Hosea 6:4-11

4 What shall I do with you, ¹O ²Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O ³Judah? Your love is ⁴like a morning cloud, ⁵like the dew that goes early away.

5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them ⁶by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light.

6 For ⁷I desire steadfast love^[a] and not sacrifice, ⁸the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

7 But ⁹like Adam they ¹⁰transgressed the covenant; ¹¹there they dealt faithlessly with me.

8 ¹²Gilead is a city of evildoers, ¹³tracked with blood.

9 As robbers ¹⁴lie in wait for a man, so the priests band together; they murder on the way to ¹⁵Shechem; they commit villainy.

10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; ¹⁶Ephraim's whoredom is there; ¹⁷Israel is defiled.

11 For you also, O ¹⁸Judah, ¹⁹a harvest is appointed, when ²⁰I restore the fortunes of my people.

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Hosea 6:4-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 6

This chapter gives an account of some who were truly penitent, and stirred up one another to return to the Lord, encouraged by his power, grace, and goodness, Ho 6:1-3; and of others, who had only a form of religion, were very unstable in it; regarded more the ceremonial law, and the external sacrifices of it, than the moral law; either that part of it which respects the love of the neighbour, or that which concerns the knowledge of God; and dealt treacherously with the Lord, transgressing the covenant, Ho 6:4-7; particularly the city of Gilead is represented as full of the workers of iniquity, and is charged with bloodshed, Ho 6:8; yea, even the priests were guilty of murder and lewdness, Ho 6:9; and Israel, or the ten tribes in general, are accused of whoredom, both corporeal and spiritual, with which they were defiled, Ho 6:10; nor was Judah clear of these crimes, and therefore a reckoning day is set for them, Ho 6:11.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 20

1. [Hosea 11:8]
2. ver. 10, 11; Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:5; Hosea 8:14; Hosea 10:11; Hosea 11:12; Hosea 12:1, 2; See Hosea 5:9-14
3. ver. 10, 11; Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:5; Hosea 8:14; Hosea 10:11; Hosea 11:12; Hosea 12:1, 2; See Hosea 5:9-14
4. Hosea 13:3
5. Hosea 13:3
6. Jeremiah 23:29; [Hebrews 4:12]
7. Cited Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7; [1 Samuel 15:22]
8. [Hosea 2:20]
9. [Genesis 3:11; Job 31:33; Romans 5:14]
10. Hosea 8:1; Deuteronomy 17:2
11. Hosea 5:7
12. [Hosea 12:11]
13. See Hosea 4:2
14. [Hosea 5:1; Hosea 7:6]
15. Joshua 24:1
16. Hosea 5:3; Hosea 7:4; [Hosea 4:2, 12, 14; Hosea 9:10]
17. See ver. 4
18. [See ver. 10 above]
19. See Joel 3:13
20. Psalms 126:1; [Job 42:10]

Footnotes 1

[a]. Septuagint mercy

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.