Hosea10
New American Standard
1Israel is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he made; The richer his land, The better he made the memorial stones.
2Their heart is deceitful; Now they must suffer for their guilt. The Lord will break down their altars And destroy their memorial stones.
3Certainly now they will say, “We have no king, For we do not revere the Lord. As for the king, what can he do for us?”
4They speak mere words, With worthless oaths they make covenants; And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
5The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its glory, since it has left it.
6The thing itself will be brought to Assyria As a gift of tribute to King Jareb; Ephraim will be seized with shame, And Israel will be ashamed of its own plan.
7Samaria will be destroyed with her king, Like a twig on the surface of the water.
8Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed; Thorns and thistles will grow on their altars; Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” And to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, Israel; There they stand! Will the battle against the sons of injustice not overtake them in Gibeah?
10When it is My desire, I will discipline them; And the peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound for their double guilt.
11Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh, And I passed over her lovely neck; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself.
12Sow for yourselves, with a view to righteousness; Harvest in accordance with kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, For it is time to seek the Lord Until He comes and rains righteousness on you.
13You have plowed wickedness, you have harvested injustice, You have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your way, in your many warriors,
14An uproar will arise among your people, And all your fortresses will be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, When mothers were slaughtered with their children.
15So it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Hosea 10.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The idolatry of Israel. (1-8). They are exhorted to repentance. (9-15).
vv1-8
A vine is only valuable for its fruit; but Israel now brought no fruit to perfection. Their hearts were divided. God is the Sovereign of the heart; he will have all, or none. Were the stream of the heart wholly after God, it would run strongly, and bear down all before it. Their pretences to covenant with God were false. Even the proceeding of justice was as poisonous hemlock. Alas, how empty a vine is the visible church even at this day! But all earthly prosperity is but a collection of bubbles, soon destroyed like foam upon the water. Sinners will in vain seek shelter from that Judge, whom they now despise as a Saviour.
vv9-15
Because God does not desire the death and ruin of sinners, therefore in mercy he desires their chastisement. The children of iniquity still remained in Israel. The enemies would be gathered against them. It is just with God to make those know what hardships mean, who indulge themselves in ease and pleasure. Let them cleanse their hearts from all corrupt affections and lusts, and be a broken and contrite spirit. Let them abound in works of piety towards God, and of justice and charity towards one another: herein let them sow to the Spirit. Seeking the Lord is to be every day's work, but there are special occasions when to seek him. Christ shall come as the Lord our righteousness, and grant us of it abundantly. If we sow in righteousness, we shall reap according to mercy; a reward not of debt, but of grace. Even the gains of sin yield the sinner no satisfaction. As our comforts, so our confidences in the service of sin will certainly fail us. Come and seek the Lord, and thy hope in him shall not deceive thee. See what cruel work war makes. Whatever mischief is done, it is sin that does it. What miseries men's sins bring on them, even in this world!
Key Words
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
בָּקַק: to pour out, i.e. to empty, figuratively, to depopulate; by analogy, to spread out (as a fruitful vine)
גֶּפֶן: a vine (as twining), especially the grape
שָׁוָה: properly, to level, i.e. equalize; figuratively, to resemble; by implication, to adjust (i.e. counterbalance, be suitable, compose, place, yield, etc.)
פְּרִי: fruit (literally or figuratively)
רֹב: abundance (in any respect)
מִזְבֵּחַ: an altar
רָבָה: to increase (in whatever respect)
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
טוֹב: good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)
Cross References
Hosea 10Direct verbal echo of 'say to the mountains, Fall on us' during final cosmic judgment.
Supported by JFB
Jesus directly cites this verse ('say to the mountains, Fall on us') regarding Jerusalem's doom.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the proverbial metaphor of judgment springing up like poisonous hemlock/wormwood in plowed furrows.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Textual background linking false swearing and covenant breaking to a root bearing gall and wormwood.
Supported by JFB
Direct verbal echo connecting Israel's deep corruption to the historical outrage at Gibeah.
Supported by JFB
Verbal match: 'Break up your fallow ground,' emphasizing repentance before sowing spiritual seed.
Supported by John Calvin
Parallels the metaphor of Israel as a vine failing to yield fruit to God.
Supported by JFB
Illustrates the 'divided heart' that wavers between Yahweh and Baalism.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament parallel explaining that a divided heart cannot serve two masters.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Exposes Bethel's degradation by contemptuously renaming it Beth-aven ('house of vanity/iniquity').
Supported by JFB
Identifies King Jareb of Assyria, to whom Ephraim sent tribute, as their false protector.
Supported by JFB
The concrete historical account of the gross crime at Gibeah referenced in verse 9.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the image of empty, plundered vines ruined by external invaders.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Matches God's active, judicial 'desire' to chastise His disobedient people.
Supported by JFB
Theological fulfillment of the harvest principle: sowing in righteousness versus reaping corruption.
Supported by Matthew Henry