He chose the Israelites? We see here how highly God’s grace is exalted by this comparison of one people with all other nations. And the same thing also appears from these words, of all the families of the earth.

It is as if God had said, “There were many nations in the world, the number of people was very great; but I regarded them all as nothing, so that I might take you under My protection. Thus I was content with a small number, when all people were Mine. And this I have done through mere favor, for there was nothing in you by which you excelled others, nor could they allege that they were unjustly rejected.

Since then I preferred you of My own will, it is evident that I was under no obligation to you.” So now we understand the design of the Prophet’s words.

He then adds, I will therefore visit upon you your iniquities. God declares here that the Israelites would have to suffer a heavier judgment because they did not acknowledge their obligations to God, but seemed willfully to despise His favor and to scorn Him, the author of so many blessings. Since then the Israelites were bound by so many unique benefits, and yet at the same time were as wicked as other nations, the Prophet shows that they deserved a heavier punishment, and that God’s judgment, such as they deserved, was near at hand. This is the substance of the whole.