Hosea 10:2-12

2 Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The Lord will break down their altars, and destroy their pillars.

3 For now they will say: "We have no king, for we do not fear the Lord, and a king—what could he do for us?"

4 They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so litigation springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria tremble for the calf of Beth-aven. Its people shall mourn for it, and its idolatrous priests shall wail over it, over its glory that has departed from it.

6 The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim shall be put to shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol.

7 Samaria's king shall perish like a chip on the face of the waters.

8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars. They shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us.

9 Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel; there they have continued. Shall not war overtake them in Gibeah?

10 I will come against the wayward people to punish them; and nations shall be gathered against them when they are punished for their double iniquity.

11 Ephraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck; but I will make Ephraim break the ground; Judah must plow; Jacob must harrow for himself.

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

Hosea 10:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 10

This chapter is of the same argument with the former, and others before that; setting forth the sins of the ten tribes, and threatening them with the judgments of God for them; and exhorting them to repentance, and works of righteousness. They are charged with unfruitfulness and ingratitude; increasing in idolatry, as they increased in temporal good things, Ho 10:1; with a divided heart, and with irreverence of God, and their king; and with false swearing, covenant breaking, and injustice, Ho 10:2-4; and are threatened with a removal of their king, and with the destruction of their idols, and places of idolatry, which should cause fear in the common people, and mourning among the priests, Ho 10:1,5-8. It is observed, that their sin had been of long continuance, though the Lord had been kind and good unto them, in chastising them in love, giving them good laws, sending his prophets to exhort them to repentance and reformation, but all in vain, Ho 10:9-13; wherefore they are threatened with the spoiling of their fortresses, the destruction of the people, and the cutting off of their king, Ho 10:14,15.

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb [he]
• [b]. Gk Syr: Heb [calves]
• [c]. Cn: Heb [exult]
• [d]. Cn: Heb [to a king who will contend]
• [e]. Cn: Heb [counsel]
• [f]. Cn Compare Gk: Heb [In my desire]
• [g]. Gk: Heb [bound]