Amos 3:1

Hear this word. This phrase occurs at the beginning of chs. 3; 4; 5. These chapters contain three distinct messages, which point out in a definite way the sins of Israel and announce the approach of God’s judgments because of these sins. In this, the first of the three messages, God arraigns Israel before the bar of divine justice and stresses the estrangement that now exists between Him and His people (see vs. 3, 10). For the keynote of this message see v. 3.

The whole family. This indicates that the divine call is given to all the twelve tribes, to whom the Lord manifested His great favor by bringing them “from the land of Egypt” (see ch. 2:10). However, the denunciation that follows is specifically directed at the northern kingdom of Israel.