Amos 3:13

13 Listen and testify against the house of Jacob- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord God , the God of Hosts.

Amos 3:13 Meaning and Commentary

Amos 3:13

Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob
The prophets and priests, whose business it was to speak to the people from the Lord, and declare his will to them, and to admonish them of their sin and danger, are here called upon to hearken to what the Lord was about to say, and to testify and publish it to the people of Israel, the posterity of Jacob, though sadly degenerated: saith the Lord God, the God of hosts;
the eternal Jehovah, the Being of beings, the God of the whole earth, the God of the armies above and below; and, being so great, ought to be heard with the greatest attention and reverence in what follows.

Amos 3:13 In-Context

11 Therefore, the Lord God says: An enemy will surround the land; he will destroy your strongholds and plunder your citadels.

12 The Lord says: As the shepherd snatches two legs or a piece of an ear from the lion's mouth, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be rescued with [only] the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch.

13 Listen and testify against the house of Jacob- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord God , the God of Hosts.

14 I will punish the altars of Bethel on the day I punish Israel for its crimes; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.

15 I will demolish the winter house and the summer house; the houses [inlaid with] ivory will be destroyed, and the great houses will come to an end- the Lord's declaration.